Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Cunningham.
Jenna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve loved music as early as I can remember. I used to love giving performances to my parents and grandparents. I remember singing “In My Own Little Corner” from Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella to them, starting it off by sitting in this little rocking chair like Brandy as Cinderella did in the movie and hamming it up. I was writing songs for as long as I can remember, too: the earliest one I can think of is a song called “What Should We Do Today?” You know, a big concern of little kids!
It actually took me a really long time to consider it a legitimate career though. I studied clarinet and math in college. It wasn’t until I took an internship in a math field that I realized that what I was studying wasn’t my passion. That internship right after my sophomore year was a huge wake-up call. I wasn’t happy at the job, and it made me really ask myself what would make me happy deep down to do as a career. That was when I decided that once I graduated, I was going to move to Los Angeles and pursue being a singer-songwriter.
I moved to LA in September 2017. My sound has changed a lot over time. I just finished a 12 song album. What I find to be most important is meaningful lyrics and catchy melodies. All my lyrics are honest, and the songs were written because I was feeling a specific emotion that I needed to express through music. I produced it myself, so I got to really figure out my sound. I also re-worked the songs a lot to make sure the melodies were catchy and each moment gave the listener something to grab on to. That album comes out February 23rd.
Great, 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?
It certainly hasn’t, but that would take the fun out of it, wouldn’t it? I’m still struggling to stand out and to sort of get people to listen. There are so many other talented people trying to make it in the music scene as well. I’m struggling to be heard above the noise.
It’s so easy to see other people’s success and get discouraged. But I always remind myself that someone else being successful does not take away from my chance at success. There is an abundance of opportunities for everyone. I try to celebrate my little victories as much as I can because they’re all stepping stones to something larger.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I think what sets me apart is that I try to write lyrics that would make people think “whoa, I’ve felt exactly that, but I’ve never heard it phrased like that before.” And I think my performances set me apart too. I really feel every beat, every emotion, while I’m doing a live show. I express it through my body, and my facial expressions, and make myself as vulnerable and authentic as I know how.
Most of the songs I sing are about my own life, so I tap into the emotion I felt when I wrote it and bring as much of that passion as I can to the stage. I’m able to do this best when I have my full band, and I can walk/dance around the stage with ease. In terms of specialization, most of my music is pop-based, but I often tend to lean into some rock-territory.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Being real and being optimistic. I know in this industry I’m going to get so many no’s before I get a yes. Remaining positive and hopeful to stick out the tough parts is so essential. I just trust that I’m on the right path and that giving my all will take me in the right direction. Also, being real on and off stage is really important.
I want to be as genuine as I can with my performances and the emotional meaning of each song. And I also try to be genuine as a regular human being, by supporting my friends and being kind to those around me. One, I wouldn’t want to live with myself if I didn’t care about others, and two, who wants to work with a total jerk? Moral of the story, I think it’s important to stay grounded and treat others the way I’d like to be treated.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jennacunningham.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jennawritestunes
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/JennaCunninghamMusic/
- Twitter: twitter.com/cunninghamjenna
- Other: youtube.com/songsbyjenna
Image Credit:
Marissa Buyck, Chris Camargo, Jarod Wang, Genevieve Birchman, Sonia Gumuchian
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
