| Review Fix chats with singer a girl named jaen, who discusses her origin in music and new single, “We Are the Chorus.†Review Fix: How did you get involved in music? A Girl Named Jaen: I was a dancer and choreographer since I was super little leading up to my 1st and only semester of college. Over a span of 2 or 3 years after high school I went through a couple of bad injuries. One happened while taking a dance class and the other teaching a dance class. I worked through both, but it took many months. I gained a Lil weight, had a pity party, took a job just to make money, and along the way wound up auditioning randomly to sing once a week with a cover band. I didn’t “really†sing at the time, but my soul was just screaming to get back to performing. I sang at that club almost every week for about a year, taught myself to write, got my 1st original song produced, and fell in love with music from a different perspective. I quit me “make money†job and took another job working for a songwriting non-profit. Music kinda chose me. Review Fix: What’s your creative process like? Jaen: It’s sporadically and sometimes by appointment almost every day. I find beauty and inspiration everywhere. My mobile phone is almost always with me, so I use the voice memo app a lot and the notepad. I can write down something as simple as a word I love, a phrase, a saying, a quote all the way up to a full song which occasionally happens all at once. The best days are the ones when I have time to just sit, sing, and write. It’s a wonderful obsession. Whenever possible, I write and sing until the ideas stop flowing. That’s when I know I need a break or need to soak up some new experience to sponge from. However, being an independent artist, I spend a lot of time doing admin. It’s not so glamorous – Ha! Review Fix: What inspires you? Jaen: Life! Okay, that’s too broad. Specifically, movies, music, listening to interviews with successful people from all walks of life. I also love just eavesdropping in on other peoples conversations and I’ve been known to pick up my notepad and/or voice memo in the middle of my conversations with other people.  Also, poetry, museums, travel and photography. Review Fix: What does music mean to you? Jaen: It’s truly the air I breathe. My 1st love was dance, but I don’t remember dancing without music. Music was what took me over and the body just gave in to it. Cliche as it is, music is (like so many) the soundtrack of my life. I have so many memories and milestones tied to music. You know, like when you hear a song you haven’t heard in so many years and it takes you back to that moment.  Music is magic!  Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you? Jaen: I’m 70% sunshine girl forever carrying the 30% dark girl deep inside. Unless I’m writing for a specific project or for someone else, when I let my muse take over for what is my style, it always has a bit of shadow, darkness, mystery, sensuality, or edge to it. Even as a kid, I was the super happy smiley girl who always wanted to check out the mysteries or scary books. I’m just a curious type. I like to experiment with my voice and sounds. Ultimately, I call my sound, Popternative. It runs the gamut from Pure trending Pop to Alt. Rock to Electronic and sometimes all those mashed up. Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work? Jaen: I try to write songs that mostly don’t depend so much on just ear candy so that I can also sing most of them in a small coffee house setting.  It’s been a while since I played out. Before Covid I did a few open mics. I’d say the live shows are more intimate and personal. I do dream of putting on a much bigger show one day. Review Fix: What inspired your latest single? Jaen: First, the title idea was inspired by my friend, songwriter and artist Marci Geller. We were sharing music in the Sync group that we belong to.  She was explaining that all those voices on the chorus were hers. She said, “I am the chorus,†I wrote that down right away and immediately tied it to all the marches and protests and thought, No, “We Are The Chorus.†Secondly, all the ideas that followed were inspired by the last 4 years with the ever-changing social and political landscape. I’ve been really moved by the passion of all the people all over the US that have spoken up and out about their struggles, what they hold most dear, their fears, and more.  It’s been inspiring, upsetting, emotional, beautiful, ugly, uniting, dividing and sometimes exhausting.  I wanted to write about how we the people (no matter what our beliefs) are rising and like we have before to effect change in our country. I cherish this freedom we have as Americans and we must fight to protect it. Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of 2020? Jaen: To stay healthy for myself, my loved ones, my community (especially my music family). To continue to streamline the business part of what I do, so that I can spend more time creating and sharing. Because of Covid, music became my full time and I want it to stay my full time. Review Fix: What’s next? Jaen: My next release should be a thank you song to the frontliners that have always been there Pre-covid and will be there after we get a handle on the Pandemic. I also produced some re-imagined versions of some classic Holiday songs that I’ll be releasing. Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add? Jaen: Just, that I feel it’s a privilege to do what I do. I feel fortunate and so free to be able to express myself through music, acting, other writings, and visuals. Lastly, I am truly grateful for fellow creatives such as yourself and your review staff to allow me to share what I do with your audience on your platform. Thank you! |
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