Los Angeles-based rising pop star, Jenny March, has a debut EP coming out that’s not just one to watch out for — it’s one you’re inevitably have endlessly on repeat in the coming days. Madness, due out March 19, is going to be a conglomerate of contemporary pop that oozes with nostalgia, thanks to ’80s- and ’90s-esque production and lyricism that emphasizes being true to yourself. The album follows up the single “All In,” which has popping synths, oh-so sweet harmonies and a chorus that’ll be stuck in your head for days on end. Her previously released single, “November Nights,” is a heartbreaking tale of how you can realize you’re in a toxic relationship yet still can’t find yourself wanting to get out of it. If you’re looking for infectious pop that has invaluable messages to share — so cathartic that you feel like you’re reading pages of a diary — look no further than March.
Play Too Much: Hey Jenny – thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. You are an up and coming pop star — for those unfamiliar with your work, can you give them a little insight to who you are as an artist?
Jenny March: Hey guys what’s up! My name’s Jenny March and I am an artist originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. I love listening to music that makes me feel like a rockstar so I make music in hopes to make you feel the same way. 🙂 My debut EP Madness will hopefully make you feel like the baddest bish because YOU ARE, but also show you that even the most confident people have demons and insecurities too and it’s OK to feel sad sometimes.
PTM: What about the 80’s 90’s inspires you and your music?
JM: The dancing, the style, the synths in the production, the drums, literally everything about it caught my attention at an early age and something about it has always made me feel so good. Madonna, Britney Spears, Missy Elliot, The Backstreet Boys are some of the artists that influenced me from that time period.
PTM: Tell us about your latest single “SCREAM” that will be released with the EP. What does it mean to you?
JM: “SCREAM” means a lot to me because it was written during quarantine after a period of time where I wasn’t finding any creative inspiration just because of everything going on in the world and I was feeling pretty down about myself. I was waiting and waiting for something to come along to make me feel better. I eventually got to the point where I started writing again, thanks to some friends, my boyfriend and my Wednesday Sessions that I started on Instagram and wrote “SCREAM”. It’s about searching for something to make you believe again and the feeling you get when you find it.
PTM: The “All In” music video is a fantastic tribute to the 1990’s — what about this track led you to choose this decade as its inspiration?
JM: Thank you! I wanted to show tribute not only with the song and video, but with 90s fashion head to toe, including hair and makeup. I always wanted to do a 90s styled music video and dance in it alongside background dancers, and the drop in “All In” just seemed perfect for that. When I was drawing up the mood board for the “All In” video, I just kept seeing the 90s video I had always envisioned, but with a Jenny twist to it.
PTM: You worked with Colton Tran on the “All In” video — how did that come about and what was that experience like?
JM: Colton and I have actually known each other for years through mutual friends (he’s the sweetest ever) and I randomly ran into him one night at an outdoor restaurant in Studio City during quarantine. We caught up for a few minutes and I told him I was about to start looking for directors for my upcoming music video. He told me to send him the track and what ideas I had for it, so I sent it over and he loved it! We figured out the details, made the treatment, and found a sick location. He took my vision and enhanced it beautifully. It’s by far my favorite music video I’ve done because of how fun, easy going and smooth it went.
PTM: “All In” and “November Nights” are both fierce but vastly different videos — how did the process change for you from one to the other?
JM: Two totally different videos and two totally different experiences. Some videos are tougher to film than others and you may not have the best experience doing it, but in the end you gotta make it work. When I went into preparing the “All In” video, I made sure everyone was on board with the plan and that we had a clear shot list. I had barely any time to get the shots I wanted for the “November Nights” video and we ran into a lot of other issues, so it was a much more stressful shooting and editing process.
PTM: What led you to start the Wednesday Sessions on your Instagram? What’s been the overall reception of them?
JM: When COVID-19 happened and we all had to go into lockdown, I felt anxious and frustrated because, I’m sure like a lot of people, was excited for 2020 and the things I had planned to do that year, and when it didn’t happen I felt down and unmotivated. I started to think of some things that I could do that would make me feel good and help other artists that might be feeling the same way and created Wednesday Sessions. It was an outlet for creatives to perform and talk about their music and how quarantine was affecting them and the feedback I got was beyond what I was accepting. I found out a lot of people were feeling the exact same way I was and that the sessions helped some of them get their inspiration back too. Pretty cool shit 🙂 Haha
PTM: Are there any particular artists that you’ve had on the show that had a significant impact on you or your music?
JM: Honestly all of the artists have had a significant impact on me. Each one has inspired me in different ways.. from listening to their music, to learning about the ways they create music and to hear how COVID was affecting them. It was really cool being on the other side of things too, like you guys, interviewing artists, but also awesome to be able to give them a space to sing songs and be introduced to a new following, even if it isn’t that much. Lol
PTM: Speaking of collaborations, you are now an ambassador for SavagexFenty — talk a bit about how that came about and what your experience has been like so far?
JM: Basically they hit me up in my DMs on Instagram and asked if I wanted to be an ambassador and I was like ‘HELL YEAH! I just bought some lingerie from y’all yesterday, can you give me my money back?’ LOL No I’m just kidding I didn’t say that, BUT I did say don’t send me this and that because I already own it. Hahah I’m obsessed with everything Rihanna so it’s been amazing to collaborate with them. My boyfriend doesn’t care for lingerie, but I wear SavagexFenty anyway because it makes ME feel sexy and confident.
PTM: Has your love of fashion influenced you as an artist or in how you present your music?
JM: I give thanks to my mom for my love of fashion. It’s something I’ve always been around, shopping with my mom when I was a kid, trying on all of her shoes and doing solo runway shows in the hallways of our house. Fashion is definitely another way I express myself. I have so many different styles depending on my mood or where I’m going. I style myself for all my shoots. I find it so fun and invigorating!
PTM: Your vibrant style carries over into your sound — how do you approach working intimate lyrics into your music style?
JM: Thanks so much! I try to be as detailed as possible with whatever experience I’m writing about and that tends to get the most intimate lyrics out into my style.
PTM: Can we speak a bit about what your songwriting process is like?
JM: I have always liked to start with melodies first because it’s always been the first thing that has caught my attention. I constantly write lyric ideas in my notes on my phone and I’ll pull from them if it goes with what I’m writing about and work it around the melodies I’ve started. I will usually start playing some chords on the piano and then add a bassline and drums and continue writing.
PTM: What message do you hope your listeners take away from your music?
JM: BE yourself, follow YOUR dreams, do things that make YOU feel confident and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. You are powerful!
PTM: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us — is there anything else you’d like to add?
JM: Go stream my debut EP Madness out [March 19]!!! You can follow me, dm me on all social media at @jennymarchmusic Let me know how you like the EP. If you’re reading this, thank you 🙂
