Eastbayri.com

Jordan Ferreira speaks softly but carries a big ax.

The 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Westport isn’t much bigger than the custom Suhr he’s shredding at Band Stand Live, a huge rehearsal space located in a renovated mill in Taunton, Mass.

It’s the day before a 21-city tour to support his new album as leader of the progressive rock trio Elixir On Mute, and the band is working out the kinks during a run through its set list. Although Jordan’s been rehearsing for only a few days with the other members of his touring band — bassist Jon Reshard, 26, and drummer Padget Nanton, 21 — the group is tight and explosive.

Reshard and Nanton have already been playing together for years and the former’s rhythmic yet melodic bass lines mesh perfectly with the drummer’s jazz-like accenting, providing a propulsive underpinning for Jordan’s howling, sonic landscapes.

Expectations are high for the tour, which began in Boston Oct. 19 and will conclude in New York Nov. 10. While Jordan joked that the success of the trip could make “or break” him, it’s clear that a lot’s riding on the string of club dates. The gigs will help support his soon-to-be-released second album, “The Long Halloween,” a six-track, 27-minute effort that’s being described as a “surrealistic sound experience” strongly influenced by one of Jordan’s main loves — the cinema.

Speaking last week during a break in rehearsal, Jordan said he was eager to test his original material on the road as he didn’t get a chance to tour in support of his first album.

“I was rehearsing on my own for weeks before we started,” said Jordan, whose long wavy hair extends down to his chest. “I want to go already. I’m going to push myself as far as I can go with each gig. I want to grow and get better.”

Touring Europe — at 12

This is hardly Jordan’s first tour; at 20, he’s already a veteran of the stage. He first recorded at the age of 5 with his father — Jorge Oliveira Ferreira, known by many as “U.S.A.’s Portuguese King of Pop” — and toured and performed with him in large shows throughout Canada and Europe by the age of 12.

“I started touring with him when I was 11 or 12 — a lot of stuff in Europe, Spain, some Canada dates. I did a few tours with him, mainly in Europe,” said Jordan. “It was fun. His band at that point was really good and they were really cool.”

Not long before that tour, Jordan had only a casual acquaintance with the guitar. For years he had an old, nylon-string guitar but “didn’t really play it.” When his dad started rehearsing for a tour, however, he asked his son to learn electric guitar. Luckily, Jordan was a quick study.

“I took private lessons for four to five months. That is really it in terms of lessons,” said Jordan, noting that he’s mainly “self-taught.”

He has, however, had his share of “teachers” whom he counts among his biggest influences.

“It’s really fun for me to see what people can do with the instrument,” said Jordan. “For guitar players, I like people who can actually say something — people like Guthrie Govan (formerly with Asia) and Shawn Lane (the late Black Oak Arkansas guitarist known for his shredding skills). There’s something about the fire in Shawn Lane that draws me in; that kind of command over an instrument both technically and musically just does it for me.”

Film imagery plays a big role

Just as other musicians inspire him, Jordan says the cinema plays a big part in his songwriting and playing.

“Film is probably just as much of an influence on my music as other music,” says Jordan, who counts Darren Aronofsky (“Pi,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Black Swan”) and PT Anderson (“Magnolia,” “Boogie Nights,” “There Will be Blood”) among his favorite directors.

The dark and atmospheric imagery of “The Long Halloween,” in fact, pays a debt to some of his cinematic heroes by sonically creating what those directors make him feel.

“It doesn’t necessarily have a narrative, but some of my favorite films don’t have a narrative either. To me imagery is really important, as well as the feeling behind the imagery,” said Jordan who, despite his emphasis on pictures in creating songs, has no background in art.

“I can’t draw at all,” he said. “But it’s just cool for me to see imagery done in creative ways, whether it’s artwork, film or music. It’s a really easy way to get your idea across.”

Surrounded by big talent

Despite his youth, Jordan has surrounded himself with an impressive array of musical talent both on stage and in the recording studio.

Elixir on Mute formed early last year after a chance meeting between Jordan and drummer Thomas Pridgen, formerly of The Mars Volta and The Memorials.

Also joining him on the new album are bassist Steve Jenkins, who’s played with The Roots; instrumentalist and producer Anthony Resta, who’s worked with Elton John and Duran Duran; and engineer Karyadi Sutedja. The album was recorded both at Jordan’s home studio and at Resta’s Bopnique Musique, located in an old textile mill just west of Boston.

Jordan said he spent a year and “many sleepless nights” working on new album, which includes cello and other strings and lots of vocals. “There’s like 100 layers to each song,” he said.

And, it’s still not quite done. Although the band’s new single “Monster” is available for download through iTunes, Jordan said he’s still “tweaking” the album for release in the near future.

“I need to make sure that everything is done right for me,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of putting out something that my heart’s not set on. I don’t want someone spending money on something that I could have done better.”

As far as his touring band goes, Padget Nanton, from Jacksonville, Fla., has been playing drums nearly his whole life. “I started beating on pots and pans and stuff,” said Padget, who grew up playing gospel in the church before finding everything from old-school jazz to hard rock, techno and hip-hop.

Jon Reshard, from Long Island, NY, has recorded his own albums and has worked with Pridgen and guitarist Greg Howe — who in turn has played with Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake.

The bassist, who’s even jammed with Prince, said he likes the chemistry the trio has found in the short period of time it’s been together. “More importantly is how we get along as a family, because if I don’t like you it’s going to be hard for me to get into what you’re doing, or even how you’re doing it,” he said.

Jordan said his plans for the future will depend a great deal on how the tour goes. He may re-locate to California or join a band he can’t yet name as a guitarist and songwriter.

For now, however, he’s focused on the album and tour, which includes stops in North Carolina, Los Angeles and Texas before returning to the East Coast.

“I’m just looking forward to playing constantly and getting better,” he said.

‘Monster’ on iTunes

Elixir on Mute’s new album, “The Long Halloween,” will be available soon online and in select e-tailers such as iTunes and Amazon. The band’s new single, “Monster,” can already be purchased for download through iTunes.

According to press material about the album, it will feature six tracks clocking in at 27 minutes. “Think of the cinematic dynamism of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ meets the indie cool of The Mars Volta’s ‘Frances The Mute’ but interpreted for a new generation of listeners,” is how one press release describes the album.

For more information about the band, visit www.elixironmute.com.