Jenn Steeves’ new song has a kinetic energy intrinsic to its beat; it moves, it sways. It’s both upbeat and energetic, easy-going yet danceable. It starts with a fine beat and soon after, Jenn’s dreamy vocals glide over the track. It’s personal lyrically, and musically awash in well-produced, satisfying synth work. The song, Jenn describes, “is about old dreams fading away into new ones. It’s about shifting desires and the uneasy feeling of never being able to go back in time.”
This motif of capturing moments in a song is present as a theme in all of Jenn’s songwriting. Evidently intrigued by how feelings can translate into melody, she adds, “The music I make now sonically is very much in the pop space. I considered myself a more acoustic-folk guitar singer-songwriter and the ability to tell a story has always drawn me to that style. I love melodies and textures of pop music so I’m trying to make the two worlds meet. The song definitely has a specific meaning for me, but I’d love for people to take what they want from it. I found myself at a place where I realised that what I used to want isn’t necessarily what I want anymore and that can be an uncertain place to be because it means that something needs to change.”
The lyrical song video shows footage of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, evoking a feeling of nostalgia and an oddly comforting lull of being in an unfamiliar but safe space. “Lyrics are one of the most important aspects of songwriting for me. I’m always fixated by how other artists tell stories and convey messages with words.” Jennifer Bass has helped create a very cool and cohesive design in pen and ink for the artwork.
Jenn is perhaps better equipped to makes sense of transitions and what to make of the disconcerting feelings that come accompanying them. Originally from British Columbia, she has extensively travelled across UK, other European countries and currently lives in Delhi, India. Speaking about her musical journey, she says, “Music has always been a part of my life. I was in school choirs, the high school jazz band, took guitar lessons, and was really into musical theatre. My dad who played the guitar is also into musical theatre so he passed his love for the art onto me, and I grew up listening to a lot of great folk, pop and rock music from the 60s and 70s. So music was always a creative outlet. I didn’t take it too seriously until when I moved to London for a job in my early twenties. That’s when I started seriously pursuing songwriting, as a way of expressing myself. I started playing on open mics because of a pact which I made with a friend of mine. It opened a door to a community of musicians and I got hooked. That’s when I really started experimenting with my own writing and collaborating with some other musicians.”
Travelling has played an important role in shaking off creative constriction and tunnel-vision, therefore allowing Jenn to meet new artists and step outside of her comfort zone and consistently push boundaries. “Each place that I’ve moved to has brought new musical experiences. When I moved to Oxford after London, I met an electronic music producer who’d make music from a home studio and that was a whole new experience for me.
We started collaborating that started pushing the boundaries of music that I knew how to make, which was acoustic guitar-based folk-rock music. I came to India about 5 years ago to pursue my job and join my husband who’s hometown is Delhi,” she adds.
The production and guitars on the track are by Abhishek Mathur, founding member and guitar player of the contemporary fusion band Advaita, who recently launched a really cool dream-synth pop project called Plan 17. Abhishek has beautifully melded his trademark ambient guitar playing with a charm of the synth-pop into the song. About the genesis of this collaboration, Jenn shares, “Couple of years ago, I took up a course at SACAC, Delhi that was a total door opener to experimenting with different tools and sounds that have led me to the music I’m making now. At some point, Abhishek and I realised that we shared overlapping tastes in music. I had sent him an early version of the track and he ended up producing the song and had really cool ideas that enhanced it. He brought it to life in a way that I originally couldn’t have heard in my own head. He also played the beautiful guitar parts in the song.”
Jenn also plays the guitar and has been learning music production over the years that have allowed her to experiment with different arrangements and instrumentations that encourage new ideas. Besides music, Jenn’s passions also extend to helping find solutions for climate change issues. She’s working as a Senior Advisor at a large consulting firm that provides expertise in climate change adaptation and risk management.
Jenn’s penchant for storytelling through her song-writing will continue through a collection of dream-pop-folk songs that she’s working on with Abhishek, planned for release as an EP in early 2021. In addition, she’s working on a few collaborations with artists based in the UK.
Track credits:
Production & guitars: @abhishek_is_on_insta aka @plan17music
Mastering: @gaurav_chintamani
Artwork: @redpumpkinstudio
Video editing: @life_per_picture
Distribution: @cdbabyindia
Recorded at @quarter_note_studios
Follow Jenn Steeves here: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Music | SoundCloud | Instagram
