French singer-songwriter Jain merges a myriad of styles and international influences to create a unique, catchy sound with her new album. We first discovered Jain through her breakout single Come from her album Zanaka and we are now eagerly anticipating the release of her second album Souldier. We caught up with the talented pop star to talk music, life and the new album.
Souldier will be available for download on August 24th.
Alright is featured on the upcoming album.
HOLR: When did you first start creating music?
Jain: I think I first started writing lyrics when I was 16-years-old and I was living in the Congo in a small town. I remember one of my first songs is actually Come which was on the first album. That’s when I started to write my own music.
H: You’ve lived in many different places- how has that helped to shape you as a musician?
J: Well, it has shaped everything. I don’t know if I would have made music if I hadn’t travelled. Travel for me is really what inspires me and when I write songs and move from one city to another or from one country to another it is always inspiring to see how people are different but the same at the same time. Yeah- that’s what motivates me.
H: What were your most significant sources of inspiration for this new album?
J: There were a lot of them because I didn’t want to make the same album as the first one. So I really tried to get some new influences that differed from the first album. The first album was mostly about my experience when I was living in the Congo. So this time I really tried to show my influences from oriental cultures like Abu Dabi and Dubai. And I also listen to a lot of hip-hop, so I wanted people to get that.
H: Do you write your own lyrics? If yes, what’s that process like for you?
J: It depends on the song, but I often start with the melody first that I find with my guitar or my piano and then I try to get the subject and the theme of the song. After that, I try to write it over the melody that I made. So the melody first and then the lyrics come after.
H: How long did this album take you from start to finish?
J: I think it was about three years because I was on tour when I wrote it. I was on the tour bus, or I was on the plane so I was in a lot of different places. So I wrote it on the first tour of the first album.
H: What do you hope to achieve through your music?
J: I just want to create a safe place. Like a small utopia. Because I think we are living in a really strange world right now. So I really want to be able to create a safe place of peace with my music.
H: What musicians inspire you?
J: Actually, my favourite ones are really classic ones. I really love the melodies of Bob Marley. I love the songs of the Beatles. I love Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar also. So it’s really different kinds of music that I’m listening to.
H: Where do you think the industry is headed for female singers right now?
J: I think that when you are working in the music industry, you have to build yourself up and make yourself accepted, kind of, in that world. Women in the music industry have to be strong. Have to be independent. I’m really glad when I meet female artists that are writing their own songs and are the leader of their own career.
H: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
J: Just a lot of work. I know that when I started, during that first year I was playing in a lot of little cafes and restaurants in Paris and that really helped me to build myself as an artist and as a stage artist. Just to know where I came from and what I have now.
H: What was the turning point in your career?
J: I think it was when Come came out. I saw the reaction. It wasn’t just in France but in a lot of different countries. And it really motivated me to make songs again and to continue my own way.
Check her out on Instagram: @jainmusic
Website: www.jain-music.com