Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Carson.
Hi Jenny, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m originally from Groves, TX. I typically tell people “I am from the Beaumont/Port Arthur area (as far east as you can go on I-10 before hitting Louisiana),” should anyone ask… but Groves, home of the Texas Pecan Festival, is the truth. I was adopted by my grandparents, Weyman and Josie, as a wee babe alongside my sister, Vicki.
I hated school. I adored church (former church-goer). I found friends and community there. I went to a church called St. Paul Lutheran Church. Being my grandpa was a staunch Southern baptist growing up, and my grandma was raised by a couple of Sicilians… you could say this denomination was their attempt at a compromise. I learned how to sing in church by listening to the congregation around me. If I wasn’t harmonizing in church, I was doing my best Gene Kelly impression in tap class at the local dance academy my grandparents were probably paying a small fortune for… I recently found a pair of tap shoes my size at a Goodwill near me and purchased them. I held on to them (and the nostalgia) for about a year before I donated them to a different Goodwill.
Once I graduated high school, I got the hell outta dodge. I needed to place distance between myself and the circumstances that engulfed me at the time. No need to explore those themes here, but I ended up finding myself with a few friends in Poultney, Vermont. A bad relationship was to blame for that long distance move… but, in my mind, it was still better than the hardships that remained stagnant in my childhood home. I eventually ran out of money and moved back to Groves within a year and a half. I think I couch surfed for a time because I couldn’t stand to be at that house after my grandpa died.
…and then there was Victoria House. V Haus. When I was in Vermont, I never lost touch with my high school buddy, Nick Fong. He had moved to San Marcos for school, but he encouraged me to hang out with some of his old friends that lived in and around Beaumont. He was always looking out for me, even if it wasn’t intentional on his part. Nick’s band was called Gonzo Sirens. I ended up forming my own band with these misanthropes, and did a lot of other wild things with them. I was really such a baby at that time. As luck would have it, there was a tweed (?) orange, floral couch at V Haus suitable enough for my scrappy ass that my new friends allowed me to sleep on. They welcomed me into their space, and really loved me. I needed that so desperately back then. I spent a few years there in my early 20s, and we made it our own space… complete with a whole lot of tomfoolery and debauchery (sorry Olivia).
Life was catching up to me. We went to Free Press Summer Fest in Houston circa 2011. It was my birthday weekend made truly excellent thanks to Sharon Jones, Ween, and a few party favors. It was also the weekend I started exhibiting symptoms of chronic pain. I was in denial… and overwhelmed with financial and emotional stress.
Fast forward to present day, I am alive and well in Austin… ten years now (I think). I moved here because I needed a job that offered health insurance… and because I wanted to be surrounded by musicians. Songwriting is my safe place. I am still making music. It’s incredibly hard, and I love it. Failures, friendships, dissonance, and all.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think I answered this in the story portion but to reiterate… the road is marked with suffering… and therein lies the joy. I don’t believe you can experience one without the other. Creatives are a weird bunch of people. I can’t speak for all of us but I struggle believing I am capable most days. Affirmations are helpful. Tell your friends they are doing something wonderful. If they helped you in some way, let them know as much. Watch them light up. It’s a beautiful thing, and we could use a lot more of that (….oh, and more funding to do/make cool things duh)
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My heart finds favor in songwriting and arranging vocal harmonies. My most recent project was called The Hushabyes which consisted of myself, Rockyanne Bullwinkel, Caitlin Palmer, Evan Joyce, and Wilson Marks… and whoever else I could muster to perform with us. I am eternally grateful and proud of that band. It formed out of Covid isolation and bloomed periodically over the years. “The girls” (Rocky, Caitlin, and myself) formed a strong bond. I think we were all feeling unsettled and restless in different ways, and singing together healed little bits of broken pieces in us. It was a special era, and I will miss it very much.
I made the decision to move forward as a “solo” artist, but with the hope I could still collaborate with everyone. I don’t know what that will look like going forward, but I am excited to open up the space around me in order to move a bit more freely. I have a record coming out this year… looking like November if everything goes as planned. I made it with a lot of beautiful people including the aforementioned talents… and many more.
All the magic went down over at Ramble Creek Recording Studio with Britton Beisenherz. He had previously mastered our Hushabyes EP ‘Music Box,’ and I fell in love with his studio. He is an absolute joy to work with, and he believed in the songs. He even applied for a Sonic Guild producer’s grant on my behalf after realizing it would take me a decade to pay everyone for their work. I’ve never had someone in his position be so in my corner. He is truly the Mickey to my Balboa.
I wrote and arranged all the vocals for this upcoming record on garageband via my iphone.
The songs always start out as three separate vocal parts and a janky guitar line. I typically turn up each harmony part in juxtaposition with the melody so they can hear their part in contrast with mine. So, the vocalists essentially receive three tracks.
First track: all three vocals equal volume
Second Track: their harmony turned up + my vocal turned down
Third Track: the other person’s harmony + my vocal
I feel like the third track is always the most helpful in learning. Singing your part (without it being played) is like looking down at an incomplete puzzle and then recognizing the missing piece based on its edges and curves. You’ll know instantly if it doesn’t fit. Does that make sense?
I typically only ever worry about the vocals and basic structure of a song whenever I write… because I know once those are solidified, I can hand it over to the people who are really going to give it that je ne sais quoi. Wilson Marks and Evan Joyce… I am looking at you. They are both extraordinary. If I do give them any direction, it is minimal. They both play their instruments so intuitively.
Oh, golly…. I’m probably best known for being an absolute mess. Organized chaos is what sets me apart. That, and my love for doo-wop harmonies.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Ha! You must know that I am a risk-averse person. I don’t know the economic terminology here, but I could probably stand to ride a few more roller coasters. I just prefer to have a back up plan should the ride go off course. I’m trying to take more risks as a musician, though those risks are small right now.
In this moment, a risk I am willing to take might look like asking someone I admire in the scene to collaborate with me.
Honestly, right now… I am worried about the risks of me staying up too late to finish this interview.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennycarsonmusic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennyelainecarson/
- Other: https://thehushabyes.bandcamp.com/album/music-box
