Q & A with Jenn Bostic
Rising star Jenn Bostic is not only a talented a singer songwriter from Nashville – she’s also a huge Yumi fan! Whilst promoting her second single, “Not Yet” on a mini UK tour and filming her next single “Missin a Man” in both Manchester and London, Yumi caught up with Jenn to quiz her on her musical journey thus far.
Q. You live in Nashville – how are you finding the UK in comparison?
A. I love living in Nashville, it is really inspiring to be in the centre of “music city.” I’m constantly blown away by the incredible musicians from all over the country who reside there! It has been such a blessing to also have the opportunity to travel across the pond to the UK to share my music. I love to travel, and I am so inspired by the history, the people, the pastries, the shopping! Just this year I’ve had the honor of performing in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Liverpool, Belfast, Birmingham and more! With the support of BBC Radio, BBC Breakfast, Smooth Radio and MagicFM, people in the UK have been connecting with my music on a larger scale. I am incredibly humbled by this entire journey and plan to play many more shows in the UK.
Q. Have you been able to do any sightseeing whilst you’ve been here?
A. I have! It has been amazing to see some of the sights I’ve only read about in books! Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral! I’ve met some amazing friends who have taken the time to bring me into a few of the smaller villages as well. One of my favorite spots was Shere, I am a big fan of the movie The Holiday, so it was so neat to see where that was filmed.
Q. Your new record, Jealous, is proving a huge success – what inspired the tracks on the record?
A. Life. Personal stories, films that inspired me, stories I was told, anything that makes my heart beat faster. The title track, “Jealous of the Angels,” is a song that is so close to my heart. It’s a tribute to my late father who passed away in a car accident when I was ten years old. He was the first person to ever inspire me to play music. After I lost him, I felt that music was the one way I could still connect with him. Songwriting became the therapy that got me through the most difficult season of my life. It has been amazing to see the way others have connected with a song that’s so personal to me, sharing their own stories of loss and finding comfort in it.
My latest single, “Not Yet,” is another song that means a lot to me. The music industry is a difficult one, knocking on doors that sometimes never open. This song was written as a promise to myself that no matter what anyone says, writing songs and sharing them with the world is my dream, and no matter what I’m not giving up on that. It’s so encouraging to see others find strength in the lyric.
The next single, due out in September, will be a song a called “Missin a Man.” I’m married to an amazing man who was the boy next door when I was growing up in small town Minnesota. We’ve known each other for 26 years, and he is incredibly supportive of me running around the world sharing music. It’s bittersweet to be out on the road; chasing after my dreams, but missing the love of my life.
Q. How would you describe your sound?
A. I’m an emotive pop singer/songwriter. I put out a pop/country album in 2009 called “Keep Lookin’ for Love,” which a few Nashville record labels told me was “too pop for country and too country for pop.” That constructive criticism allowed me to take a step back and reflect on why I started playing music in the first place. I pulled songs from the depths of my soul and chose the best 11, and those are the songs that ended up on “Jealous.” Musical genres are blending so much nowadays, that as long as my music is touching the hearts of people, it doesn’t matter what category it ends up in.
Q. Which other artists do you love to listen to?
A. I absolutely love Bonnie Raitt, she is amazing! She has an unmistakable voice. When she sings, I feel every word that she sings. That’s what I long to do as an artist. I also really love Sarah McLachlan, Sara Bareilles, Ed Sheeran and Emeli Sande.
Q. If you could collaborate with any other singer dead or alive who would it be?
A. Collaboration is such an amazing thing, especially in music. I have had the opportunity to co-write with some incredible songwriters, and I am always learning something new from those I’m working with. I think in a perfect world, I would love to go back and collaborate with my dad. He was a singer/songwriter, guitarist, pianist, accordian player and more in his spare time, and taught me so much in the short time we had together. We still have an old tape of songs he wrote for my mom back when they were dating. I’ve often thought about recording one of them.
Q. How would you describe your style? What brands do you love to wear?
A. Fashion is so much fun! I love wearing things that are a little quirky and different from what everyone else is wearing. I love fun little dresses, with converse of course, or skinny jeans and blazers. It’s fun to mix and match my closet. I play about 175 shows each year, and I definitely get bored wearing the same things the same way. Lately I’ve been adding a scarf to simple outfits.
Q. What’s next for you? Are you touring or working on another record?
A. I’m getting ready to release my third single, “Missin a Man,” to radio. I just filmed a music video for the song in both Manchester and London. You might even see the Yumi Boat Print Dress in there. I’m busy touring the states, and writing for my next record, due out summer 2014. Plans are in motion for a winter tour in the UK as well.
You can watch the video for Jenn Bostic’s new single ‘Not Yet’ below and watch out for more from Jenn in the coming week – including her top five picks from Yumi Direct. www.jenbostic.com
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