We recently had the opportunity to chat with musician Jenn Grant about her forthcoming fifth album 'Compostela'.

The album - which was recently nominated for two Juno Awards in her native Canada - is out on April 3rd in Ireland, and the Nova Scotian songwriter will play a number of Irish dates in support of it (which you can see at the end of the page.)

We talked about her background, her influences, working with her husband as a producer and how she made connections with her fellow musical Canucks Ron Sexsmith, Buck 65 and more.

 

Hi Jenn! Let's start at the beginning. When did you first a) start playing music and b) realise that you had a talent for it?

I started writing songs when I was about 8, playing guitar when I was 12. I performed my first song when I was 13 for my school and got a standing ovation. It freaked me out. My mom also told me I was talented, so there you go. Around then, I guess. I don’t think I thought about it too much.

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?

I remember writing songs in my diary when I was about 8 years old. One was called “The Coffee Stare?” It was for my parents. (laughs)

What sort of stuff did you listen to as a kid, and do those artists still have a lingering influence on your songwriting to this day?

Absolutely. I was lucky to grow up in a rich musical household. The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Leonard Cohen were only some of the sounds I heard growing up.

Most people have this romanticised vision of growing up somewhere like Nova Scotia – what was your childhood like? 

As a child I lived in Prince Edward Island. It was a romantic, enriching place to be as a child. We lived near the water, on a giant field. I could write songs and literally sing them out into the sky.

Is it true that you stopped performing in your teens because you had stage fright? If so, how did you overcome it?

Yes, that’s true. My cousins and I banded together to perform in our early 20s. We were each a bit nervous, but having the support of each other made it possible for us to stick together, and as soon as we got on stage I loved it. There was a build-up for me to that moment for nearly a decade - but once I had the right supportive tools, it was like I was home.

You've worked with a lot of well-known artists like Ron Sexsmith and Buck 65 over the last few years, and they're both on your new album. How did you get to know those guys?

I met Buck 65 in a studio above the Khyber Club in Halifax. He was working on a record and I invited him to my show downstairs. He didn’t go. But many years later he emailed me about of the blue to say he loved the song “Dreamer” from my first album. This led to us working together quite a bit. He’s a dear friend.

Ron, I messaged around the time of my first recording and invited him to be on my album. I was a very unknown artist in Canada, making my first album. For whatever reason, he agreed to perform it as a duet with me. I travelled to Toronto to watch him do his part. We have since toured together and I think he’s a brilliant man. 

Does the process of collaboration make writing/recording more stressful, though?!

Not at all. I wrote the album and did most of the recording before they were even considered. I see them all in the album like it’s a time capsule. I love having the energies of all these incredible friends and artists on this album. It makes it all the more special. What an honour..

Compostela is certainly a beautiful album. Can you tell us a little about the process you went through of writing it? 

Thank you! I spent more time on songwriting than ever before for this album. I wrote nearly the entire thing in a little camper trailer in our driveway.  I think writing becomes more exciting because which each album you learn and you expand the potential for better songs.

Did you begin writing it with a certain theme in mind?

These were the first songs I wrote since my mother died. I waited for a year until I did any writing, because I think on some level I knew that when I would write about her I would want it to be from a place of healing and love - not grief or anxiety. She comes in and out of some of the songs like a bird. The only themes I had in mind, though, were that it be a folk album with some psychedelic sounds. I wanted it to be warm and inviting, and I wanted the songs to tell stories from around the world.

Can you tell us a little about the title?

Compostela translates to 'Field of Stars' or 'Star Field'. I think this Spanish title reflects some of the landscapes in these songs that are from a trip to Spain I took just after losing my mother  - as well as naming the sky as a place of inspiration and other worldly place where songs come from.

It was nominated for two Juno Awards - congratulations, by the way – but how much of a difference does that kind of recognition really make?

I’m very proud of this album. It’s the best work I have done, and so any method that brings the album to a bigger audience is the goal for me. The Juno noms help that and so I am quite grateful!

Working with your husband [producer Daniel Ledwell] is obviously handy in terms of recording, but what do you feel that he brings to your writing/music? Have you ever been tempted to try working with someone else?

The more I work with Daniel, the less I want to work with anyone else. We have made three album together now. He is extremely gifted and we both live our lives with a grest passion for music. In some ways it would be easier to work with someone I am not married to! But it’s too precious an experience. I think I would be missing out if I did not work with Daniel. He’s an amazing producer. I think if I worked with another producer he would still be involved in the album and it would have to be someone we both were so excited about - like Jon Brion, maybe?

Good choice. What's been your proudest moment to date?

Marrying my husband in the pouring rain.

Aww. Finally, what can we expect of your Irish tour?

I will be performing solo! So I’ll probably tell some ridiculous stories having no one up there to stop me.

We look forward to it. Thanks, Jenn!

Thanks!

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Jenn Grant plays the following Irish dates in April:

April 8th | Roisin Dubh, Galway [Tickets €10]

April 9th | De Barra's, Cork [Tickets €10] 

April 10th | Levi's, Ballydehob, Cork

April 11th | Upstairs in Whelan's, Dublin [Tickets €12]