Jenny JAM on Writing Songs in Her Head, Life as an Independent Artist, and the Stages Ahead

London-born, Los Angeles-based soul-pop artist Jenny JAM brings together soul, pop, jazz and classic rock influences with a background spanning musical theatre, acting and film production. A trained vocalist and self-taught pianist, she has built a career around turning lived experiences into songs, from her debut album Trains, Planes and Airports to her deeply personal new single, Toy Proof.

In our conversation, Jenny talks about writing songs entirely in her head, how changing surroundings can shape what she creates, and the performances that have stayed with her,  including singing for 9/11 first responders and hearing how Better Than You helped someone through an abusive relationship. She also opens up about the realities of being an independent artist, her surprisingly simple songwriting setup, and the stages and collaborators she hopes to reach next.

Eugenia Roditis, Musicngear: “Toy Proof” turns an incredibly painful chapter of your life into a song about resilience, self-worth, and refusing to accept being treated badly. When you revisit the song now, does it still feel like you’re documenting what happened, or has it become something more like a reminder of the person you became afterward?

I think “becoming something more like a reminder of the person you became afterward” is a solid statement. We can all look back and relive the trauma, but looking at what I’ve become since is what I tend to focus on.

Musicngear: You are a trained vocalist and self-taught pianist, while your musical world draws from soul, pop, jazz, classic rock, and your background in musical theatre. How does your experience as a vocalist and pianist shape the way you write and arrange a song? And when the piano enters the process, what usually comes first: a lyric, a vocal melody, or your hands finding something unexpected on the keys? 

What’s crazy is I write all my songs in my head! Sometimes lyrics first, sometimes melodies. I use the piano to help me with certain chords or harmonies only! My environment really affects what I write more than anything. 

Musicngear: Your debut album Trains, Planes and Airports was recorded across Los Angeles, Delaware, and Birmingham, with songs written on planes, buses, trains, and even a Hampstead rooftop during Glastonbury. Does changing physical surroundings actually change the way you write music? If you could only write your next song in one completely impossible location, anywhere in the universe, where would you go?

That’s hilarious because I answered the last question without reading this one! Yes, it really does - when I intentionally write. Sometimes though, songs and lyrics come to me on the plane/bus, however I’m traveling, depending on what I’m going through in the moment. 

An impossible location - I’d be on the moon, looking at Earth - writing something deep and meaningful. It might not be so impossible in the near future!

Musicngear: You’ve experienced some extraordinary moments on stage, from performing at New York’s Freedom Tower for the 20th anniversary of 9/11 to Dubai Fashion Week and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. What has performing in such unusual environments taught you about connecting with an audience and is there a particular audience reaction from one of those performances that you still carry with you?

Every experience has been so different. In terms of reactions, though, performing to the First Responders for 9/11 was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was so wrapped up in the song and performance that I didn’t see the reactions until afterwards. Their appreciation and smiles meant the world.

I also headlined a concert in Utah at Paddlefest a few years ago. I had a man come up to me and say that the lyrics to my song “Better Than You” had helped him get through an abusive relationship. That never left me.

Musicngear: Your background in acting and film production is described as adding a cinematic dimension to your music, and “Prove Who” was sync-licensed for Bermondsey Tales. If you could have one of your songs become the defining musical moment in any film, existing or not yet made, what kind of scene would you want it to soundtrack? 

I think my song “My Letter to You”. It’s a song about my Dad’s hateful parting words to me before he died. They ate me up inside and I spent years trying to process it all. If “My Letter to You” was to define a moment in a film, I would have the scene be a reunion between a Father and his child.

Musicngear: Every artist eventually runs into obstacles that have nothing to do with writing the music itself. What has been the hardest thing you’ve had to overcome in building your career, and what do you know now that you desperately wish someone had told you at the beginning? What would you say to an independent artist who is currently in the middle of their own “dark chapter”?

Being an Independent Artist who does not come from money is extremely hard. You have to work other jobs to be able to invest in yourself. Investing in yourself is so important, and this means sacrificing other things. Lots of people will want to take your money and not everyone is worth it. Choose your team very carefully.

Musicngear: What pieces of gear have become essential to your creative process or your voice as an artist? Is there one piece of equipment you’ve used that unexpectedly changed the way you made music?

A glass of red wine, a pen and paper, and a mic and monitor- so I can hear the tones of my vocals.

Musicngear: With “Toy Proof” entering the world, what does the next chapter look like for Jenny JAM? Are you aiming for a particular milestone with this release - streams, new listeners, press, sync opportunities, live shows, festivals, or something completely different?

Definitely a new level of listeners, radio play and all of the above. It’s been a while since I released anything! I’d definitely like to hit the festival circuit. 

Musicngear: If you could choose three dream collaborations and three dream stages or festivals for the next chapter of your career, who and where would they be?

In terms of stages/festivals, as I’m from London, I would love to play Glastonbury, Ronnie Scott's (for a jazz night) and Wembley Stadium! 

In terms of dream collaborations (in no particular order), I would love to feature on a Thievery Corporation track. I love trip-hop. I would also love to collab with someone like Damien Marley or Barrington Levy. Reggae plays a huge role in my life, and I think jazz really mixes well.

Bruno Mars would also be on my list! I’d love to do a funk-soul song!

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