What is your name?
My name is Corinna Jane
What is your genre of music?
I would describe my music as quirky pop-rock
Give us a little bio about you.
I am a half British half French singer songwriter who was born in Germany. Having grown up on 90s MTV and regular “sing songs” around the piano as a child, I always gravitated to pop music. My own brand of piano driven quirky pop rock has gained me national airplay on BBC Radio 6 and enter the top 5 in the county at the “Rock The House” competition at the House Of Commons. I have enjoyed playing hundreds of gigs up and down the country either acoustic or with my band, which opened up the opportunity to support Blackbeard’s Tea Party and Leddra Chapman. I have recently released my 4 track EP “Hard In Love” from which the single “Three Faces Of You” is taken, which is available on all good digital platforms.
Are you a signed?
I am currently unsigned, but have recently signed on to new management at Quite Great and look forward to all the possibilities of the future. Naturally I have always dreamt of getting signed to a great label.
You are releasing new single ‘Three Faces Of You’ whats the story behind the track?
I wrote Three Faces Of You after having briefly dated a guy who appeared to have some kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type of complex going on in his mind. I never knew which one of his personalities I was getting. Was it the nice one? The manipulative one? The angry one? It was quite scary, but luckily I got out of this before I got in too deep. I remembered a psychological study on a woman who has multiple personality disorder, which was later turned into a movie called “Three Faces Of Eve”. This gave me inspiration to write a “Three Faces of You”, as it made me think of the kind of guy I was with.
How long did it take to write?
I had the title for a long time, but I always write in melody first. It took me probably about 10 minutes to come up with the guitar and vocal melody and then I spent half an hour or so getting those lyrics out. Some songs can spread themselves out across a few days when the inspiration takes hold, but this one came out really quickly, because I had so much pent up emotions on this!
You also have your EP ‘Hard In Love’ coming out, what was the inspiration behind the EP?
The EP consists of four tracks, one of which being “Three Faces Of You”. The other three songs Floodlights, Echoes Of My Mind and “Hard In Love” are all quite different in nature and were written at different times. If I could tie them all together with the same thread, I’d say that the underlying sentiment is dealing with the illusions of falling in love, brushing over the problems even after everything is over, as we maintain some of that illusion throughout the heartbreak itself. I have a tendency to want to turn these romances into something greater than what they are, but that delusion only brings misery. Something to write about though eh?
Describe each track in two words?
Floodlights: Theatrical Romanticism
Three Faces Of You: Feisty Empowerment
Echoes Of My Mind: Hypnotic Grief
Hard In Love: Truth Despair
Do you have any gigs coming up or maybe a tour of your own?
I am currently in the process of arranging gigs for the coming year.
You’ve received some great Airplays from BBC Radio 6, Amazing Radio and more,what was your reaction?
I felt a sense of pride and buzz knowing that people dotted across the nation where hearing about me for the first time. The knowledge that the piece of music that I had initially created in my dining room or bedroom and had spent months crafting in the studio was finally being heard by a greater audience was quite surreal and made everything feel worthwhile.
What was it like to support Leddra Chapman, did she give you any advice?
It was great supporting Leddra Chapman. I used to play her music on my student radio show, so to fast forward a couple of years and actually be supporting her was quite spooky and reinstated my belief that it is indeed a small world! She gave me various bits of advice on how to get the best out of my studio sessions and advised me on how to be less uptight before gigs, so as to preserve my voice – as I used to stress about losing my voice in between gigs!
You was also a guest vocalist on Mark-Oh , how did that come about and what was it like?
This was an incredibly cool opportunity, as Mark-Oh has enjoyed various number 1s as a top DJ in Germany. I was contacted via soundcloud, which led to me being flown over to Germany all expenses paid to record some special dance covers of 90s classics for a compilation CD. A few months later, they invited me again, but this time it was to co-write an orginal track for the same project. They are currently in the process of finalising the project and I am excited about the release in the near future! It’s fun to dip into genres that I don’t usually perform when I’m fronting my own music – I think it’s vital to be eclectic.
Where is your dream venue to play in the uk?
I would love to play The Hammersmith Apollo. I love that whilst it is a large hall, it still has that sense of intimacy that you don’t get at large arenas. I once saw country singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves perform and you could hear a pin drop – it was like she performing to us from a giant living room!
where is your dream venue to play anywhere overseas?
Well who wouldn’t want to play Madison Square Gardens? If you play there – you’ve made it!
Do you have any collaborations with any other artists in the planning?
There are one or two possibly in the pipeline, but I can’t confirm yet.
What made you go in to music?
My love for non stop music videos on MTV and my father introducing me to music through family sing songs around the piano. I also remembered asking for Sheryl Crow’s album when I was 3 – I know that’s quite a sophisticated choice for a child, but I loved her song “All I Wanna Do” – it inspired me to try and become a female singer songwriter with great story telling and personality.
Do you play any instruments?
My main instrument is piano, which I have been playing since I was a toddler, but my mother started taking me to piano lessons when I was five. I’ve also been playing the guitar since my teens, but I think that my native tongue (so to speak) will always be the piano.
Who are your influences?
Apart from Sheryl Crow, who I have already mentioned – I am a big fan of singer songwriters like Alanis Morisette, Tori Amos! I have loved discovering new ones over time such as Lissie and Marina And The Diamonds. Ultimately I also love rock bands like Green Day and The Killers, that may not have a direct bearing on my own style, but have been significant to my years of growing up – their melodies, lyrics and the memories attached to the. I’ve loved following bands with strong front women like No Doubt and Paramore, as I aspire to have the same energy and stage command as they do when I perform. Moreover, I can’t forget bands from the 60s like The Kinks and The Beatles (who doesn’t ever cite them as an influence!) for they teach me the importance of melodies in songs, which a lot of pop music lacks nowadays. Anything with a great melody and memorable lyrics is a winner for me!
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
Inspiration will come from whatever strong emotions are going on in my life at a given time. Often a title will appear or just one line that will form part of the lyrics, but then I’ll hear the whole melody of the song first before I tackle the lyrics properly. I’m very melody driven, so I often hear melodies and riffs in my head before I’ve even sat down at the piano.
Where do you see yourself in 5 Years?
I would love to say that in five years I will have signed a record deal, released two successful albums, toured all over the world and feel grateful to have a supportive fan base that will allow me to continue doing the thing that gives me my sense of purpose, identity and happiness.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I am also a keen actress at my local theatre company and have regularly performed in great roles in plays such as Blood Brothers and even Belle in Beauty and the Beast. I love performing a play, that bond you have between you and the cast members is unlike any other kind of project you’ll undertake – it’s a real sense of community and brilliant escapism being in someone else’s shoes every night! Aside from acting I’m also a presenter and love reporting in front of the camera or on the radio. I guess really, everything comes back down to the same thing, I love performing – it’s what makes me feel happy.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
Like I said earlier, it all started with Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do”.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
It’s not so much advice, but rather a source of comfort. I was feeling very stressed about various things before a gig we were playing in London when my drummer reassured by saying that “everybody’s got a stone in their shoe”. It still brings me a sense of calm now when I think that all of us suffer from our internal battles from time to time.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Never write the music you think you should write to satisfy a certain audience or trend, write the music you want to write and relate to the most – the more authentic you are, the better and more unique art you will create. Don’t be afraid to be a maverick, there was always a first to do anything.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
My keyboard, sustain pedal, eye liner, lipstick and attitude!
You are away from home on tour for ages and you get back, where is your go to place in your hometown?
I haven’t been away for long enough to really know the answer to that question. So I’ll have to get back to you on that. I’m a little restless though, I always like to discover new places!
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes head to facebook.com/corinnajanemusic and follow me on instagram – corinnajane or twitter corinna_jane
