Jenna Andrews Wants to Get You Into Bed

The word sultry can evoke a number of images, from a look given by someone from across a table, or across a room, to a woman in a dress knowing everything she has and working it as such. In the case of Jenna Andrews, sultry is the perfect description for her voice. On her latest single, “Kiss and Run,” even when she’s singing about how she’d prefer you to not be there in the morning, it’s being done in a way that makes you want to stay all night. To paraphrase an LMFAO hit, Jenna Andrews makes music that is sexy and she knows it.

With her Kiss and Run EP scheduled to be released next week, I caught up with the songstress with the sultry vocals to find out more about her, and her work. Andrews also discussed her recent trip to France that found her in a castle owned by Sting’s manager, and the influence she hopes Kiss & Run will have on listeners, specifically in the bedroom.

Adam Bernard: A lot of your work has a very Portishead / Sade kind of vibe. How did you grow into this sound, and what do you like most about writing and performing in this style?
Jenna Andrews: I grew up listening to Sade. My mom is a super big music fan, so I was lucky because it kind of just became a part of me. As far as the Portishead thing, I love European music and I’m very influenced by that. I went with a combination of everything and sort of made it my own thing. As far as writing and performing, there’s so much freedom in it. I feel like I can be me, and I have so many liberties. It feels like an escape for me.

Adam Bernard: Do you consider yourself an old soul?
Jenna Andrews: Oh yeah, totally. I grew up on so much old music, I think it was just meant to be. I was born to be an old soul {laughs}. I fell into it.

Adam Bernard: Are you old in other ways? Is there a dish of Werther’s Original somewhere in your house?
Jenna Andrews: {laughs} No. That’s so funny. Music is pretty much it. I’d like to say I’m young in every other way.

Adam Bernard: So you’re young, and you have an EP coming out on October 23rd titled Kiss and Run. What do you hope listeners take away from it?
Jenna Andrews: I wanted to say what all girls want to say, and I’m neurotic, and I think as girls we can all relate to being that way. I hope that guys can understand a little bit more about us listening to it, and girls can listen to it being like “this is what I go through and I feel like I’m not the only one.”

Adam Bernard: You mentioned being neurotic. I hear you’re a bit of a perfectionist, as well. With that in mind, what was the most difficult part of making this album?
Jenna Andrews: Never being able to settle. Wanting to always perfect it, and make it better, make it the best it can be. You work your whole life to put something out and you want to make sure that it’s exactly how you envision it, so during that process it’s like you’re always going back, second guessing, so I think that was challenging, just to finally say this is it, let’s put it in the bag and see what happens.

Adam Bernard: You also mentioned that hopefully girls will relate to it, and it’s what girls want to say, so do you really like to kiss and run, or are you totally leading all of us guys on with that song?
Jenna Andrews: I like to kiss and run. Definitely. Who doesn’t? I would definitely say I liked to kiss and run a few times in my life.


Adam Bernard: Speaking of kissing and running, it’s the fall, it’s getting colder out, you’re releasing an album that has a sensual vibe, how many babies do you expect to be made to this EP?
Jenna Andrews: That’s hilarious. That’s a great question, actually. I hope many babies are made from this album, honestly.

Adam Bernard: Do you hope they’re all named Jenna, even the boys?
Jenna Andrews: I don’t know if I want any of them to be named Jenna, that’s weird. It might be cool, but I definitely think there will be a lot of babies made to this. I kept that in mind while I was making it. Maybe I’ll make my own baby, one day, to it.

Adam Bernard: But that’s your own voice. Wouldn't that be a little disconcerting while it’s going on?
Jenna Andrews: Probably, but you never know.

Adam Bernard: It would be a great moment of ego.
Jenna Andrews: I know, right? It is a confident album. I’m kind of putting it all out there.

Adam Bernard: You have confidence now, but going back a bit, what has been the greatest hurdle you’ve had to overcome, either in music or in life?
Jenna Andrews: I’ve spent my life in a suitcase. Basically, the minute I graduated high school I took my suitcase and traveled around Canada and then found myself all over the US, and I think, to me, that’s been a huge hurdle, and it continues to be that, because I’m always faced with something different, and it’s always a challenge, but I think it’s exciting, as well.

Adam Bernard: Do you consider yourself as having roots?
Jenna Andrews: I don’t really know. I think in some way my roots are in Calgary, but only just because that’s where I was born. Other than that, no, I really don’t think I have specific roots anywhere because I’m a traveler at this point.

Adam Bernard: It’s the only way you’ve known, so it’s hard to compare it to anything else, but do you enjoy this, in terms of not having roots, in terms of everywhere sort of being home?
Jenna Andrews: There are days when I enjoy it and there are days that I don’t. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have some security and stability and be able to stay in one place and have some sort of constant familiarity, or whatever, but I don’t know, I have to say I really do go up and down with that. Obviously my decision is to stay in the suitcase and keep traveling for my dream and what I love, but I can’t say I don’t miss, or want, or someday may want, something a little bit more stable.

Adam Bernard: Have you had a moment yet where you’ve said “everything has been worth it. I’m making it.”
Jenna Andrews: Yeah, I think I have, especially being in New York City, which is where I live now. As a kid you dream “if I end up in New York, and I’m doing it New York, that’s pretty much it,” so I think oftentimes just walking the streets of New York thinking “I can’t believe I’m really here, doing what I love and making my dream happen,” for sure, there’s definitely moments of that because there’s such a magic in the air here.

Adam Bernard: Another place where you found some magic was on a recent trip to France. What were you doing over there and what was the experience like?
Jenna Andrews: Oh my God, it was like the most amazing experience of my life. Basically, ASCAP runs a writing camp, and we went to this castle in France, that’s where it is, it’s about a five hour drive from Paris, or a train ride. Sting’s manager owns the castle. I think about ten years ago they used to do this camp. Bon Jovi did it, a bunch of amazing artists did it, and ASCAP, last year, talked to Sting’s manager and decided to start this up again. They picked six artists, six producers, and six writers, to go to this castle in France and stay there for ten days and write songs. It was just an incredible experience.

Adam Bernard: Sounds awesome. Finally, since you are Canadian, I have to at least mention Degrassi.
Jenna Andrews: {laughs} I grew up on Degrassi. Degrassi is in my blood.

For more on Jenna Andrews, check out jennaandrewsworld.com.