February 18, 2020
By: Isabella W.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Jenny K is a Nashville singer and songwriter who combines aspects of country, pop, and rock into her songs. She identified her desire to create music at a young age when she sang in her bedroom and at family events. Jenny K has always looked up to artists like Taylor Swift, Liz Longley, and Emily Weisband, who use their music to tell stories that their audiences can relate to. She began writing her own original lyrics that reflect her personal experiences and feelings; her new release "Self-Destructive" is a reflection of her own life.
"Self-Destructive" has a traditional guitar background accompanied by drums. Jenny K has gentle vocals and she sings in a non-traditional key. She adds dramatic effect after each chorus by ceasing the instrumentals and singing the words, “what can I say, I’m self-destructive”. The main focus of her song lyrics is her self destructive tendencies. She accepts responsibility for a multitude of personal struggles. Jenny K sings about a love interest who hurt her when she let this person into her life. She blames herself for letting this person play with her emotions, hence her “self-destructive” behavior. By singing about her personal experiences, Jenny K's "Self-Destructive" is relatable for her audience, especially those who have encountered similar situations. It is safe to say that Jenny K has achieved her goal of telling a real-life story through her music and we can't wait to hear what's next.
Stream "Self-Destructive" here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Jenny K! By telling a story with your music, you make “Self Destructive” a relatable song for your audience. Can you tell us more about the story behind this song?
Thanks so much for having me! I actually learned a lot about myself while writing this song. I was talking to this guy for a bit, but I think we both knew it was never going to go anywhere. After a few of those situations, it made me sit back and evaluate myself. I had one of those “Is it me? Am I the problem?” moments. In this case, I had noticed similarities in the types of guys I was falling for in the past and how I just let a lot of things slide. This song was me reflecting on these past experiences and taking responsibility for my part. I was the one who allowed myself to be treated in ways I didn’t want to be treated. While it was cathartic for me to write this song, I decided to release it as a single because I feel like a lot of people go through this at some point. We all want to love and be loved, and sometimes we put our own feelings aside to make it work without realizing it at the moment. This song is for anyone going through that.
You have always looked up to artists with honest lyrics including Taylor Swift, Emily Weisband and Liz Longley. Can you elaborate on how these artists influence your music style?
First and foremost, Taylor Swift was the reason I learned to play guitar and began writing. She literally had a song for any situation when I needed it most in my own life. It made me want to document my own experiences in the hopes that I’d someday release them for others to hear and relate to like she did for me. All three women’s writing styles have influenced the way I write. They showed me it’s okay to be extremely honest and vulnerable in my writing because that allows people to feel connected to you. With that being said, while all three women’s sounds are different, I feel like my sound is influenced by all three of them. Even though I consider my music mostly country, I think it’s definitely influenced by Taylor Swift’s country/pop, Emily Weisband’s pop, and Liz Longley’s a singer/songwriter sound.
We know that your move to Nashville was life-changing; it was what escalated your passion for being an artist. Can you tell us more about how moving to Nashville inspired you to build your musical career?
It definitely was! About three years ago, I moved to Nashville not really knowing anyone. I immediately immersed myself in the music industry in any way I could. I interned at a publishing company where I got to hear great songs from multiple writers every day, went to writer’s rounds, got feedback on my songs from those working in the industry, wrote by myself and with others, performed in writer’s rounds and really focused on perfecting my craft. Performing in and attending writer’s rounds definitely influenced me the most. Hearing other songwriters perform their songs is such a special experience no matter their level of experience. Not only do you get to hear the song performed by the person who wrote it, but you also get to hear what inspired it in these smaller, more intimate settings. There’s so much talent in this city everywhere you go that it’s hard to not feel inspired. It definitely pushes me to constantly write songs that I feel passionate enough to release and drives me to learn and grow every day.
Your music has a country, pop and rock influences. How did you come about creating this specific style and combination of music?
My sound is such an ongoing process and I plan for it to continue to evolve the more I create, but I feel very comfortable and proud of this sound I’ve created with “Self-Destructive.” I had released two songs a couple of years ago that were both a very stereotypical country. I started branching out and discovering artists and genres that I had never really listened to before. I also starting writing with different people who had various influences on their own. After that, I noticed a difference in my own sound when writing and creating by myself. Writing and recording “Self-Destructive” was the first time I really just let myself relax and trust the process instead of trying to make it something I thought it “needed” to be. When I brought it into the studio with my producer, James Lugo, he really gave me a space to explore and bring to life the sound I wanted to express.
What can we expect to see from you throughout 2020?
I’m so excited for 2020 because I’m looking to play more live shows, and I’m releasing my first full-length project! I have been working on an EP for the past two years or so, and I’m finally finishing it up. “Self-Destructive” is the first single from this project, which I felt was appropriate because it inspired the project as a whole and is also the title track. I wanted to take my time and really put everything into this EP. It consists of five songs that I feel very passionate about because they’re all very personal. It feels like I’m about to release a five-page diary of my life from the past few years. This is both terrifying and exciting, but I’m really looking forward to it. I hope these songs become as special to others as they are to me.
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