Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Janney, who discusses his origin in music, inspirations and new single, “Come To Me.â€
About Janney:
With influences from KC and the Sunshine Band to Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift., JANNEY will release his debut album in early 2021. But first on November 11th, JANNEY will debut “Come To Meâ€, the first single which has a danceable vibe and a classic eighties pop element, but the lyrics feel personal and intimate at the same time.
Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?
Janney: My senior year of college, I began writing choruses and verses of songs. Random little bits and pieces of songs would just get stuck in my head and I kinda would document it all with voice notes on my phone. After college I moved up to NYC to pursue a postgrad degree in fashion design at Parsons. While studying at Parsons I began to take voice lessons and started making piano demos to some of the songs I’d been writing. After Parsons I took all of those piano demos I’d written and started making a demo album in VA Beach at the old Thomas Crown Studios. I made this 11 song demo album of sorts over the course of a few months and a few weekends spent at the studio. After recording that album I then began outreach to industry lawyers to try and find a good contact to get my foot in the door. From there I was put in contact with a former A&R specialist with which whom was able to connect me to some talented new producers and collaborators to work with on this forthcoming project!
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Janney: For me the creative process can look different each time. I am always looking for that moment of true creative insight to come through. Sometimes it can be a small riff that you just cant get out of your head and keep expanding upon; other times it can come from something as simple as a spoken word. I am always looking for an opportunity to create — I think that the process for me looks different depending on my environment and surroundings. Creativity can strike at 3:00 a.m. when you’re alone in your room, thoughts racing, or it can hit in a room with four other people and an instrument just shooting the shit.
Review Fix: What inspires you?
Janney: I would say that I draw inspiration from those things I see in daily life. I am inspired by architecture and the ever present play of shape and texture that riddles the streets of the city. I am inspired by my friends and my peers, their lives, their stories, what makes them tick. I love the sounds of the city and the subtle atmosphere that it creates.
Review Fix: What does music mean to you?
Janney: Music to me means a universal modality for cultural exchange. When I am listening to music, my mind is elsewhere. I think that music is such a great medium for conveying a story, and to me that is one of the main functions of music, is telling a story. That doesn’t even mean that there needs to be words either; but music to me should invoke some form of emotional response in the listener, and really take them along your journey.
Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
Janney: I would describe my sound as being reminiscent of 70’s/80’s synth pop, with some industrial edge and the occasional southern rock flair. Its got a good groove factor and can make you wanna move dat body
Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?
Janney: Have still never done a live show (#covid), so to be continued …
Review Fix: What inspired your latest single?
Janney: My latest single is also my first release. Its definitely the most pop leaning song off of the upcoming album. Its got a really fun upbeat vibe to it, and I really think its got a relatable lyrical essence to it. The song is called Come To Me, and seeing as I am a new artist releasing my first song, its got this tongue in cheek double entendre of sorts calling upon new listeners to “come to meâ€
Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of 2020?
Janney: For the remainder of the year I am planning on releasing my first single and video (Nov. 11), and beginning production on the next two single’s videos hopefully to wrap before years end. Also I want to fully arrive at my concept for the follow up album so that come 2021 I can hit the ground running on the next chapter.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Janney: As I mentioned earlier for me I am really planning on just getting geared up to start producing my follow up album. I will be releasing the remainder of this first album over the first half of 2021, so I wanna just start working on new music and continue to create, perform and play with the material that I am releasing in the coming months!
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