Exclusive Interview: Singer-songwriter Jen Woodhouse

If original had a face, it would be that of Jen Woodhouse. A natural performer since birth, Jen spent her younger years spread across three continents, however now it seems the road is her home. Her music has taken her to places such as Los Angeles, Toronto, Atlanta, and even the to United Kingdom, and yet she is still a down-home girl.

This sundry, southern singer-songwriter (hailing from Alabama) has quite the cult following and with a unique combination of rock meets pop meets folk; it's not hard to know why. Jen recently took some time out of her busy schedule of promoting her forthcoming album to chat with me.

Teresa Conner (TC): First off, let me start by saying a huge thank you for letting me do this interview.

Jen Woodhouse (JW): Thank YOU!!! I'm happy you thought of me!!! :-)

TC: You are very much welcome. In contrast with the likes of Sarah MacLachlan or Sheryl Crow, there's a real raw and rootsy quality to your sound, you channel such richness in your music. From where (or whom) do you get inspiration?

JW: Inspiration is everywhere... people, places, things, eavesdropping on conversations, music, my experiences, other people's experiences... every song is different, whether the inspiration comes from something that happened, or a guitar riff, piano part, a lyric phrase... I take whatever I can get! I believe the songs already exist, you just have to tap into that inspiration because you know it's there, it's present, in an intangible form, so you try your best to translate it into something tangible.

TC: The Shaping & Shifting of Objects & Sound is your second album, did the process of cutting this one differ any from the first [This Honest Age]?

JW: Absolutely!! First off, it's a double-disc, so we've got the same 6 songs, with 2 totally different production styles. Secondly, now that I've had the experience of recording in a studio from the debut album, I'm learning what it means to be a 'recording artist'; my eyes are wide open to the countless possibilities. It's a lot more fun this time around because I don't have a big question mark over my head all the time. Also, with the first record, I'd written the songs only hearing it solo acoustic, so I had no idea about arrangement, instrumentation, and et cetera, but this time around, I find myself writing with much more in mind... instrumentation, production, arrangement, delivery, mood - in addition to just lyric & melody. Also, I'm working with the most talented, meticulous, caring producers who are taking my songs and magnifying them ten fold... it's a really wonderful thing to trust your producers, to be able to share a vision with people who 'get it'. They hear the bare bones of a song and then we discuss production stuff, the creativity gets flowing, people are throwing all these fantastic ideas out there, and we all come up with a way to make the song what it's meant to be, in the fullest sense, shedding the best possible light on it... it's amazing and I'm so thankful for it.

TC: To be self-produced and independent, your music sounds so professional and high quality. Are you happy being indie or are you looking to get a contract with a studio someday?

JW: Thanks! I'm definitely looking for a way to get my music out there, to a wider audience, quicker, so if that means I'm 'shopping' for a deal, then, by all means, if someone is willing to help me do my thing, I'm grateful for them! I just want to be heard. In the same breath, I'm happy being independent because I maintain all the control, I don't have to answer to some high-exec suit who has no sense of metaphor. I hear about all these 'music industry' horror stories and thank my lucky stars I am where I am. This is where I'm so fortunate... I get to work with amazing people, put out a great sounding record, and still not compromise artistic integrity. It just blows my mind everyday to have found people who care as much about my music as I do.

TC: You spent your childhood dividing time between the Philippines, Alabama, and Germany. That's quite a cultural difference. How has that played a part in your music?

JW: For me, I think as a songwriter, the more experiences you can draw from, the wider your scope for writing is... to have been able to live in so many places, eat different foods, learn diverse cultures... all of that comes into play when writing. True, the songs already exist, but since they're coming through my personal filter, my style, experiences are going to be reflected in that absolutely.

TC: During your sophomore year at the University of the Arts in Philly, you were chosen to study at the Broadway Theatre Project in Tampa, Florida. What was it like working with greats such as Gregory Hines and Ann Reinking?

JW: I get star struck really easily, so most of my time in class was spent gawking. I wish I could have taken more advantage of things, but when you're young, you tend to take things for granted. In hindsight, I wish I would have been more aggressive and taken them for everything they're worth. Still, it's pretty cool just to have had that experience, you know?

TC: Totally! Any plans on returning to the stage?

JW: Eventually... I majored in musical theater in college and it's a really difficult thing to sing, dance, and act and manage to give a great, honest, compelling performance. I always try to communicate something when I sing, so acting has always come hand-in-hand with that, but doing Broadway is a totally different animal, one that requires strength and stamina. I hope one day I'll be ready for that.

TC: I hope so as well. I write poetry and occasionally a song, and I can't write when I make myself, and yet the words come to me at the most awkward times. Does this happen to you or do you have a method for writing songs?

JW: Oh yes. Usually when I'm driving. A lot of songs come to me while I'm driving... it figures, since I don't have a pen/paper to jot things down. My cell phone voice recorder has come in handy quite a bit! [JW laughs]. Normally, I don't have a method to writing songs... I wish I did because then I'd have a lot more written! Writing doesn't come easily for me; I have to really work at it. The starting point is the hardest for me... once I get the ball rolling and the creative juices are flowing, then I'm just working on momentum... then I become pretty relentless, I'll stay up for days chasing a song if I have to. If I'm having a lot of trouble writing, or working on a specific part in a song, I'll try to approach it in a more practical way, sort of 'building' the song like an architect, rather than 'channeling' it like an artist. I keep talking about how the songs already exist... when they're zipping around the room, you just have to be able to catch it and translate it... they're already there, with their own personalities, stories, moods, words, I just have to try my best not to get in its way, and to be as honest as possible.

TC: Driving or showering are the times the muse decides to visit me [TC laughs]. One of your songs (Hello Beautiful) is included on the compilation CD, Mindful Lullabies, benefiting RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). Do you hold this particular charity close?

JW: Yes, I 'met' one of my friends online, who is a rape survivor and her story, her struggle, and her strength really touched me. In fact, 'Hello Beautiful' was partly inspired by her so I thought it was only natural for it to be included in her projects.

TC: That's a wonderful tribute to do for someone who survived such an ordeal. Seems like you are always playing a show, what do you like to do when you have some downtime?

JW: I've recently gotten into cooking! I'm a Food Network junkie, I love good exotic foods, and I'm a closet wannabe chef. I cook everyday, and every time I do, I'm secretly conducting my own little cooking show... 'Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil here, I love hearing that garlic sizzle, wow, can you smell that? Beautiful' ... [JW laughs]

TC: [TC laughs] Watch out Rachel Ray! Do you have any advice for other aspiring musicians?

JW: Just do it. If you believe you're meant to, don't make excuses. Don't wait on anyone to do things for you. Don't wait to be 'discovered' - now, with the Internet, anyone can reach a global audience. So stop being lazy. Stop making excuses. You don't need some record label telling you that you can do music.

TC: I agree completely. Thank you so much for taking time for this interview and I wish you all the best in the future. You are a true inspiration. Good luck with the new album and hope to see you at a show soon!

JW: Absolutely, my pleasure! Thanks so much for listening and supporting the music... I'm so grateful. We indie artists need all the help we can get, so thank YOU. Also, I'll be posting a new song up every week until the release date; so keep checking my MySpace for new stuff! Thanks again... I'm really excited about releasing this record - thanks for the help promoting it!

Jen's sophomore album The Shaping & Shifting of Objects & Sound will be released on May 1^st, 2007, but you can preorder it now from her official Website (www.jenwoodhouse.com) for the special price of $12.00. The first 100 copies will be signed and personalized by Jen herself, so get them while you can!

Tour dates can also be found at her official Website or her MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/jenwoodhouse) and her music videos can be found on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/jenwoodhouse).