Photos Courtesy Of: Joba Records LLC and Jaimee Itagaki
Grey Jeán and Gabrielle Néla of indie folk band, Jeán et Joie, discussed their single, “Glory Be,” and more.
Q: You’ve described your music as “mournful folk with a hopeful glow.” What inspired this particular aesthetic for your music?
Grey: I draw from my experiences when I write my music. I connected with early folk artists in my formative years such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Peter Paul and Mary. I think they got into my bones a little bit, so when I found my own voice they seeped out with it. I’ve always been drawn to the morose, but I’m actually a pretty positive person so I think that’s where my own spin comes in.
Q: How did Jeán et Joie start as a group?
Gabrielle: I missed performing music as a part of a larger group, and Grey had recently stepped down as keyboardist in another band…so we embarked on our own venture. There was a calling to be creative in that realm again, for the both of us. Music has always made our time together feel like home.
Q: What was the inspiration behind “Glory Be”?
Grey: I was raised Catholic, so I often find ways to tuck pieces of that upbringing into my writing. The verses I see as vignettes from different moments in life, and the chorus is almost like that ringing bell drawing back to the familiar. To where you come from.
Q: What influences your songwriting the most?
Grey: Most of my songwriting starts as a stream of consciousness—I don’t always feel my words come solely from me. I know that I have something to share, whether from my own life or from somewhere unknown. So I try to honor whatever emerges from that space.
Q: Who are some of your musical influences?
Grey: I’m obsessed with the lyrical and vocal style of Laura Marling. I would say those early folk musicians, too. My music taste runs the gamut, so there are definitely pieces of hard rock, alternative, indie, blues. FKA Twigs is an idol of mine, but there’s really no touching what she’s got going on. She is like a gift from another planet.
Gabrielle: My musical origins are in both classical and jazz. I think much of my influence derives from finding self in others’ works, like in Give Us This Day by composer David Maslanka. There’s something really special about reading a chart someone else has written and creating your own world within it…but presently, I am in love with Esperanza Spalding’s lyricism and artistry on bass.
Q: What can we expect of the forthcoming EP?
Gabrielle: Amazingness. Storytelling and confusion and resolve.
Grey: We can’t give away too much. You’ll just have to listen!
Interviewed by Travis Boyer
FOLLOW Jeán et Joie:
