06.30.05 - Volume 1, Episode #1 - Length 31:37
You will discover this up-and-coming artist, get a sneak peek at her new album, “Restless,” and hear some live, exclusive material from Jeanlizabeth.
AAC 30 MB
MP3 28.9 MB
( ♪ Losing You ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : I got that name when I was walking on the Tacoma Waterfront with my friend Alieta. And I said, OK I have this album coming out what am I going to call myself Jeannie Hopkins, am I going to call myself Jeannie? I don’t like Jeannie Hopkins, its not my music. Something else is my music, so we thought of band names. She said, “What is your middle name.” I said “Elizabeth.” She said “What about Jeanlizabeth.” I was like”You know what that’s what my parents called me when I was a little kid. Jeanlizabeth.” So we thought that was kind of catchy, so that’s why its Jeanlizabeth.
( ♪ Rustle ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : Well, I would say that Restless can be one of two things. It can be restless in anticipation of something wonderful, where you are tossing and turning and you are like waking up Christmas morning and you are just restless. And it can also mean that you got so much heavy shit on your mind and its weighing you down and can’t sleep and you are restless. I would say that I am a person who is always in thought. Something is always going on. I can never just sit still with my thoughts and emotions. I actually do have ADD, but I think everyone does. No, I think a lot of people, especially artists have that restlessness. This album is not necessarily sad or depressing. Its totally just about being full of thought. Yeah, just restless. I would say I average 4-5 hours of sleep a night. I don’t sleep very much. I work full time and go play music. And yeah, I don’t sleep much.
( ♪ Come On ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : The first time I went into the studio, was to record Driftwood. I didn’t know really what I was doing. I think I’m a great songwriter and I think the song’s were solid. But I really didn’t know the whole process of the click track, playing the guitar first, and then doing the bass & drums. The whole process of making a CD I was very unfamiliar with. The end result, I think it was a successful debut album. The difference now is I have a little bit of studio experience and I have been playing around more and my songs are also different, I would say.
( ♪ Jimmy Mac ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : I think I tried to have a little poppy, well not on purpose poppy, but an upbeat feel on “Without a Friend like You” on Driftwood but I think the mix didn’t really turn out with my vocals being there the way I do it live. The new album definitely has more balance, its not so sad, love and lost. Its a very well rounded album. It has some storytelling to it. It has a few ballads. It’s me being restless in every which way. Its not just about being sad. The last album was a very therapeutic process to get all that stuff out and recorded so people could identify and I could identify with myself. This album is not really about that, its not as therapeutic, its just about the being in the state I’m in right now. and having fun. The songs were written of the span of a few years. so its not like I wrote them all last summer Its not one aspect, its not one funk. Its a lot of different places I’ve been in the last few years
( ♪ Broken ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : I have always loved music I was in choir, I picked up the guitar in 3rd grade, again in 7th grade, I quit right, because it takes work and I wasn’t willing to do that as a kid. The thing that really grabbed me I heard the Indigo Girls in probably ‘90, ‘91, something like that. I thought, “Wow, here are some females that sound like Simon & Garfunkel but they are girls and they are playing guitar and its just them,” and I thought wow. I thought their music was really awesome. Then there is Edie Brickell, I think I started to hear people in the acoustic sound, rather then Def Leppard. I’m trying to think of the late 80’s there was not a lot of acoustic.
A Taylor in my opinion has the best sound when you plug it in. A Martin sounds awesome around the campfire. It’s very full, I love the jumbos I love the depth of the guitar, but when I played all these other brand of guitars, when I was purchasing one, shopping around, the Taylor resonated more when I plugged it in. I was looking for a guitar that I that I enjoyed in a room by myself and one that could perform on stage. Also I think the feel of a Taylor its really nice on my hands. I have small hands and the Taylor has a small neck. A Martin has a fatter neck and so having a small hand I prefer something I won’t cramp up and go “oh my god, my finger is shaking.” I think also a Taylor smells good.
( ♪ September ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : When Driftwood came out I played a lot, and I’m not dong that right now. I’m not playing as much. I play kind of once in a while when I have some free time. The goal is to get this album done, wrapped up. Then promote it heavily and play a lot because if its one thing I love to do its perform and share what I have written with other people and I cant do that sitting in my living room. My goal is to finish up my Masters Degree in July in Montana and when I get back home in August, I plan on booking and maybe playing Folklife again next May and just really trying to do some touring.
( ♪ September ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : I would. If I could make a living playing music I would do it. The only thing that’s keeping me back is that its pretty darn tough to pay the bills. I play when I can, I wish I could play more. I have to pay my mortgage, I just bought a house last year. So my regular job I work with children, and I play music with them and that’s very rewarding as well. If I could make a living writing & playing and performing, I would do it. So the tour totally depends on finances.
( ♪ September ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : I like so many people. I don’t know. I really like Amos Lee. I like Shawn Colvin, I would not mind opening up for her. Cowboy Junkies, any kind of Lilith Fair situation. In fact Sarah Mclaughlin have another Lilith Fair so I can open up for all you big wigs.
( ♪ Building A Mystery, Sarah Mclaughlin ♪ )
[Jeanlizabeth] : Its not an obsessions. She’s my dog. I write about things that matter about me. I does not have to be about me personally, but something I care about. I care about my dog. I’m in a good mood when I’m with her. I got tired of writing sad songs, I wrote a song about my dog. I think as an artist you write about things that are important to you. It can be a story of some guy on the street, it could be about yourself, it could be about Sacagawea.
( ♪ Sacagewea ♪ )
( ♪ Losing You ♪ )
"I thought wow, here are some females that sound like Simon & Garfunkel but they are girls and they are playing guitar and its just them and I thought, wow." - Jeanlizabeth
Official Website
http://www.myspace.com/jeanlizabeth
Offsite Purchase
Get the Album Driftwood at CD Baby.
Get the Album Restless at CD Baby.
