Jenny Lewis on ‘Rabbit Fur Coat’ at 10, How Conor Oberst Changed Her Life

As the frontwoman of beloved indie-rock band Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis began singing songs of love, heartbreak and aging in 1998. After accruing a solid fanbase, Lewis showed she could stand on her own with her 2006 solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, which found her boldly embracing a more roots-oriented sound.

Last month, in honor of Rabbit Fur Coat‘s 10th anniversary, Lewis reissued the album via her own imprint, Love’s Way. Along with the release, she launched a tour (continuing Wednesday at New York Beacon Theatre) during which she’s performing the LP with help from the Watson Twins and M. Ward — something these same artists did when Rabbit Fur Coat debuted in 2006.

While Lewis’ solo debut embraced country-folk and gospel, her most recent LP, The Voyager, leaned toward postpunk. “I never set out to be a solo artist,” she told Rolling Stone. “I always wanted to be in a rock band.” However, what has remained consistent in Lewis’ music, from Rilo Kiley through her solo career, is her unwavering, honest lyrics. 

Lewis spoke with RS about transitioning from the band to her solo career, the consequences of confessional lyrics and the future of Rilo Kiley.

So it’s been 10 years since your first solo record came out sans Rilo Kiley. Can you believe it?
Yeah, it felt so weird when Give Up, the Postal Service record, turned 10. I didn’t even wrap my head around the fact that Rabbit Fur Coat was close behind. It’s weird looking back on your life via 10-year anniversaries and albums because every couple of years I make a record, and it reflects where I’m at at that time. So to revisit those feelings in the record and the songs is pretty trippy. I never set out to be a solo artist — I always wanted to be in a rock band. I only made Rabbit Fur Coat because Conor Oberst was starting a label called Team Love and he wanted me to put out a record. Conor persuaded me to make this record. I didn’t want to do it — he made me do it. It changed the course of my life forever. It’s just amazing how different things are than they were 10 years ago.

If he didn’t push you to do this, where do you think you would have ended up?
Man, I don’t even know, but to give me the gift of autonomy, I’m forever grateful to him. He’s my weird spirit guide. I have a couple [of them], but he tops the list.