Interview with Jenny Colquitt
Warren Millar caught up with local Widnes based singer-songwriter Jenny Colquitt down at Spike Island the scene of The Stone Roses iconic 1990 gig. We got to chat about her latest EP “Dear Daughter” and her musical background.
WM: So Jenny, just fill us in on your music and a little about your background.
JC: Yeah I have quite an unusual style really, a cross between folk, blues, and pop. I’ve been making music since high school starting off gigging in pubs doing covers. Then in my teens, I started writing my own music and released my first EP in 2016. I then had a bit of a break to concentrate on my studies and getting a job. Once this was out of the way I got back into making music and my aim now is to hopefully do this full time. I have now just released my latest EP “Dear Daughter”
WM: How does the new EP fit in with your music journey so far?
JC: I think in a way it was just a natural progression for me in a way, My first EP “The Quiet Kind” was about growing up through music, each of the songs on that EP was a journey for me through music.
Jenny Colquitt (Credit: Warren Millar)
WM: That leads me nicely on to my next question Jenny. What inspired this latest EP?
JC: So the “Dear Daughter” EP is about the other side of that, it’s about guiding other younger people through difficult times.
WM: The title track “Dear Daughter” what does that represent?
JC: “Dear Daughter” was written as a form of guidance or advice you would give or receive, a sort of guidance through life. It’s basically saying “just breath” which is my motto for life. This has helped me through this year “just breath” and no matter what’s thrown at you, you will get through it.
WM: I like that “Just Breath” I’m gonna remember that one. Are you planning any more releases soon?
JC: Yeah I am actually planning on doing a charity release of my song “Captain Thomas Moore” in January or February with all proceeds going to the Captain Thomas Moore charity. I then have a couple of singles I would like to release with the aim for an album towards the end of 2021 or early 2022.
Jenny Colquitt (Credit: Warren Millar)
WM: I’ve seen quite a few of your live streams on Facebook over the covid period. How have they gone and any developments from them?
JC: Yeah live streaming has been great for me allowing me to reach a vast amount of people just sitting in front of a camera in my bedroom and performing. I have been doing it weekly and try and keep it consistent. This for me has allowed me not only to bring in more fans but has also developed my writing. It’s a bit like having a big family and I love the two-way interaction I have with the fans tuning in and posting comments as I perform.
WM: How do you go about your songwriting process, is it lyrics first melody first?
JC: It’s an emotion first, every song of mine is very deep whether that’s a slow song or an upbeat song everyone has some sort of emotion attached to it. I’ll be feeling a certain way and sit at the piano and the chords will just follow that feeling or emotion, then the lyrics will come from that and the melody follows.
WM: Who would you say is your biggest musical influence?
JC: Ohhh Eva Cassidy purely for the soul she had in her voice, vocally she is it, artist, I look up to the most. I’m influenced by any female powerhouse, the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Alanis Morissette, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton just to name a few, all have a big influence on the way I write and sing. I also like bands like REM, anything acoustic or bluesy.
WM: How has the whole covid thing affected you both musically and personally?
JC: It’s probably helped me more musically if I’m honest, I’ve been writing more, and also due to my live steams helped me gain a bigger audience. It’s prepared me in a way to be ready for when things get back to normal to hopefully do a tour or gig live. Personally, nothing much has changed as I work in a doctor’s practice so if anything just busier.
Jenny Colquitt (Credit: Warren Millar)
WM: How would you want people coming to a Jenny Colquitt gig to remember it by?
JC: I think basically just to feel better than they did than when they walked in and also to feel moved, as I’ve said before a lot of my music is written from within and from the soul. Also to maybe feel inspired and to impact them in a better way.
WM: What is your favorite song to perform live?
JC: So cover would be “Fields of Gold” by Eva Cassidy it’s a song I used to sing when first starting out doing gigs and the song that people always said after I had performed it that I need to carry on performing, It’s a special song for me. As for my own songs, this tends to change as I write new songs but if I was to pick one it would be “Wide Open Spaces” off my first EP “The Quiet Kind” it reminds me of first learning to write songs and also I think it’s lyrically more cleaver than some of my other songs.
Jenny Colquitt (Credit: Warren Millar)
WM: What’s your Secret guilty pleasure?
JC: Funnily talking to myself, not in a mad sort of way but when I do my Vlogs I’m not only connecting with my fans but also with myself which is good isn’t it?
To find out more about Jenny and follow her on social media please click on the pink links below.
Listen to Jennys EP “Dear Daughter” on Spotify
Image credit and copyright Warren Millar.
