Jain Wells
Jain Wells has already enjoyed a career in publishing and psychology before turning her hand to music.
To Be Real is the debut album from the singer song-writer and I caught up with her to chat about it.
- You are about to release your debut album To Be Real so what can we expect from the new collection of tracks?
The album really has a mix between etheric and dreamy type of sounds and several upbeat tracks as well. And then the other third are perhaps some of the slower tracks on the album.
- These are very anecdotal songs and very personal lyrics so how have you found the response to these very personal songs - you let people into your world in a way?
Yes they are very personal and when I am sit down and am in the writing process whatever is going on with me just comes out through the music.
Many of the songs were written when I was going through a challenging time - I was going through a divorce - so some of them were written at that time.
- And how have you found the response to the album here in the UK?
Actually very well - it is early stages so far as the first single has come but the album is not available yet - but I am getting some great feedback on the first single as well as for the video.
- We have talked about how personal these songs are in terms of the writing so how comfortable are you wearing your heart on your sleeve when it comes to your music?
I am comfortable expressing how I feel in terms of how I feel in terms of my emotions and I am comfortable expressing my perspective on life.
I suppose everyone has a point of how much they will reveal but I am certainly not afraid to reveal what I think and how I feel.
- Greg Fitzgerald has produced the record so how did you end up working alongside him and how did you end up working with him?
He was recommended to me through my management and at first I didn’t know if there would be a fit as he has worked with people like Kylie and that is a very different sound to what I have.
But he is such an amazing producer - he is a great programmer as well - and he has such a command over using a lot of synthesised sounds and electronic synth sounds.
While my music isn’t Kylie or dance type music somehow he was able to give the feel that I was after - which was dreamy and more of a rock beat then anything.
We did a few things together initially and then we just thought ‘yes this is going to work’. So I am happy with what he did.
- Prior to releasing this record you have worked as a magazine editor as well as psychologist so why did you make the transition into music? And how much has music always been a passion for you?
Yes music has always been a passion and I played music in my teens; I played classical piano for six years and we self-taught on the guitar.
At the time because I thought I would not have a career in music I left it behind for a while and was very interested in writing. So I was doing a lot of magazine work in the area of business and while I enjoyed that process the business didn’t interest me anymore.
I was always interested in philosophy and eastern philosophy so I just fell into the psychology really because of my interest in personal growth and development.
I was teaching an awareness programme - it was quite a big seminar business that I had and I had lot of people teaching my programme with me throughout Canada - and I was just inspired to write a song.
I had a keyboard with me and I dusted it off and wrote a song and I just enjoyed the song-writing process so much that I kept on writing.
Eventually the more I got into the music the further away from the counselling, the psychology and the teaching I was and the music began to inspire me more than the counselling and the teaching.
- As you said from a young age you were playing instruments before you moved away from music so how did you find going back?
It was a bit scary at first because I just knew that I had a desire to write a song and I just had to go in with a completely open mind.
I realised that once I took out the theoretical aspect of music and just allowed myself to feel - so instead of just playing music or reading music - it was a whole other approach.
But I just love the creative process because of the writing that I have done and the creative process is more of allowing something to happen rather than approaching it from a structured point of view - I think that that really worked for me.
- You have had a very varied career prior to moving into music so how that influenced your writing and the music that you have made so far?
The psychology and my interest in personal growth and development affects my perspective on life and so that perspective comes into the music in a very direct way.
And it is not only though the way that I share my personal experience but just how I see life through my interest in psychology and philosophy
- You are also playing some dates in London this month so what can people with a ticket expect from your live shows?
I have my band together and we are in the middle of rehearsals and we are looking to get out there in the next two weeks or so.
They are a fantastic group of guys and really talented so I am so excited to get out there and they are as well. I think that an audience can respect that the live performances will be very reflective of the album.
- Now that you have made your debut album is music where you plan on staying?
Oh absolutely - I have already started writing the next album.
Click here to buy the album To be Real
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw