The Calgary-based pop-country artist and singer-songwriter Jennie Harluk introduce us to her many talents by way of an empowering debut single entitled "Blame It On Me."
With a calling for music since the mere age of six, the eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter learned her way around guitar and piano at a relatively young age. After discovering her powerful sound, Jennie Harluk later found herself performing at various venues and events like the Calgary Stampede and Alberta's iteration of the Country Thunder Festival.
Diving headfirst into the industry with her powerful debut single, "Blame It On Me," the song was co-written with Joseph W. Salusbury and produced/co-written with Sam Jackson Willows. When asked about the single, Jennie Harluk had this to say, "Whether it's a friendship or relationship, you don't owe people who hurt you any explanation for what you do for your own happiness, and if they have a problem with that, they can blame it on you."
Plunging into the single, "Blame It On Me," the track opens with soothing keyboard melodies alongside Jennie Harluk's breathy and warm vocal stylings. Once the bright acoustic guitar makes its way in alongside a hefty drum arrangement, Jennie Harluk begins to delve deeper into the song's theme and exclaims her inner happiness found by no one other than herself.
She also goes into lyrics that question someone's wrongdoings and forgiving them, as it helped Harluk become the best version of herself. We're tapping our feet to the song's upbeat pop-country instrumentals from beginning to end, as it's fueled with various transitions and switch-ups that keep us on the edge of our seats.
Introduce yourself to the lively stylings of Jennie Harluk and her debut single, "Blame It On Me," and prepare your ears for her debut EP slated to release this winter.
Welcome to BUZZMUSIC, Jennie Harluk. Congratulations on the release of your empowering debut single, "Blame It On Me." Why did you choose this single to lead the way of your blossoming solo career?
Thank you! I’m really excited about this release, it’s been a long time coming and I’m so eager for it to be in the world. In all honesty, I didn’t even choose this single. I’ve written so many songs over the last year with so many talented producers and writers. I love every one of my songs, although I have a favorite (which will eventually come!) I myself couldn’t have decided which single to release first. But between my great team at Strut Entertainment and my A&R Fraser Hill, along with my parents and myself, Blame It On Me was the decided single. It’s bold, it’s fun, catchy but has depth and meaning to it as well - which seemed to be the perfect storm for introducing myself to the music industry.
What inspired the lyrical concept within your single, "Blame It On Me"? How did the song's creation come about?
It's an interesting story because the process was sort of sporadic and different than usual. My producer Jackson Willows and I were actually supposed to be jumping back into another song that we thought had potential and just needed to be tweaked, but when we got into the session neither one of us was feeling it. We both felt that if it needed to be forced, it wasn’t meant to be. So we said why not just play around and write a new one? So we did. We took the same tempo from the original song, and sort of just started riffing. I think we wrote it in maybe an hour and a half? It just came out the way it was supposed to! We got back into it again with Joseph Of Mercury and cleaned up a few loose threads and then we were done! Blame It On Me is a song about self-love and confidence. It’s about finding yourself and becoming unapologetic towards people who have let you down. Through its sass and boldness, it’s a happy song, a redemption song.
What was it like working with Joseph of Mercury and Jackson Willows when writing your single, "Blame It On Me"? What was the songwriting process like?
I somewhat answered this In the last question, but to speak more to the two wonderful humans I wrote the song with, they’re incredible. I find my rhythm and a real drive for songwriting whenever I work with them. We instantly clicked back in November of 2020 and the rest is history. We laugh and joke and dream and create and I couldn’t imagine this first song coming to life with anyone else. I love these two guys, and the craziest part is we’ve never even met. I’ve only seen their beautiful faces through the screen and it’s incredible to think that I’ll be releasing a song with them having never met in person! Songwriting-wise, it truly fell into our laps. But I really relate to these lyrics as I try to be as open and honest with myself in every song I write. My eighteenth year was the year I found myself, my absolute best friends, my creativity, my passions. And I think that’s all seen and heard in this song. You can hear me smiling through the audio.
How did Jackson Willows help navigate your ideas for the sonics within "Blame It On Me"? What sort of feel or vibe did you want to capture within the sonics?
Whenever I think of Jackson Willows, the word “wizard” always comes to mind. I don’t know if he knows that but I truly think he’s brilliant. Coming from more of an organic and country background, I think it’s so cool all the sounds he can put together. It’s a great thing when someone can bring to life the exact vision in your head and then make it even better, bigger, bolder. We’re a great team and I’m so thankful for him and our art!
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