Jane Q
Jane Q unveiled her new single “Sugar Water” on September 13th.
Written by Jane Q and produced by Johnny Hall, the new single is about one relationship ending and then a new one suddenly starting.
“Even though it all seems too fast and too good to be true, falling into it is unavoidable. So there’s a struggle between wanting to go with what feels good, and trying to stay rational about everything. It’s like waking up in the middle of a good dream and fighting the urge to go back to sleep,” says Jane Q.
Currently studying at Berklee College of Music, the artist is painting her musical signature by combining alternative r&b and soul.
“Sugar Water” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Kiyo Vigliotti
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
this is my bio: Jane Q Public is a singer and songwriter with strong alternative R&B influences and a nuanced, harmony-driven sound. Born and raised in The South Bay, Los Angeles, she draws influence from her beach town roots with a light, carefree energy, in a whimsical yet raw and vulnerable way. Currently a student in Boston, Jane is a Songwriting Major at Berklee College of Music, where she connected with the remarkably talented friends who now comprise her band.
Could you describe your childhood a little bit?
I started playing music at a young age, which is pretty generic. I took piano lessons when I was little and always loved to sing. The turning point for me was combing those two passions, and being able to sing and accompany myself on piano. I fronted some bands in middle school and early high school, but those bands always played covers. I never really saw myself as a songwriter until I started my first year at Berklee College of Music in the fall of 2017. I had written some songs in high school but wasn’t really sure what the future held for me in terms of a career in music; I knew I wanted to perform, but the level of vulnerability required to play your own music made me uncomfortable. Being at Berklee was pivotal in my development as a songwriter.
When I first started writing, I wrote songs with really vague lyrical content. I relied a lot on my interest in poetry to writes lines with a lot of flowery language and words that sounded pretty. As I kept writing, I got more and more comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable, which is kind of the key to writing music that people connect with. Now when I write, I try to turn off all the mental editing and just write down the things I have to say, and the things that have happened to me. There is some truth about artists turning pain or disappointments into the best kind of art. So now when people hear my music they’re getting to know me on a pretty personal level.
How would you describe yourself today?
I’m outgoing. That’s a big one. I love people, especially meeting new ones for the first time. I love going places I’ve never been and having conversations about things I’ve never talked about before. I’m also aggressively determined, sometimes putting a little too much focus and energy in the wrong places. I just moved into a new apartment with some friends and we don't have a washer or dryer anywhere in the building, and the closest Laundromat is a block or so away. So of course I’ve been reading and re reading the lease and drafting up paperwork because the management can make the call if we can put a washer and dryer in our unit. I’m not even sure that we have the right hook ups to install the washer and dryer, but I am so determined to convince management that they should give us permission, that I think we will just cross the practicality bridge when we come to it. At this point I don’t even care if we have a washer and a dryer, the Laundromat isn't that far. I just won’t let someone else tell me that I can’t.
Do you remember the first song you ever wrote? What made you want to write songs in the first place?
I do actually, and it wasn't that long ago. I wrote my first song, ‘Atlas Hands’, either my freshman or sophomore year of high school. Around that time I did not consider myself a songwriter. Even when I first started college I would refer to myself as a singer only. I was intimidated by the people who would say they've been writing songs since they learned to read. I just assumed because that didn't apply to me, I would never be able to be a songwriter. I felt disqualified off the bat. Looking back, that mindset is so frustrating. I wasted a lot of time being too discouraged to try, and that’s something I never want to repeat in any part of my life.
What did your time at Berklee teach you as an artist?
Being around so many other artists at different stages of their careers and development has been such an incredible experience. Berklee at its core is a collaborative space. No one has secrets, and the only competition is internal. The amount of learned in just my first two years from friends and classmates has been unreal. I’m really excited to jump back in this semester, and see what my final two years will shape up to be.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
My parents. I’m super lucky to have two incredibly supportive parents who not only taught me anything is possible with hard work, they gave me the tools to become a hard worker. From a young age, my little brother and I both had a practice log to track the hours we practiced each day and what we accomplished in those practice sessions. It just so happened that my brother and I were interested in music, but i’m sure my parents would have figured out some other way to teach us discipline if we had other interests we wanted to pursue. Both of my parents are also super creatively inclined. My mom grew up singing, dancing, and performing in plays and musicals. My dad played french horn in his high school band, was a fine arts major in college, and picked up the guitar later in life. Though neither ended up pursing creative careers, they are both so incredibly supportive of both my brother and I, and our plans to pursue a career in music.
“Sugar Water" is your new single - what's the story behind this song?
Sugar Water is about one relationship ending and then a new one suddenly starting. Even though it all seems too fast and too good to be true, falling into it is unavoidable. So there’s a struggle between wanting to go with what feels good, and trying to stay rational about everything. It’s like waking up in the middle of a good dream and fighting the urge to go back to sleep.
Who helped you create this single? Could you describe us the songwriting/production process?
This single, and the EP, were the first songs I hadn’t written on piano in my room by myself. Being able to collaborate with a producer, who is also my good friend and a member of the band, gave me a lot more freedom to focus on the stories I wanted the songs to tell. It was basically I stream of consciousness. Johnny Hall, producer extraordinaire, showed me a beat he had made earlier that day in his bedroom studio while I sat on his bed humming and flipping through the composition book I use to write (I refuse to type out lyrics). I landed on a page that was blank enough to use and saw ‘Sugar Water’ sideways across the top of the page along with some other random production notes pertaining to another song. I’d never written a song from just a title before, but it all fit together. I had the basic melody and lyrics for the verse, pre chorus, and chorus within 30 min of hearing the beat for the first time. Some songs take days or weeks to create, but when something comes together so quickly and clearly, it’s a really great feeling.
At what point did you know this song had to be a single?
It was during the writing process that I fell in love with the song. There was something really freeing about creating it, it was almost like the light at the end of the tunnel for me. I think Johnny and I both immediately felt it, and it was an unspoken agreement that this would be the first single to represent the project.
What do you like the most about this song?
The sound palette and textures created in the song surprise me every time I hear it. Johnny did such a great job finding and creating the right synth sounds to set the tone of the song. Colette Nourie immediately started laying down incredibly tasteful and colorful harmonies and background vocal lines, and Henry Orendorf turned the drums into one of the strongest aspects of the song. Everyone put their heart into developing the song, and that’s what I like most.
What can you tell us about the artwork? What was the inspiration behind it?
Cover art has always been the most difficult part of the release process for me. Even though I love to draw and paint, and have created cover art for other artists, when it comes to my own music I feel clueless. I always ask my dad for his opinions when it comes to music and art because he's a painter and has a really good eye. We had been bouncing ideas back and forth, when he came up with the concept for the hummingbird and the bird feeder. The idea behind it is really simple: hummingbird feeders have sugar water in them to attract humming birds. I sketched it up and sent it to my dads childhood friend, Neil Becker, who's a graphic designer based in Wisconsin. He did an amazing job, and it all came together.
How many hours do you spend making music per day?
It really depends. There are days when I spend most of my time in a session or at a studio, and there are days where I just want to write poetry and don't want to even touch a piano. Being at a music school makes it pretty impossible to go a day without making music, I’d say my minimum is around an hour or two a day on average.
What appeals you the most about creating?
When I create anything, I feel like I’m putting together a puzzle. In my mind there is a correct answer, and the challenge is coming to that answer. Sometimes things fall into place imminently, and I know exactly what I want to do. Sometimes it takes hours. Other times I need months before I’m ready to revisit an idea. But the feeling when an idea finally clicks into place is indescribable.
What does it mean for you to be an artist?
Being an artist is being a creator. I think every single person has the capacity to be an artist, it’s not some exclusive club. Being a creator is super fulfilling, and I hope that more people decide to open themselves up to the idea that they can create things just as valuable as the people who consider themselves full time artists.
Besides music and art, what are you passionate about?
I’m an animal lover on an obsessive level. I will cut off any conversation no matter who I’m talking to if I see a dog. I have gasped out loud in public places before, to the point where people turn their heads to see what’s wrong. It’s an instinct. My friends don’t even bother waiting for me anymore when we walk anywhere because I ask to pet every single dog I see and ask my standard set of questions (name, age, breed if I don't know already, which is pretty rare). They know I’ll catch up to them eventually. I am also super passionate about the environment. Growing up I would teach classes about recycling and sorting at the other local schools, speak about composting at sustainable gardening clinics, and would fearlessly point out any environmentally unsound practices I saw, no matter where I was.
What do you want to accomplish as a human being?
I want to feel fulfilled. I want to wake up every morning and go to sleep every night happy with the work I’ve done that day and the progress I’ve made. That’s something I’ve actively been work on for a while now. I’ve been trying to change my habits to line up with my idea of my most productive self. I think the next step will probably be to change the way I perceive myself, which is easier said than done.
What are your thoughts on today's social media?
Honestly, I wish I knew how to use it better. I can be such a great tool to expand your audience. I can also be incredibly isolating and destructive. I’m not a huge social media user to begin with so I’m not sure exactly how I feel about it. I’ve heard friends talk about interactions they've had on social media like it was an encounter in a coffee shop, which freaks me out. I think we give social media a lot of power, but then again it is a really powerful tool.
What message would you give to younger generations?
Don't forget to participate in life. To actively participate. I think growing up we all go through stages where we decide who we are, or who we want to be and try to stick to that. But the best thing I’ve learned is to keep an open mind and participate in the world around you. Being jaded is the most sure fire way to stunt your growth as a person.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Appreciation for the rest of the world. Love for the people you have never met. Reverence for the natural world and all of the animals that lived there way before we did. Awareness that your life is one life among billions of other lives, all of equal value and all deserving of the same basic rights.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
The mistakes I’ve made have turned out to be the most valuable lessons, and even though the learning curve can suck, it’s necessary. Everything I’ve done wrong has led me to where I am now, not that where I am currently is where I want to be forever. There are times I look back and wish I hadn’t been so timid or so untrusting of myself and the things I create. But having had those experiences helped shape the way I handle current situations, and how I will handle future ones. I wouldn’t change anything. And I’m glad I’m in a position now to be able to see dips and negative spaces as a learning opportunity rather than a permanent state. It would have been cool to have that insight a few years ago but I think it’s just a matter of maturing into your view. I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate that then, but I’m happy I can now.
Connect with Jane Q: