Jillian Ann Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Jillian Ann is a wonderful singer, and I was so excited when she agreed to visit with us and discuss her upcoming release, her past accomplishments and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Jillian Ann visits Section 36!

I enjoyed your single “Riptide”. What can you tell me about it?

Riptide is a song about being a force in someone's life. I wanted it to give the female presence in the story a more strong and powerful quality to them. I co-wrote this song last year with George Woods, who was one of my songwriting professors at Berklee. He really helped me shape this song into what it is and gave me the idea to take the metaphor of being a riptide, which is a force of nature, and turn it into a story about being a presence in life that is in complete control of who they are. I composed the piano parts for this song, and I think the instrumentation gives off the feeling of an actual storm that is brewing, which my band absolutely nailed with their amazing playing. Riptide will be the first song you hear on my EP. 

Following that, you are about to release your debut EP “Truly, Madly, Deeply”. What was that like to put together?

Truly, Madly, Deeply is one of the songs on my EP and is also the title track. I was inspired to write this song after watching this old BBC film called "Truly, Madly, Deeply" which is a film Alan Rickman stars in. The film is about a woman who cannot cope with the sudden passing of her lover, and he (Rickman's character) then comes back as a ghost to visit her and eventually help her get over his death. I was so moved by this film that I had to write a song that encapsulates all the best elements. Alan Rickman's character in the film is also a cellist, so I made sure to compose some really emotional string parts on this song, particularly to add to the emotion of the story. The other songs on the EP are all romantically-themed songs about longing, love at first sight, loss, and heartbreak, and I felt that Truly, Madly, Deeply was a perfect title to summarize all those feelings into one. 

The recording process for this project was pretty quick, as I had been performing these songs with my band for a while at shows prior to this, so it was fairly simple to get things done. My band came up with amazing instrumentation on all of the songs, and my producer really put the finishing touches on everything to make it sound exactly how I hoped it would, especially with a lot of the vocal effects on a few of the songs, like the title track and another ballad on there called "The Man That I Love". I am really proud of this music and am so happy I can finally share it with everyone!

You recently graduated from Berklee College of Music. What’s the most important thing that experience has done for your career?

Berklee really helped me network with many gifted musicians, songwriters, producers, and composers, and I am so grateful I was given the opportunity to attend a school like that. A lot of my classes there taught me the important business side of the music industry, which is essential to helping artists thrive in the business by marketing themselves and engaging an audience in order to be seen and heard by the right people. It helped me push myself to my highest potential as a songwriter especially, because now I know that I have the skills to write in any style, co-write with other artists, and write for others as well. Songwriting was my major at Berklee and I had the opportunity to study with some of the best songwriting professors there and got to workshop my songs with them. Now that I have graduated, I can use the tools I learned from them on my journey through music and as a songwriter. 

What is your favorite part about performing in front of an audience?

Playing live shows is one of my favorite things about being a musician. I am a bit of a nervous performer, but I feel like the nerves actually help me in a way, and build up a lot of adrenaline when I go on stage. It also shows that I am a very genuine performer. When I'm onstage I act exactly how I do in person. Nothing I say in between songs is rehearsed and it's different every time. I just say what pops into my head, which is usually something silly, and I think that resonates with my audience because they can see that I am a very down to earth performer. When I get into my songs, I love watching people vibe to my music and the covers I like to play as well. It helps get rid of the nerves completely and enhances the adrenaline even more. I really miss playing live. I can't wait to get the chance to play my EP release shows in person when the world gets back on track.

Who/what would you consider to be your biggest musical influences?

Many of my musical influences are singer/songwriters and bands from the 70s. I grew up listening to artists like Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, and Kate Bush, so I like to incorporate that 70s sound into my music with a more contemporary twist to it. These female artists of that decade in my opinion are some of the most powerful and gifted performers to ever do it, and they really gave me the confidence to do what they do. 

Right now, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

I think the obvious challenge right now is the toll this virus outbreak is taking on artists like myself. I had plans to release my EP and play a lot of shows for it, so I obviously can't do that right now. That also means there is no income coming in because of that. But the most important thing to me is to just get my music heard and enjoyed by my audience, so I am hoping to play some livestream shows on my social media accounts and play the songs off my EP solo. It's not the same as playing with my band for people in person, but it's still great to get the chance to share what I have with people that way. 

What are your immediate career goals?

My goals are definitely to record more music, and hopefully release an album by sometime next year. I have so many unreleased songs to share, and I can't wait to be able to get back in a studio and work with more amazing musicians. I hope to become more involved in the songwriting industry and co-write with artists and write for other artists. This is what I was meant to do in my life, and I am so excited to see what the future holds.

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It would be wonderful is she could get that album released!

As always, I want to thank Jillian for visiting, and for allowing me to use so many amazing pictures to accompany the interview.

Since I know you’ll also want to follow along with her to see what she's up to, I suggest check out her Instagram and Facebook account and give it a follow. Also be sure to visit her website often! It’s a great way to make sure you don't miss a thing she has going on.

You should also check out her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, pictures, and samples of her music. It's a great way to enjoy everything Jillian has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Jillian, and good luck in reaching your goals!