Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Nation.
Hi Jenna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is JENNA Nation and I am an R&B singer and songwriter based in Toronto, Canada. I feel very fortunate to have known from an early age that singing was what I was meant to do. I think the first time that it really dawned on me that I could do this was my first-ever singing competition. As a child, I participated in what is called the Kiwanis Music Festival. I used to compete in various genres and categories. The first year that I competed, I was eight years old. I entered the musical theatre category and sang “On the Good Ship Lollipop” by Shirley Temple. I had prepared for months for this competition and even had a little tap dance routine to go with my song. I was the youngest contestant in the 12 and under category and I ended up winning the competition. From there, my career began to blossom. At that competition, I was scouted by an agent and they asked me to perform on Parliament Hill for the Canada Celebrations shortly after. That was my first-ever professional gig. After that, I began performing regularly at various venues, music festivals and corporate events. As a teenager, I completed two jazz albums and continued to focus on my music career.
After high school, I went on to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. This is where I feel that I really started to develop myself as an artist. During my time at Berklee, I became an ambassador for the school and was invited to Matthew Knowles’ studio and record label to represent the school and to help audition prospective students. I was invited back to the studio to work with songwriters and a producer there and that is when I wrote and recorded my first original album of R&B/Pop material. The experience was incredible. From there, I traveled around the world, working with producers and songwriters in LA, Nashville, NYC, Toronto and Europe and performing at various venues, showcases, and international music festivals. Since my first original album, I have written, recorded and released a second original album and multiple singles. I am in the process of releasing my 5th project this year and have a brand new single “Sign” being released April 21, 2023.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am so grateful that I get to do what I love every single day but it hasn’t been an entirely easy ride. As an independent artist, navigating the industry can be challenging. Having a support system has truly got me through. As a solo artist, you need to adapt and learn quickly. It can be difficult finding the right people to add to your team because unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the industry who don’t have the best intentions. You will hear ‘no’ a lot and regularly be judged and told how someone thinks you should go about your career and artistry. If you don’t have a strong sense of self and believe in yourself, it can be easy to fall into these traps. Many people will tell you what you want to hear but then end up taking your money and disappearing. I had to learn this the hard way a couple of times.
As an independent artist, you also have to learn to be your own PR, manager, social media person, stage manager, etc. until you have put together a team so you need to be very resourceful and do a lot of self-learning. Having a music career is not cheap and this can be very financially challenging. This includes hiring musicians, paying for studio time, rehearsal space, music videos, PR, radio promo and the list goes on. Another aspect that can be challenging is that no matter how hard you work to promote yourself and reach out to venues, you don’t necessarily know how your next release will go or when your next show will be. There are a lot of ups and downs but all in all, I wouldn’t change anything and the rewards way outweigh the costs.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an R&B singer and songwriter based in Toronto, Canada. I have completed and released 4 albums and am in the process of releasing my 5th this year. I have been singing and performing professionally for over 20 years so I have been doing this for quite some time and haven’t given up yet! I have worked with various producers and songwriters from around the world and have performed at various international venues and music festivals. I think the biggest thing that I am proud of is that throughout my career I have stayed true to myself as an artist despite some of the pressures. I am very proud of some of the places I have had the privilege of performing at like Parliament Hill, MIDEM, opening for Shawn Mendes and working with some of the best in the industry. I think when people hear my voice and then see me, they often don’t connect the two because I am not necessarily what they were expecting and I enjoy that. I pride myself on putting everything into my music and performance and connecting with the audience. My music combines what has inspired me most which include elements of jazz, soul, 90’s R&B and current R&B. I make music to relate to people and that hopefully reaches a lot of people but I also do what feels best to me.I am very excited to be releasing my 5th project this year. I have a brand new EP coming at the end of the summer. My first single off of the project, “Sign” is being released Friday April 21st.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The music industry is changing so rapidly that it is honestly hard to say. I think more and more artists are going the independent route just because social media and online platforms make being recognized and having a career that much easier. I am sure we will continue to see new developments, platforms and even genres develop over the next 5-10 years. I truly hope we start to recognize artists for their talent and what they do and not just how many followers they have.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JENNAnation.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/thejennanation
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/thejennanation
- Youtube: http://youtube.com/jennanation
- SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/thejennanation
Image Credits
Sean Caesar Ivan Otis Mark Maryanovitch
