Her last three albums have blended her love of fusion, prog and metal, but with Division World Jane Getter has redefined her songwriting with her Premonition band. On her fourth LP, zigzagging instrumental turns and elongated solos remain, but only when needed. This time around, Getter tells us she let her ears, rather than her indulgences, write what has proved to be a far more convincing blending of the musical worlds she loves so dearly.
Jane Getter is a jazz guitarist at heart.
For the New Yorker, who’s been playing guitar since she was eight years old, that means long, winding compositions rich with improvised solos come as second nature. Yet, on her latest album with her Premonition band, Getter has gone against her own intuition. She’s stripped her songs of everything but the bare necessities.
“My ability to edit songs is something that has developed over the years,” she reflects. “Sometimes, especially earlier on, I would start writing a song and then I think, ‘Oh, I really want to put this in’ just because I thought it would be cool. And so I put it in. Listening back, I feel that certain elements weren’t necessary.”
Outside Premonition, Getter has had a varied career as a supporting cast member. From the party jazz of Brother Jack McDuff to her proggy meanders with Trifecta keyboardist Adam Holzman, she’s built a wealth of experience. With Premonition, however, it’s always been about what she likes and, if she likes it, she’ll find a place for it in her music. While that stylistic free-for-all remains prevalent on her latest album, Division World, it’s become more laser-focused, where every second of the record is warranted; vital.
“This album has been about letting the song dictate when it needs something, and when it doesn’t, and letting my ears be my guide,” she ascertains. “If I have a really long extended instrumental section, I’ve been asking myself, ‘Does that get the point of the song across or not?’ Sometimes it’s OK the way it is, it doesn’t need extra sections. Those conversations were really important.”
Getter’s fusion background may tempt her to close her eyes and play, but at the fourth time of asking, her head has outfoxed her heart. Everything has its place and no section overstays its welcome. For that, Porcupine Tree can take a little credit.
“I love Steven Wilson’s writing. I love his songs, his melodies and chord choices,” she says with a big smile. “And then so often they go into heavy sections, which are really fun. But it’s always part of a meaningful song, which is what I like the most. That was a big inspiration.”
Lyrically, the story of the record is encapsula
