WEBVTT - Jena Rose 0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:04.760 Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Inside of 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:07.880 the Studio on iHeart Radio. My name is Jordan Runt Tug, 0:00:08.039 --> 0:00:10.760 but enough about me. My guest today is an up 0:00:10.800 --> 0:00:14.160 and coming pop prodigy. She began playing piano at age 0:00:14.200 --> 0:00:16.520 five and made her on stage debut as a teen, 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:20.040 singing a song by fellow Texan Don Henley. She's come 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:22.759 a long way in the decades since then. Today she's 0:00:22.800 --> 0:00:25.040 making a name for herself by pusing her love of 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:28.680 seventies singer songwriters, ad sinth rock and rhythms from her 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:31.760 Cuban heritage into a fresh sound for the dance club charts. 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:35.640 You can hear the influences on her single Forever Yours 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:39.760 and her latest song Checkmate, partially inspired by everyone's favorite 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:43.800 quarantine stream, The Queen's Gambit. It's an infectious and empowering 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:46.599 anthem in which the Queen takes the King. I'm so 0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:57.279 happy to welcome my guest today, Jenna Rose. Well, I'm 0:00:57.280 --> 0:01:00.160 speaking to you a few days after The Queen's Gambit one. 0:01:00.200 --> 0:01:02.720 I think it was eleven Emmys, so it feels appropriate 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:05.199 to start with your new single, Checkmate, which is wracked 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:08.199 up I think five million views on YouTube and two 0:01:08.200 --> 0:01:11.560 point five million streams. Tell me about the background of 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:14.280 that song. How did it first come together? Yeah, I 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:17.640 mean you mentioned the Queen's gambit, which was a huge 0:01:17.760 --> 0:01:21.400 influence on the song obviously, So yeah, I just wanted 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:25.959 to incorporate the strategy of chess into a song, and 0:01:26.000 --> 0:01:28.399 being a songwriter, that's what I try and do with 0:01:28.480 --> 0:01:31.640 every song is be creative and come up with new ideas. 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.800 And so when I saw the Queen's gambit, I was like, 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:38.559 oh my gosh, and seeing such a strong, powerful woman 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:42.000 in chess, in a game where men and women are 0:01:42.000 --> 0:01:44.240 on the exact same playing field, it was so powerful 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:47.160 to me and really resonated, and so I took it 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:50.640 to a song, and that's how Checkmate came about. That's funny, 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:53.040 you know, I never really thought about relationships and chess 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:55.600 as having much in common. I guess the strategy, well, 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:58.280 what some of the more of the overlap there. Yeah. 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:01.040 I think with every relationship in your life, whether it's 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:06.640 I'm a romantic relationship, friendship, family, there's strategy. I think 0:02:06.680 --> 0:02:09.280 we can all admit that. And you talk to people 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:12.760 differently and you do different things, and so is stress 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:17.040 With chess. You always have to be three moves ahead, 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:20.840 and so that's kind of it relates to life. Like 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:23.320 you said, stress, there is a really good Freudian slip 0:02:23.400 --> 0:02:26.680 right there with relationships, right, I know it makes sense. 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:29.000 I mean the lyrics, I mean they could be pretty 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:31.560 cutting at point. My heart is more than a target, 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:34.040 but I took a bullet regardless. I mean, where did 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:36.040 that come from? What was this inspired by a real 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:38.520 relationship or was this this fiction? Where where did that 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:41.600 come from? You know, with every song, I write it 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:44.240 for other people, but I take from relationships in my 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:46.919 life and experiences that I've had. So it definitely has 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:50.560 stem from relationships in my life and different things that 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:52.760 I've gone through. So yeah, it's definitely real for me. 0:02:53.320 --> 0:02:59.360 We've all been there, unfortunately. Yeah, it is a great track. 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:01.760 What was it life working with Nick for long? I 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:04.400 know he's written with so many great people Blink two 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:07.480 see Byoki all time low number of really wonderful people. 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:10.480 What was that collaboration? Like? It was so fun. He's 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:14.359 so talented and as a fellow songwriter, it's so fun 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:16.919 to work with people who are like minded, and it 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:19.240 was just such a smooth process and really really a 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:22.079 great experience. I probably should have asked us earlier. Do 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:24.640 you play chess? I do. I do. I grew up 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:27.200 playing it with my dad. Really, Oh wow, I mean 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:29.680 it's so funny. It's one of those things that I 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:32.160 assume I'm Okaya, and then I meet people that like 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:36.200 have their own chess clocks and like go to like 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:38.400 park benches in New York and bring their own pieces 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:41.600 and play with strangers. I'm like, oh, I'm not like that, 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:44.320 I guess. And then you watch The Queen's Gambit as well, 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:47.920 and you're like, oh my gosh. Well, oh, I mean 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:50.680 it's so cool the song that's such an empowering message, 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:55.680 and the visuals are so amazing. I mean just crazy 0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:57.920 in the best way. I mean, it's like The Queen's 0:03:57.920 --> 0:04:00.400 Gambit meets Alison Wonderland. I think you've said that seemed 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:03.560 like a blast. Shoot. It was so much fun. It 0:04:03.600 --> 0:04:06.080 was like Christmas the whole day long. I kept saying 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.520 that it like one up the other. Every outfit, every scene, 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:12.640 it was just like a dream. Oh my god. I 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:16.040 mean you worked with Richie Jackson, I believe, Lady Gaga's choreographer. 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:18.520 What was that process like of getting all those steps 0:04:18.520 --> 0:04:21.640 down so much fun. I love to dance, and so 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:24.440 incorporating that into the music video is something I really 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:27.200 really wanted to do and Richie was the perfect person 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:30.400 for that. He's so talented. And also, Lady Gaga has 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:32.800 been a huge influence for me as an artist, and 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:37.720 her visuals are so insanely amazing, and so having him 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:40.640 on the project was just such a blessing. And some 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:43.600 of the styles in the video too were very very Gaga. 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:45.600 I mean like, come on that yellow dress when you're 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:48.200 on the chess board, it's so cool. Like how evolved 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:50.760 were you with with with picking the outfits? Yeah, I 0:04:50.839 --> 0:04:53.440 have an amazing stylist. Her name is Tiffany Gifford, and 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:57.599 she's so talented, and we had our fitting and we 0:04:57.720 --> 0:05:00.599 knew that we wanted a crazy cool rest on the 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:03.599 life size chessboard and she delivered with that. When I 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:06.120 saw the yellow dress and my jaw dropped, I was 0:05:06.600 --> 0:05:09.560 I was so excited and all the fashion. Fashion is 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:12.360 so important to me as an artist. I think fashion 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:14.440 and music go hand in hand, and to so to 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:18.080 have that in my video so cool. I was gonna say, 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:21.359 I saw your your countdown, your favorite met Gal looks 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:23.719 on I think goes on Twitter the other day. You 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:25.560 feel like you need your own style blog or something 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:28.120 that was awesome. I should have a style blog. That's 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:30.960 a good idea. Seriously, did they let you keep the 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:33.839 yellow dress or any of the outfits from the set? 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:36.800 Unfortunately No, I did get to keep the body suit, 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:40.360 the Laclon Smith body suit. That. Oh I have that 0:05:40.400 --> 0:05:42.520 in my closet. Hopefully one day it'll be an amazing 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:46.640 peace to have. Oh that's so cool. I love going 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:49.440 to uh to vintage stores and thrift stores me and 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:51.800 my girlfriend. I love because I'm in New York and 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:53.440 going out in Brooklyn stuff. I know you're out in 0:05:53.520 --> 0:05:55.880 l A. Are there any favorite thrift shops or vintage 0:05:55.880 --> 0:05:57.720 places you like to hit up? Oh? I love the 0:05:57.800 --> 0:06:00.920 Melrose Trading Post here. But I was actually in New York. 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:05.360 My brother lives in Brooklyn, and so we went in Boklyn. Oh, well, 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:08.960 do you remember any of the places? H m hmm. 0:06:09.600 --> 0:06:11.400 I don't remember the names of them. It was really 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.880 fun though, and a great experience there. Oh yeah, I 0:06:14.880 --> 0:06:18.120 mean this is really cool stores. I mentioned the Queen's 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:21.960 Gambit earlier. What other shows did you kept your company? 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:26.039 During the pandemic. I think my parents and I watched 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:30.080 all of Homeland we were just looking for and the 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:33.960 Outer Bank. Of course, I think everyone watched Outer Banks too, 0:06:34.040 --> 0:06:35.720 But the Queen's Game was a big one for me. 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:40.120 Oh definitely. I don't know. We did the oh my god, yeah, 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:44.400 Tiger King of course. Uh, caught up on Succession, getting 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:47.480 ready for the new season, and uh, and then when 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:49.280 we wanted to get cheered up. Have you ever seen 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:54.200 The Wonder Years show? I mean, it's this really sweet. 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:56.000 It was the show from the late eighties, like a 0:06:56.040 --> 0:06:59.320 sitcom about these these kids growing up in the late sixties. 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:03.440 It's just like massive, like hallmarky kind of coming of age, 0:07:04.160 --> 0:07:07.080 super sweet. Like every episode, I feel like it was 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:09.480 like happy tears kind of thing. That was like the 0:07:10.000 --> 0:07:12.200 cheer up moment if you were if the news became 0:07:12.240 --> 0:07:14.640 too much. So I love that. I'm going to give 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:17.000 it a try. I think they just they started a 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:20.040 remake of it. In fact, no one's telling me to 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:22.080 say this, but I think it's premiering this week. Actually 0:07:22.160 --> 0:07:26.520 it's uh, yeah, it's it's very sweet. But but anyway, Uh, 0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:28.360 speaking of the Wonder Years, I want to ask you 0:07:28.360 --> 0:07:31.280 about your early years. How did you first get into music. 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:34.600 I know you started playing piano, like what age five? Yeah, 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:37.000 I think I was actually four when I started playing piano. 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:40.760 I started because my brother was taking lessons. My brother's 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:43.920 four years older than me, and I was jealous that 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:46.680 he was taking piano lessons, and so I was like, 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:49.080 I have to do this too, and so yeah, I 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:53.280 started piano and guitar when I was four. And then 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:56.560 when I was nine, my friend asked me if I 0:07:56.560 --> 0:07:59.920 wanted to do joint singing lessons, and I was kind 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:03.360 of like, sure, I guess I will, and so I 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:05.800 went with her. We did lessons and we had our 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:08.600 first performance coming up at the House of Blues in Dallas, 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:10.760 and she had to go out of town and so 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:14.600 I did the performance alone and I was yeah, I 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:17.720 was nine, and I was so terrified because I was 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:21.160 such a shy kid, and so I stepped up on 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:25.240 the stage and it was a life changing moment for me, 0:08:25.800 --> 0:08:29.840 just like feeling at home on the stage and singing 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:33.360 is something that I never thought that I I could do, 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:37.360 just stemming from just being so scared to talk to 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:39.720 people and stuff. And I think that's when I realized 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:41.960 that it's what I'm meant to do when I can 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:44.520 feel at home on a stage. Wow, that is a 0:08:44.520 --> 0:08:46.920 great mom, Went you remember what you're saying. I sang 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:49.959 Boys of Summer by Don Henley, Oh Fellow text and 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:53.400 of course, yeah, yes, exactly. Oh my gosh. There were 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:55.280 some other people that made you want to, you know, 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:59.560 pick up an instrument and write. And early influences. Yeah, 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:02.560 my parents would always have eighties music on in the house, 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:05.920 and so I take a lot of eighties influences. I 0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:09.679 love Depeche Mode, Echo and The Bunny Man, Blondie, Duran, 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:13.320 Duran New Order. So there's a lot of eighties influences 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:15.880 in my music and that's made me want to get 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:18.079 into music in the first place, as well as Latin 0:09:18.120 --> 0:09:21.199 influences as well, because I'm I'm Cuban American and so 0:09:21.360 --> 0:09:23.400 Latin music has been really big for me as well. 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:27.719 Oh absolutely, I've big into the eighties. I'm in a 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:31.199 big cure phase myself. I'm not sure. Oh yeah, I 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:34.560 mean Disintegration has been on my on my Spotify list 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:48.920 for not stop the past week. So also good being 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:51.280 four or five years old, it's amazing for me to 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:53.160 think that your hands could even be on the keys. 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:55.760 That's like, that's amazing. Do you remember the first song 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:57.800 you ever wrote or is that sort of banished to 0:09:57.880 --> 0:10:00.079 a drawer somewhere. Oh my gosh. So I started it 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:03.079 when I started singing at nine. I also started songwriting 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:06.960 that year too, So my piano teacher taught me how 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:10.400 to improvise on the piano, and that same day I 0:10:10.480 --> 0:10:12.600 came home and I wrote my first song because I 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:15.120 was like, I'm tired of singing covers and I want 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:18.400 to write something of my own. And it was called 0:10:18.559 --> 0:10:20.960 Summertime Sweetheart, and it was about a crush that I 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:26.480 had on the boy across the pond for me, like 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:30.320 a literal pond, or like in England, a pond, like 0:10:30.800 --> 0:10:33.320 there were houses around the pond and he was across 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:36.760 the pond. Oh my god, that's I mean. Improv is 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:39.040 something that is just always seems like magic to me. 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:41.160 I mean I always I got very strict, like I 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:42.720 want the root, I want I want to know the 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:44.960 notes to play, I want the chords. Like how do 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:47.480 you sort of I mean as a songwriter, I mean, 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:50.000 what is your process like when you sit down to write? 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:51.960 I mean, do you have something in your head that 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:53.840 you want to get out through, you know, sort of 0:10:53.840 --> 0:10:56.120 finding your way on the keys around the guitar, or 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:59.080 do you just experiment and see what happens. It's it's 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:04.000 so very for me. So sometimes I'll have an idea already, 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:06.960 I'll have like either a melody or or lyrics, and 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:10.120 I'll go into it and I'll try for those melodies 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:12.440 or lyrics. Other times I'll sit down on the piano 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:15.079 and I'll just start playing whenever I feel or the 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:19.000 guitar and I'll start strumming chords random. It can be anything, 0:11:19.080 --> 0:11:21.640 and somehow it just starts turning into melodies along with 0:11:21.679 --> 0:11:25.120 it and lyrics and then it's a full song. And 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:27.679 I was saying earlier to my manager, but I feel 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:31.920 like when I songwrite, I'm in a completely different headspace. 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:36.560 And there's been times where I I don't remember the 0:11:36.600 --> 0:11:41.120 process of writing a specific song because I'm just I 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:43.439 don't know if I dissociate that, I'm just in a 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:48.440 different headspace and somehow the song comes out, if that 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:51.880 makes sense, So yeah, that's it's it's kind of a 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:54.080 crazy process for me. And then other times I go 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:57.280 into the studio with the producer and he starts on 0:11:57.280 --> 0:11:59.600 a track and then I write the melodies and lyrics 0:11:59.600 --> 0:12:01.600 on top of it or with the co writer as well. 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:04.400 I love I love hearing about all the different ways 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:06.720 that people are able to create. Have you ever heard of, uh, 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:10.560 what's it called synesthesia? No? I have not. It's this 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:13.320 funny thing and I'm not going to describe it very well. 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:18.440 It's basically people who see like associate colors with different sounds, 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:22.480 like there their visual and auditory cortex is or somehow 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:25.960 like entwined. So it's like, Okay, I wanta, I wanna, 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:28.040 I want to play this chord. It sounds like it's 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:30.920 I want something that's read to me, and Okay, this 0:12:30.920 --> 0:12:35.880 one's blue and this one's It's really fascinating. There's um Yeah. 0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:39.240 There's a guy named Oliver Sacks who is a neuro 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.560 surgeon or a neuro scientist, and he wrote a book 0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:46.320 called Music Call Leah. I think I forget what it's called, 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:48.040 but it's all about just the different ways that the 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:50.760 brain process is music. And it's just so interesting to me. 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:52.880 So to hear you talk about how you write and 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:55.800 you go to this different place, that's just that just 0:12:57.200 --> 0:12:59.680 I love hearing about other people's processes too, and like 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:02.560 things like that, that just shows me. It just proves 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:06.960 that music is so amazing and can be so magical 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.600 and for everyone. Is this something that you do every day? 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:12.600 Almost like people, you know, some people jog and some 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:14.400 people do yoga. Do you write every day or player 0:13:14.400 --> 0:13:17.920 every day? Oh? Yeah, yeah, I write most days. Do 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:20.080 you find that you're you're gonna laugh at me for 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:22.920 asking this? Almost superstitious about it, like as a certain 0:13:22.920 --> 0:13:25.520 time of day or a certain instrument that you know 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:28.600 is lucky for lack of a better term, you know, 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:32.439 I have certain things. I have one thing where if 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:36.920 I write a verse and maybe a chorus and nothing 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:39.280 else is coming, I I just step right away because 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:42.199 I don't ever push it too hard, because I don't 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:44.400 think that's what song writing is about. And like staying 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:46.400 with the studio, if you're not feeling it that day, 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:49.040 or like it doesn't come out fully, you you come 0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:51.800 back another day and and you try again. Because it's 0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:54.199 supposed to be a fun process, is supposed to be 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:55.960 an easy process. So if there's ever a point where 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:57.880 I get stuck, I step away and I come back 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:01.000 another day and typically comes out that day. What's your 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:03.240 favorite way to reset when you're not, you know, involved 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:04.920 with music. What's your favorite thing to do just kind 0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:06.800 of clear your mind and then put it aside for 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:10.000 a while. I love going for walks. I walk a lot. 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:12.920 My parents and I just walked eight miles on the 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:17.320 beach the other day, so my hurt to walk. It's 0:14:17.440 --> 0:14:20.520 really really relaxing for me. Um, I'd love to get 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:24.840 into reading more. I know there's there's a bunch of 0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:27.760 ways to relax and clear your head, but walking is 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:31.320 one for me. Did you do meditation? I do not. 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:35.800 I really want to. I know it's so hard for 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:38.440 me because my brain is always going and I'm always 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:42.040 thinking about things I need to do or things going on. 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:45.280 It's just it's something I want to get into. Oh yeah, 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:46.920 I'm always like I could take this ten minutes and 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:50.080 actually do the things that are stressing me out and 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:52.280 have checked them off my whist Like. It just seems 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:55.520 counter intuitive to me, but I guess I'm told that 0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:57.080 it does a lot of good for a lot of people, 0:14:57.280 --> 0:15:00.360 So I guess I should try it. When you're working 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:01.880 on a song or working on lyrics, I guess I 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:05.520 should say do you get more inspiration from looking out 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:09.160 word or looking in word? Hm hmm, that's like a question. 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:14.320 I being a songwriter from such a young age, there 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:16.520 is something to say. Like when I was younger, I 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:18.920 would write these songs and people would be like, how 0:15:18.960 --> 0:15:21.920 can you write songs You've never been through anything, Like 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:25.320 you don't have these experience, You've never been heartbroken or 0:15:26.080 --> 0:15:29.520 cheated on or whatever. And I would just say that 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:33.520 I I take inspiration from the world around me, from 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:36.400 people around me, even TV shows and movies like between 0:15:36.440 --> 0:15:39.800 scams that exactly. So I just take things. I take 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:43.440 in information, and then whether it's intentional or not, I 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:47.080 can write songs from it. You mentioned your your Cuban 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:50.880 American heritage a moment ago. I mean music in Cuba 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:53.240 it's it's I mean, not only is it the best, 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:55.800 I mean it's formative. I mean that's what we're gonna 0:15:55.840 --> 0:15:58.240 rock and roll is based on all those Cuban rhythms 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:00.360 and stuff. I mean, tell me more about did you 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:02.440 grow up with a lot of Cuban music in the house. 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:06.680 Oh for sure. My You know, my dad he immigrated 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:10.560 here from Cuba with my abuolo and abuela and my 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:15.240 my aunts, myt my aunts, and they came here in 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:17.240 search of, you know, a better life. It was during 0:16:17.440 --> 0:16:20.440 Castro's reign, but it was very sad for them to 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:25.040 leave Cuba because of the culture and and the family 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:29.560 values and the music and everything. And it's such it's 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:31.800 such a thing that I carry with me in my 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:34.360 heart every day in my life and in my music. 0:16:34.440 --> 0:16:36.680 It's something that I was really inspired by growing up 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:40.320 hearing it. You know, my my abueolo always had reggaeton 0:16:40.480 --> 0:16:44.760 and gumbia and in Flamenco music and jazz on the house, 0:16:44.800 --> 0:16:46.360 and so I would go there and it was such 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:52.280 like a just wonderful blast of culture. And like me 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:54.520 being a little girl, I just I took from it 0:16:54.560 --> 0:16:57.600 a lot and I learned from it and I love it. 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:00.720 I love being Cuban American. That's put a Wulman. Yeah, 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:02.480 that stays with you. Have you ever have you ever been? 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.520 Have you ever been to Cuba? No, My family and 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:08.440 I have talked about going, especially because it's almost like 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:11.359 when they left, you know, the cars are the same 0:17:11.560 --> 0:17:15.320 in the music on every corner, and so I think 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:18.359 going would be a really magical experience. And so We've 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:21.200 talked about it for sure. Yea, No, that's someplace I'm 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:22.919 always going to go for that reason. I mean the 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:26.119 music and just you know, the cars and just all 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.440 the details and everything. It seems like such a fascinating 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:33.800 place to visit. Wow, I mean, it's so cool. I 0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:36.560 I wanted to ask you. I know, I'm sure you 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:38.000 get asked this a lot, but I'm so curious to 0:17:38.000 --> 0:17:40.320 hear what you say. You have such an incredible, um 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:45.040 just diverse list of influences. Who's on your list of 0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:47.680 people that you're absolutely dying to collaborate with? Is there 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:51.399 a you know, a shortlist? Oh? I have so many? 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:57.320 Um well, I love to collaborate with Rossell. Yeah, is amazing. 0:17:57.359 --> 0:18:01.159 I think she's an amazing Latin artist. And then you 0:18:01.160 --> 0:18:03.560 know Taylor Swept of course, and people that I grew 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:07.399 up listening to as well. Even Elton John would be insane, 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:12.000 you know, being a pianist as well. He's crazy. Carol 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:15.960 King was another influence for me too. That's a writer. 0:18:16.600 --> 0:18:22.240 She's literally so crazy. But I I really want to 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:25.800 collaborate with many people. Oh so cool Carol King? Oh 0:18:25.840 --> 0:18:29.800 my god, I mean we uh just watched the performance 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:35.080 of Beautiful the Broadway show recently. I mean, bow, Oh, 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:37.560 it's so cool just the number of songs that you 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:40.080 were not only for other people, but then you start 0:18:40.119 --> 0:18:42.600 getting in stuff like Tapestry she did for herself. I mean, 0:18:42.640 --> 0:18:47.240 what a gift. She She's not human. I don't got 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:50.920 to be from another world. Have you ever met her? No? 0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:55.560 Oh my gosh, I would die. Oh we gotta set 0:18:55.600 --> 0:18:58.840 that up. We gotta make that happen. That energy out there. 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:03.000 I'm putting it out there. I'm manifesting it. Well, speaking 0:19:03.040 --> 0:19:05.480 of putting it out there, you have an EP coming shortly, 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:09.720 Baby Maybe, which I believe the title came partially from 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:12.040 a dream. Do I have that right? Yes, you have 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:14.840 that right. My my manager, she is amazing. Her name 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:17.360 is Veronica Zelie as well as Frank Simmonetti is my 0:19:17.480 --> 0:19:20.879 manager as well. And and Veronica called me and she's like, 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:23.520 oh my gosh, I had the title idea in my 0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:27.640 dream last night. And I'm like, okay, okay, and yeah, 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:30.320 baby maybe it stends from a lyric in one of 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:33.840 my songs. And we just think it's simple and a 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:36.880 great title for the project. What I was gonna tell 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:39.680 us about the tracks on I know there's a ballad 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:43.240 on it that uh, I want to hear more about. Yeah, 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:45.480 so it's a lot of Checkmate is going to be 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:48.919 on it, as well as for Ever Yours my my 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:53.359 previous song with Casper Machico, and there's gonna be a 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:57.280 lot of it's so hard to discuss. It's it's really fun. 0:19:57.280 --> 0:19:59.439 There's some fun songs on there that I'm super excited 0:19:59.760 --> 0:20:02.439 about all and as well as the ballad, which is 0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:05.359 so special to me. I'm that one I think I 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:08.560 might be most excited to release, as well as the 0:20:08.600 --> 0:20:11.480 next single I have coming out that's coming very very soon. 0:20:11.840 --> 0:20:14.320 That one is super special. So I'm really excited and 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:16.400 I think people are going to really connect with the project. 0:20:17.359 --> 0:20:18.879 What's next is there is there a date for that 0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:23.080 yet or no. We we're literally deciding the date right now, 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:25.600 but it is coming very soon. I'm going to announce 0:20:25.680 --> 0:20:29.800 it very soon. Coming soon, all right. We can't wait. Jennis, 0:20:29.840 --> 0:20:32.000 thank you so much for your time to day. It's 0:20:32.040 --> 0:20:34.920 such a pleasure talk and you. Thank you you You're awesome. 0:20:35.040 --> 0:20:37.680 I really appreciate it. Thank you so much for your 0:20:37.760 --> 0:20:39.960 your music. You can't wait to uh to see on 0:20:40.040 --> 0:20:43.080 the road. Soon hopefully, Yes, I really hope, so I 0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:47.960 hopefully COVID you know, and allow me for that. But 0:20:48.000 --> 0:20:50.800 everyone starting to tour again, so hopefully I will get 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:53.560 out there soon. Absolutely hope you come through New York. 0:20:54.040 --> 0:21:04.800 Of course, I I definitely want it. Yeah, we hope 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:07.520 you enjoyed this episode of Inside the Studio, a production 0:21:07.520 --> 0:21:10.359