This is from a 20 minute phone interview that I had with Jennifer. The bold text is my questions/comments to her, and everything else is her replies. Some unnecessary text has been removed, and some sentences have been tweaked to make them more readable.
Jen was, as I expected, very polite, funny and straightforward. I was already a very big fan of hers, and this only helped make me more of a fan. Here's the interview:
Do
you plan on putting out a new album or any new
recordings any time soon?
Yes and no. I've definitely started talking about
going into the studio at some point this year.
I just had a meeting with Toby and the Gotee guys
this week and by the end of the week we're gonna
be figuring out kinda what our plan of action
is. Definitely been writing, and I've got some
stuff that's been hitting the tape. Been planning
on a release that could be anywhere from Christmas
to no later than spring of next year.
Have you ever thought about
a live album?
Definitely. We're going on a tour here February
through April, and we're gonna hopefully just
start cataloging this stuff. With other artists,
one of my favorite things about some of them is
just getting their different versions of songs.
One of the things I've appreciated about some
of my favorite artists is their live works and
just being able to hold that extra piece and take
that experience home with me, so hopefully we'll
get to do some of that.
On your next album have you
thought about brining some of the old "Wishing
Well" songs back?
Well, for me personally, all the stuff that I
would choose to bring back on it was put on "Kansas".
My writing style has changed so much since then
it's really hard for me. The hardest one that
I don't do that people really wish that I did
is a song called "Shine".
Yep, I love that song.
Oh my gosh, and I can't stand it. (laugh)
That one and "Lead Me True".
Yeah, those two songs are ones that people really
wish - so, you know, you never know, they might
end up in a spot, or at least on a live record
for fun. I don't doubt that they'll be updated
at some point in time, but I don't have any plans
'cause usually everything that I'm working on
is just so much ahead. I've just kind of been
in a way of leaving everything behind that's been
behind, and constantly writing new songs. So it's
very slow, and if I get distracted by too much
and get in the habit of liking what's behind me,
I don't want to move forward too much.
You write amazing lyrics. What
do you write first, generally? Do you write music
and then try to put words to it? How does it sorta
go when you're writing a song?
The majority of the time it's like a symbiotic
relationship between actually physically holding
the guitar and playing it and feeling the song,
playing the music, and the lyrics just kinda come
out of it. It's kinda this mystical thing that
I wish I knew how to do it, because when it goes
well it's great, and when it doesn't it's awful.
But I'm not dependant on my guitar anymore. I
used to be very dependant on it - I couldn't write
away from it. And now, a lyric will pop into my
head and I'm getting stronger in having the ability
to be able to write away from it. It's actually
been very freeing to do. The things that I like
the best, and the experiences that are the most
meaningful are when they come at the same time
- it's like they were meant for each other.
There's been a lot of debate
lately about Creed and Lifehouse. What do you
think of groups like these that have left the
Christian music scene. They don't want to claim
themselves as Christian necessarily, and it almost
seems like they're in it for the money?
Well, I think a lot of people do things for the
money. Why do most people go to college? They
want to have a career in a profession that they
enjoy, but to be able to make a living. I don't
necessarily have a problem with that. There are
many people that criticize just as heavily the
aspect of Christian music that we're just making
a buck off of the name of Jesus. There's two sides
to that debate. I think it comes down to an issue
of, no matter who you are, it's an issue of character.
I don't know them personally, and I'm not a huge
fan of their music. But it hurts me sometimes
- that debate comes on our side sometimes when
I'm not necessarily playing within the four walls
of the church. When we went and played the Lilith
Fair stuff, or even when we play at a Border's
in-store, or something that's not directly attached
to "being a Christian". Some people
accuse that of being sold-out, and that we're
just doing it for the money, and all this other
stuff. But there's a passion, I'm sure, for what
those guys in Creed do. You can be satisfied by
materialistic approach to getting what you want,
but to each his own. If that's really what their
motivation is, then I really trust that God knows
that. I credit them, and hope the best in them,
that they profess to believe that Jesus Christ
is their Savior, and I choose to believe that.
I'm not around them personally to bear witness
to the fruit that would testify that that's the
case, but I don't think that gives us ground to
criticize. I give right to any individual who
wants to choose what they believe, and what they
want to put into their head and into their heart.
But, it's really difficult to judge somebody until
you've walked a mile in their shoes, so to speak.
I remember when people were criticizing you
about the Lilith Fair stuff, when I first started
to follow you a little bit...
At the beginning of some of that criticism it
was really harsh, and it really hurt. And then,
it just kinda turned a corner where - I mean,
I'm very accountable with the decisions that we
make, and I'm probably more mindful of people
then I ought to be at times - not being as concerned
with the judgement of men versus being concerned
with the judgement of God. That's something that's
been a real challenge in light of this argument,
for me to realize at the end of the day, if I'm
uneasy when I go to bed, am I uneasy because I
did what was contrary to what God asked me to
do, or if I did what was contrary to what men
asked me to do. I have a lot more peace being
contrary with men, but being at peace with God,
than I do with being at peace with men and contrary
to God.
What do you think of the whole
Napster thing?
The stole my name! (laugh) I appreciate the ingenuity
of the young man that created the technology.
I mean, I don't have anything wrong with the principle
of it. I'll take two approaches to it. There's
the personal, Christian, spiritual approach to
"why do I do what I do?". The reason
why I do what I do is cause I want to share the
things God has taught me, and share with other
people the union of that joy. So therefore I should
be upset when somebody steals my song and makes
a profit off of it, i.e. uses other advertisers
while they're drawing people for my name. Obviously,
groups like Metallica that have really lobbied
against it have a lot more to lose. I'm not losing
great deals of money from it. However, advertising-wise
they make a profit, and I don't make anything
- with the current standards. So there's two approaches
you can take - you can take the simply being upset
for the principle of the things that you labored
for, that somebody else is making a profit off
of, and you're not getting anything in return.
And, that's partly pride and partly just economics.
And then there's the other side of it - what do
you do, is the Gospel for sale? That goes back
to what we were talking about earlier, are we
making money off of the name of Jesus Christ,
or are we sharing the Gospel? I think there are
times for it. I'm not in a position to feel like
I have to make any action against Napster, but
I definitely encourage people that, if they respect
what we do, if you want to sample it, fine sample
it. I can't really stop you from doing that. But
encourage people that, if you continue to exhaust
without returning - it's like harvesting a field
and never changing the crop that's in it, and
you continue to take the best parts of it and
never give back to it. You're not going to have
something that lasts - you take the best of it
and leave the scraps on the ground. If people
don't support us and people don't buy our records,
that becomes a problem because I don't have the
financial means to continue the ministry that
God's allowed, that He's called me to do. It's
kind of a weird circle, and indeed, I would have
a problem taking anybody to court. It's a Biblical
thing. I've had problems financially with people
that stole from me, or wanted to take stuff that
wasn't theirs. And I had a choice - I could either
try and resolve that as holy as I could, or pay,
or take it to court. And, court was never an option
for me. I've learned a really good lesson about
that - God says that if we, as believers, take
our challenges and our struggles before men that
don't function by the same principles as us (i.e.
Christians), if I sue somebody and take it to
a court that's not like a Christian elder, then
I'm already defeated. I've already lost. Even
if I win a multi-million dollar judgement, I've
lost, because then I project this person that
is contrary to what Christ is. Christ ultimately
sacrificed himself, and he understood the value
of turning the other cheek. So, that's kinda where
I put it. Do I agree with it? No. I think it needs
some help.
I'm not extremely informed in the law, but I do know that if you work very hard for something, it's not unusual for you to expect to get paid for it. And I believe that's Biblical, too. I think we have to approach that humbly. We don't necessarily expect to get it, but God understand the principle of reward. He talks about fruit. He understands that, in a relationship with us, that we need to see tangible evidence of Him, and he gives us fruits of the spirit that bear witness to that. So, I can understand why many people are upset, and I certainly hope that they get it squared around in such a way that affords people the fruits of their labor, so to speak.
What do you listen to, what
has inspired you, who do you model yourself after?
I feel like I can't really model myself after
too much. I definitely say I've been influenced
by just kinda rubbing up against it. Mostly singer-songwriters,
largely female, and mostly secular. The poetic
writing approach that Natalie Merchant takes is
huge. I've realized through her that I could write
music that was poetic, which is where I started
out, as a poet, before I was a songwriter. I realized
that you could take that and make it into something
that transcended the starch-collared image of
poetry, and make it singable, which actually unleashed
a whole new world of poetry to me, that poetry
is very singable.
Were you able to play guitar
while you were a poet, or did you learn that as
time went on?
No, that came after. They kinda met in the middle
after I became a Christian, in a weird kinda way.
But, other influences, anywhere from being moved
by artists like Jonatha Brooke, Tracy Chapman
- Tracy Chapman is amazing in the way that she
expresses her heart, and her environment - it's
chilling. Patti Griffin, Joni Mitchell. On the
Christian side of it, Ashley Cleveland is a huge
influence for me, and Margaret Becker. Also, I
really admire a gal by the name of Nichole Nordeman.
I think that the women that have largely just
influenced the path that I've been on, are some
of the ones that I've mentioned. Shawn Colvin
is another one.
Yeah, Diamond In the Rough
Oh my gosh. That made me nervous - I was afraid
she was gonna call me and yell at me. "You
ruined my song!" (laugh)
I don't consider myself a huge music fan. My catalog is pretty much vintage stuff. I love U2 also. I would say they've been influential in getting to the marrow of the crude nature of man, in light of being a spiritual being. I think they did a fabulous job of that. At the same time, our music's not even related, if you look at it that way.
I just get nervous sometimes about the whole influential conversation, because sometimes people take that as "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". I definitely try to avoid that. In fact, at times I've abandoned certain projects sometimes just because I think it's too much like somebody else that I really admire, and I'm afraid of that. I really have to work at just not being afraid, to just be myself. If it's been largely influenced by somebody that's admirable, then - you know, I'm that way spiritually. I carry on the traits of people that are spiritually important to me, and have taught me a lot. So, it works, all the way around.
It'd be difficult to label
your music any one way, too. You mix it up a lot,
with some of the poetic stuff from Kansas, all
the way up to Into You, which just rocks.
I love being able to go all the way. To be seemingly
very deep and intellectual, and kinda going and
sloughing it off and just having a nice rock song
in the middle.
Jen, that's probably about
it. Thanks a ton for your time!
Not a problem. Well Mickey, have a good time.
Thanks!
