Boston native singer-songwriter, performer, and recent graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Jillian Ann has created a catalog of music that transcends various genres.
Compared to the likes of 70s singer-songwriter icons Carly Simon and Kate Bush, she has an ethereal tone to her voice that is unmistakable.
Taking our hearts and attention to the most recent collection of songs to come from Jillian Ann, we find ourselves discovering her four-track E.P. 'I Hope You're Listening Now.' More specifically, "(Not) Fine" is the fourth and final song that this carefully crafted project offers up. The dream-like essence of the indie-pop genre that a record like this falls into has us head over heels in the intimacy explored.
Transcending emotions linger in the energy around you as you bask in the saturated croons harmonizing throughout this masterpiece. As Jillian Ann gets personal with us through an authentic showcase of talent and emotion, we admire the tenacity that she holds onto as she performs wistful tales. Sharing parts of her mind with us, Jillian Ann depicts the adversity and struggles of going through life during pandemic years - something that all of us in the world can relate to.
As we unravel the deeper core of Jillian Ann as we take in her work, we know that you'll be able to unwind and consume the imaginative melodies that comfort and soothe your soul. 'I Hope You're Listening Now' is available on your favorite streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Jillian Ann, and congratulations on the release of your most recent project. This E.P. is truly unforgettable. Could you please take us into the concept and inspiration that brought 'I Hope You're Listening Now" to life?
Thank you so much! I am very proud of this project because it came from the depths of my innermost feelings during the past two years of this pandemic. As I'm sure most people can relate, this time has been pretty life-changing in many ways, and for me, it has proved to be the most difficult emotionally and mentally. It had been so hard for me to come to terms with the loss of many things in my life, like not getting to graduate from my dream college in person, losing the friends I made there so abruptly, relationships ending on not-so-great terms, and dealing with other traumas that came about unexpectedly which changed me as a person. And a lot of these struggles I ended up facing alone, which is where the idea of this E.P. came from. I began writing about everything I had been through. These experiences happened as a result of what felt like a downward spiral, questioning God and losing faith at times over why these things were happening to me, and hoping that someone out there was hearing me and could tell me that things would be okay again. Over the past year or so, I was able to shape these songs into a real story of my personal experience, and this E.P. is the result of it all.
Did "(Not) Fine" come to you before the concept of the E.P. or afterward?
"(Not) Fine" was actually the last song I wrote before I realized this was going to be a concept E.P. I had been working on the first couple of songs with my best friend Jayesh Prakash, who produced the whole project utterly remote while I was in Boston and he was in Singapore. We first had the idea to release the songs "Drinking Again" and "Crying In A Church" as a double single, but I felt something was missing from the project. I needed a song that really summarized everything that had been going on with me, and the fact that every day of the past couple of years felt like I was stuck in time and going through life acting like I was okay but really wasn't. So when I finished "(Not) Fine" and sent my demo of it to Jay, he and I both knew that this was the missing piece to the project and perfectly captured the mood and concept of the E.P.
What emotions do you hope your audience takes away from this particular single on the project?
This is a very heavy song. It made me cry when I listened to my demo of it for the first time. It really is personal to me as it talks about a lot of loss and longing for what once was. And I think those emotions are very relatable, and we all have felt this way before. I want my audience to feel like it is okay to let all your emotions out when things aren't going great and that you don't have to pretend to be happy all the time like we all try to make others think we are, especially on social media these days when all you see is a highlight reel of everyone's lives. We need to realize it's not like that all the time, and we can let our sadness out whenever we feel up to it.
What's your mission statement as an artist? How does this E.P. fall into that?
For me, it would be that we as artists should write whatever we want to write about in our music. We shouldn't feel like we have to hold anything back because if we did, the art we create wouldn't be 100% authentic to who we are. I don't have a filter with my music. If I want to talk about going out alone or crying my eyes out in a church, I'm going to let it all out in my songs. It helps the audience connect with you more, and truly know your story. That's what I expressed in this E.P., which is much different from anything else I've done before. It explores a darker side but shows that I can delve into my creativity and personal experiences, showing that not everything in life is perfect like those highlight reels you see. I took a big step in letting out these emotions on this E.P., and I hope my audience will be able to feel what I was feeling through this story.
