Life & Work with Jade Renee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jade Renee. 

Hi Jade, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Goodness, where to start… Well, one might say I was “small-town girl living in a lonely world”, Yes, I will crush Journey at any karaoke bar… Speaking of “Journey,” Mine is a DOOZY 

In all honestly, I cannot remember a time where I wasn’t singing or surrounded by music. Most of my immediate family has a bit of a musical background and I think that is what kept our family as tight as we are. I come from a “blended family,” Like real blended, like being the only brown girl in my family of 5 which all happen to be white… yeah it kept things interesting in the sense of culture and identity. I grew up listening to all different genres of music, which gave me the opportunity to play when it came to my own vocals. 

As mentioned, I grew up in a small farm town, where the fun activities to do around me consisted of Mud Bogging, hanging out at the church, or getting high and none of that really interested me (well maybe getting high from time to time). Being one of the only POC in my town also proved to be difficult and lonely, so I spent many nights after school listening to music and singing along. Continuously practicing and making up my own stories on what the songs meant to me. 

Outside of my own personal singing at home, I participated in Church choir at a young age and sang with the adult band. While not necessarily Religious anymore I have very fond memories of finding community and growing as a musician in church. 

In high school, I found myself in Musical Theatre shows and found my LOVE for performing and being over the top. This is where my confidence really flourished. 

I went to college in NYC studying Performing Arts, specifically for the stage at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, from there, I performed around New York City in various shows and cabarets before moving to Ireland to pursue my own music ventures as a recording artist. It was there that I experienced my first recording studio and released my first song. Once I got sick of the cold and rain (I didn’t realize it was ALWAYS raining over there?!?) I realized I needed sunshine in my life, and I wanted to be in the room with the big dogs. I knew the place I needed to be was Los Angeles. 

I booked a one-way flight and a one-week stay in a hotel in DTLA with the determination to make this dream stick. Here I am a year and a half later living on the West Side, gigging regularly, and finally working on my dream of releasing an EP, with the hopes of a release in late 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 WISH!! As mentioned, living in a small town with mostly close-minded people proved to be difficult when you are an anomaly. I am a mixed-race, queer woman. You kinda stick out like a sore thumb in a place that is known for herding in and “clique” culture. I had to deal with racism and prejudice for most of adolescence. It is painful to think back that there was a time that I spent hours straightening my beautiful big curly hair so I wouldn’t be called a poodle. I laugh about it now! 

Not having the biggest support system also weighed down on me, but I am grateful for my mom and Stepdad who constantly supported my dreams and ambitions along my journey. Without them, I wouldn’t have left home at 17 and moved to South Korea knowing absolutely NO ONE, but I had my homebase and I had my strength, so I went for it! Haven’t looked back since. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
After moving to LA on a whim after a whirlwind journey in Ireland – That a story for another interview. I have found myself to be more of a creative than I ever expected! I never thought I was going to be an LA b*tch, but LA proved to be the best choice for the goals I am working on achieving and accomplishing. I, of course, moved here to perform and grow as a musical artist, but I had no idea that the opportunity to be invited to record a demo with a producer who has co-written and released song with Major Label Artists would be in the realm of possibilities in such a short amount of time, and yet it happened! Although that didn’t pan out to be my big break, it opened the door for me to work with amazing artists around the city and gave me a resource for booking gigs regularly. I am grateful and proud to say that I am now gigging and playing shows all the way from LA to Long Beach, even to Temecula. 

Outside of singing, I also dance, act, and model! I am really into style and fashion and have a great time searching for the next amazing outfit of mine at local thrift and vintage stores. 

I also work in Events for an amazing women and LGBTQIA+-founded ice cream company called Coolhaus! I love bringing out of the world of events to life, and its real fun to be the Ice Cream lady. I am always looking to find opportunities to bring together my passion for fashion, music, and the arts to Ice Cream Game! This previous summer, I booked an amazing Brand Activation with another Woman Owned fashion company called M.M La Fleur in NYC. We showcased their brand-new fashion line that was machine washable with the use of our ice cream! Proving you can have fun and be messy but not have to worry about your clothes being ruined or taking the time out of your busy schedule to have them dry cleaned. It was a hit! I can’t wait to see where the next activation takes me. I mean who doesn’t love Ice Cream. 

I am so proud and grateful for the many different creative outlets I have built so far in LA, and look forward to growing them as time progresses. I am always looking for new creatives to work with and in the process of finding management to help navigate my next steps as I flourish in this space. 

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I have taken some really big risks in my life, but I can’t help but think I could be taking more little risks. This is something I am reflecting on and working towards for the next year. I think small little risks can compound to big momentum, and that’s what I will be putting my work into in the next few months. 

Big risks are amazing and can spark so much creativity/ evolution, but I think as artists, we forget how much little steps build to greatness. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jadereneemusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jade.marvelous/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI4-xA3rifxl6ITaKWtdY1Q
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0JamPVvkRpvlLREYkHphZx

Image Credits
Brent P. Hollingworth