Photo By: Jeremy Saffer
Jen Janet, a well versed artist within the music industry is releasing two new singles- ‘Possession’ (July 8th) and ‘I Don’t Belong’ (July 31st). Making a noticeable change in sound, these releases focus more on conveying a darker theme, far different from her first solo pop focused EP in 2017. Both singles showcase her vocal range, and pairs well with the lower, somber instrumentals. We had the pleasure of interviewing Jen Janet about music, goals and her latest singles ‘Possession’ and ‘I Don’t Belong’ check out the interview with her below!
MR: When did you start creating music and what are your biggest influences?
JJ: I started performing in front of audiences when I was about four years old, in school plays and concerts. I was always active in theater and choruses. I took voice lessons for a while. Then when I was in high school I wrote a lot. It began similar to journaling, where I would write music to make myself feel better if I had a bad day. A lot of my music ended up being very dark, sad, or angry for that reason. I just found lyrics and poetry about the darker side of life, to be more interesting. It was a positive way to get negative emotions out, and it was cathartic. I started making music on my computer in high school, and then eventually formed a band.
My influences include Chelsea Wolfe, Hans Zimmer, Poppy, In This Moment, Lady Gaga, Ne Obliviscaris, Lacuna Coil and many others. I enjoy lots of different genres and I really like blending them together.
MR: What can fans and new listeners expect from the latest releases (Possession and I Don’t Belong)?
JJ: They both have music videos – one released on July 8th and one being released on July 31st.
Both were actually written a long time ago, but I decided to release them as singles this year and I worked with Greg Almeida (Vista, Secret Gardens) on production. I teamed up with Chris Piquette of No Boundaries Studios for mixing and mastering on both tracks.
For the videos, King Wolfe Creative helped me film the video for Possession, and made my ideas come to life, so I’m very happy with how that video turned out. If you want to see a demonic possession story mixed with rock and electronic music, then be sure to check it out on Youtube after July 8th: Youtube.com/c/jenjanet.
For the I Don’t Belong single, I directed that video and edited it myself. I’m very interested to see how it is received, and I had a lot of fun working on it. It was filmed very close to my place in northern California, so it actually didn’t take long – just about one day of filming. I hope people enjoy it!
MR: How has the creative process changed for you since the world got turned upside down?
JJ: Good question, I’ve been writing music remotely for quite a while though, so not much has changed for me. My bands Mimesis and Novarium both wrote music remotely, with members sharing files over the internet and recording parts at home even in 2019. So this process seems normal to me. I’ve been continuing to write my solo material for a few years now, and I’ve been working with a producer remotely on that also. The only main thing that changed for me, was that I moved across the country a month before most people in the US went into shelter-in-place mode. So I had a lot of life changes in a very small span of time, since I relocated to California. After moving, I had a lot more free time than I was used to, so I was able to work on music for many hours a day, pretty much every day. The move was definitely strange and a bit stressful but I’m very happy now at this place in my life. I just hope that everyone is responsible about social distancing and we can create a vaccine as soon as possible.
MR: Sharing any type of art that you create is always nerve wracking, what do you hope listeners take away from your music?
JJ: Currently if people are looking for an escape, I want to be able to provide it. I think a lot of people just want to escape their realities right now and be entertained, even if just for a few minutes.
I hope my music and videos can bring someone into another world, even if it’s just for a short time.
Later this year I am planning on releasing music with very meaningful lyrics, encompassing themes of loneliness, women’s roles in society changing, and heartbreak. Some of the upcoming songs were inspired by very personal moments and events that occurred in my life years ago. So I hope that someone somewhere resonates with that, and maybe finds meaning in it.
MR: Looking on the bright side, what are your goals for the upcoming year?
JJ: For the rest of 2020 I’m not really anticipating live music making a comeback. Honestly even in 2021 I wouldn’t be surprised if live music was still off the table. I think until a vaccine is able to be distributed to a massive amount of people, it will be unsafe to attend live shows.
Therefore I’m focusing on music videos and sharing music online. I really want to grow my Youtube presence because I’ve always loved music videos, and I’d like to create a video for every single I release. I’ve already started working on the storyboard for the next one, for a song called Shadows. I’m hoping to release a bunch of other singles this year, and maybe a concept EP in 2021.
I’d really like to stay in touch with anyone who does enjoy my music as well. Social media is fun because you can interact with people who like your music from anywhere. I’ve found in the past few years I have listeners in the UK, Australia and various parts of Europe scattered here and there, so it’s really fun to be able to connect with them. If you’d like to follow me you can at:
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