A Conversation with Jen Ambrose

What initially sparked your interest in pursuing a career in the arts for those who may not be familiar with your background?

I’ve always been passionate about music. I started singing and playing flute, oboe, piano as a child and finally started learning guitar in my early 20s so that I could write my own music. Early in my adult life I pursued a career in massager therapy, but was forced to quit due to a health issues. At that time an incredible actress friend of mine, Gwen, asked me what I love to do the most. My response was music. That’s when I realized that I what I most wanted to do with my life was write and perform my music. I’ve been following my passion ever since.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest single? What themes or emotions are explored in this song?

For many years my partner and I lived in some exquisitely beautiful and remote places in the forests of Oregon. Rainy Day reminds me of those lush, green mornings with the rain falling on our cabin, my sweet-heart lying beside me and a feeling of overwhelming contentment and thankfulness for being alive. It’s a song about love and gratitude.

How does this single fit into the larger narrative of your music career or your upcoming projects?

Rainy Day is the 4th single to be released from my new album – Plenty Of Nothin’ To Do. I’ll be releasing the entire album this coming January which is a culmination of songs largely written during Covid and is a springboard to reach a larger audience for this music through social media posts and campaigns with live performances with my new band that features this music.

Could you describe the creative process behind this single, from concept to production? What can listeners expect to experience or feel when they listen to this track?

Rainy Day was co-written with my friend, vocal coach and co-writer Ken Orsow during the early days of the Covid lockdown.

Ken and I were meeting for our weekly “over the phone” writing session on the day this song was created. It happened to be a particularly rainy afternoon when the chorus and title was sparked. For hours, Ken and I were on the phone, bouncing around ideas and verses, chords and melodies before the song was finally recorded and produced.

The Earthy, elemental images throughout Rainy Day evoke feelings of of comfort and home. A loose Reggae feel deepens the melodies and verses into a smooth, soothing groove with the sweet melody of the Ukelele sounding like raindrops falling. The heart of this song is about how love feeds the heart just like rain feeds the ground, inviting the listener to open to these feelings of gratitude and love.

Are there any interesting stories or anecdotes from the recording or writing of this song that you’d like to share?

The process of writing and recording Rainy Day is a real mirror for how many of us were living our lives during the uncertainty of Covid.

Not only was the song written remotely, but the recording process was also done remotely. I recorded my vocals and scratch guitar with Ken at his home studio in Ashland, Oregon where we both socially distancing and masked. He then sent he tracks down to LA where his friends added the really exquisite instrumental tracks. These came back to Oregon where I added my final vocals, then back to LA for mixing.

The irony is that Rainy Day is a song about connecting and intimacy but was created during a time of such uncertainty and distancing. I feel like that distancing brought out deeper feelings of sweetness and yearning in this song.

As an artist, can you identify three key traits that define you?

First, I am known for my emotional honesty – both in my songwriting and especially in my live performances. I love using my voice to express and evoke the depth of my feelings in the music. I also

Secondly, I have a diverse background of musical influences and experiences that feed my songwriting and my stage shows. I have sung music that spans decades and includes Jazz and Blues, Folk and Country, Pop and Classic Rock, Classical and World music. I’m most strongly influenced by early American Jazz and Blues.

Finally, I love creating music with unique arrangements and different chording. I think because I am largely self-taught on the guitar, I lack the training and understanding of what chord structures usually go together. Instead, I write songs more by feel rather than intellect. Later when I a work with more studied musicians do I understand what it is I’m doing!

What can we anticipate in terms of your upcoming projects?

I’m releasing my full album this coming January 2024 on all social media platforms. I’ve been writing new music and will start collaborating with my co-writer in the coming year to start recording new singles later in 2024.

I’m also working towards having sync placements in film or shows for some of my music.

Finally, gearing up for a new year of solo performances and shows with Jen Ambrose & The Mystics on the West Coast and East Coast to feature this music on this album and new singles too.