Jenny Dalton
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Interview With Jenny Dalton By Chris 26/4/06
Jenny Dalton is a fantastic powefull singer
songwriter
Her music is excellent with such power and emotion.
She writes with honesty and with great melodies and
vocals
She is worthy of an interview on this site, so here it
is.
So read on and find out what she had to say.
1.How did you get into music?
I grew up in a music-loving household. My dad played set in
a garage band, and the radio was always on. I loved to
sing, and I sang myself to sleep before I could even talk.
My parents always brought my brother, sister and I cheap
toy instruments. I wrote my first songs on those.
2.What were your major influences?
I am influenced by anything that makes an emotional impact
on me. I am generally a very happy, care free person, but
sometimes my songs can be pretty serious because serious
things motivate me to write. Musically, I am probably
influenced by what I love to listen to. I love to listen to
musicians who layer interesting sounds and who take lyrics
seriously. Kristen Hersh and Tori Amos are my favorite
lyricists.
3. If you could have a three band bill who would they
be?
Kate Bush, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kristen Hersh (I’ve seen a lot
of Tori shows, so I guess I can take her off the dream
list)
4. What has been the highlight of your career so
far?
My career is only beginning, but I love the momentum I
feel. The highlight was the release show for my debut CD,
Fleur de Lily, which had a lot of great publicity and drew
a sizable crowd.
5. What the response been to the album?
Very positive. I have a lot of interest not only from my
hometown, but internationally (Australia, for example
J).
6. What inspires you when writing music?
I guess I kind of answered this in question #2, but my
songs come from a quiet place. I sit at the piano and kind
of zone out. I hit the keys and let the words come. Many of
the songs on the new CD are about my relationship with a
soldier sent to war, and about trying to stay optimistic
through a lot of uncertainty.
7. What made you want to go out and play
music?
I wrote songs and played music at home for my cat for many
years. I was reading an inspiring book, and I got the urge
to challenge myself and go play a few songs at an open mic
night. It took many open mics before I was mostly
comfortable on stage (I still get nervous though). I just
wanted to keep going.
8. What are your thoughts on file sharing and the MP3
format?
I think it’s great for musicians who are just starting out
and need to expose as many people to their music as
possible. Eventually though, we want to be able to eat and
pay the bills. Creating music is a very expensive endeavor,
so it’s always cool of fans to support their favorite
musicians by buying their music.
9. Who would most like to record a song with?
The Smiths and/or Drummer Matt Chamberlain.
10. Do you think the Internet is good for helping
artists get known?
Absolutely. It allows people to become known without the
help of a record label.
11. What bands/artists are you listening to
lately?
My favorite CD right now is the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
12. Who has helped you out the most?
So many people have helped with so many aspects that it’s
hard to name. MySpace and local bands and musicians has
helped with networking. Matt Freed was amazing in recording
and engineering the CD, all of the musicians and visual
artist involved with the project, and of course friends and
family for their support.
13. What has the response been to your music on the
web?
People have been responding very positively to my music on
the web. I get nice messages from people all over the
world.
14. What is like being an independent artist in
America?
It’s very competitive, but also very easy to get into if
you’re motivated enough. Major labels are loosing ground or
just spewing out corporate ‘artists’ like Britney Spears.
It’s wonderful that people are still creating meaningful
music and that people still want to listen to it. The only
problem is that independent artists have a huge hurdle to
leap over if they want to become mainstream.
15. What are some of your favorite movies?
Lost in Translation, I Heart Huckabees, Garden State,
Shipping News, Steel Magnolias
16. What have you seen recently you really
enjoyed?
Unfortunately, nothing. I don’t get out to movies very
often, and when I do, I’m always disappointed. For example,
The Hills Have Eyes is HORRIBLE.
17. What is next for Jenny Dalton?
I plan on playing frequent shows in a few major cities
including my hometown Minneapolis, then New York, Chicago,
and London. My birthday is in September, and my gift to
myself will be to get back into the studio to begin
recording my next CD.
Jenny Dalton
