I recently found out that vocalist Jenna G was visiting my hometown of Valparaiso, Indiana (near Chicago), so I was keen to find out what the heck was she doing in the Hoosier land of cornfields and basketball hoops. Thankfully, Jenna was all class and amicably eased my curiosity...

K: So what brings you to Chicagoland (in Valparaiso of all places)?

J: I'm in the States spending long over due time with my amazing friend and their gorgeous family. She’s been trying to get me out for a while, but with work and life its not been doable until now. So grateful to be here, I'm having the best time - Valparaiso (Indiana) is a really lovely place.

K: True indeed. So who were your early influences musically?

J: I mean what’s early? Like formative years? When you’ve had music as a staple in your home and family from day one, when exactly are they? 😛 Truly, there's so many cause I've been alive a while - as a kid definitely Prince, Madonna, Thin Lizzy, Diana Ross…. but then as a teenager Pearl Jam, Bjork, Ella Fitzgerald, Lauryn Hill, Basement Jaxx, Prodigy…so much stuff…it never ends. 😛

K: Do you play any instruments, produce or DJ?

J: I do all of those things - some more frequently than others and with varying degrees of capability. Being a freelance creative, I've found myself a jack of most trades but only a master of some…probably only one. 🙂

K: What would be the one?

J: Survival.

K: What is your favorite genre to sing/perform?

J: You know I couldn’t pick just one. I'm lucky enough to been involved with a variety of projects that has me singing all kinds of stuff outside my artistic wheel house. As long as I've been an artist, it’s amazing to still be trying new things I didn’t think I was capable of. Shouts to The Untold Orchestra and my Les Mis moment at The Bury Proms. 😛

K: How did you get your start in DNB?

I loved the music first, Incredible - M-Beat ft. General Levy, Inner City Life was on Top Of The Pops '94 - I was 14  - I remember thinking, "Huh, what's this music? It's dancehall/jazz/hip-hop/soul/club music. Look at the black people on the screen, not americanized. What is this? I wanna know more. 

I was already singing but this was where I felt more comfortable, that mish mash of influences was so in line with my musical upbringing and inspo. The rest, as they say, is history.

K: How do you compare your experience of Drum'N'Bass in The States vs. UK?

J: Honestly I don’t know - I've only performed here twice in 20 years. Once in the LA Olympic Stadium and the other time again in LA but no stadium….I don’t think….I've met US ravers and they're different, obviously, because they’re American - that’s about all I could say! LOL

K: Who are your favourite vocalists, DJs, producers and musicians to work with?

J: Again a question with so many answers - my favourite thing to do is play with people who love their craft and performing as much as I do. I'm soooooo lucky throughout my career to have had the pleasure and privilege to create and perform with some of the most talented and best humans out there. Will always be grateful to have done and continue to do this.

K: Where is your favourite place to play and with whom (since you've been a part of many collaborations and played multiple venues).

J: I have a tourist souvenir of the Roman amphitheatre in Pula. I bought it in the airport the day after the debut Outlook orchestra show 20 Years of Sound System Culture. It's the only souvenir I have of a building I've played in….such an honour to be included in that show. I still pinch myself at that line up (Dawn Penn, Horace Andy, Ruby Wood, D Double E, Jehst….Madness indeed - Singing my own song with a massive orchestra in place where people used to fight lions for entertainment - - that was epic!

Other gigs close to my heart woud be Marky and Friends in Sao Paolo, 2006 - quite simply the most famous I've ever felt (LOL). Osaka, Triangle Club with The Qemists…that show was wild - like climbing the walls wild. <3

K: Any favourite tracks, albums/LPs/EPs or recommended listening for your fans?

J: This is gonna be a long one cause im always listening to new stuff, even if its only new to me.. I have my all time favourites: Prince - Purple Rain, Erykah - Baduizm Live, Thin Lizzy - Vagabonds Of The Western World, Pearl Jam - Ten, but that list ebbs and flows with the years.

Currently I'm obsessed with Bob Vylan, kinda all my favourite British music genres in one - saw them live finally at Boomtown this year in a double headline with Grove - praise the live lords, that was a great show. Brittany Howard's What Now album released earlier this year, wow…just wow, saw them live in Manchester this year with Nate James on drums, what a musical blessing.

Hans Zimmer - Interstellar soundtrack, Han Zimmer period. Seen him live at the United Centre with my dearest friend whilst visiting Chicago, she’s been listening to him from her Uni days and she put me onto him back then….what an experience live or playback, we completely geeked out on the makings of it, how they did this or made that sound. I enjoy these kind of conversations inspired by the connection in sounds.

Music to me on every level (is) such a spiritual thing. I inherited my Dad's vinyl collection when he passed, a lifetime of curation, it is beautiful to to keep him with me this way - so I'm currently going broke for vinyl, the nostalgia, the ritual of play, that physicality of sound. I love choosing records in bargain boxes from the feel the cover art gives me LOL…. I bought some vinyl from an antiques store when I was in Indiana - Bobbi Humphrey's Blacks & Blues was my best buy, I can’t get enough of this Blue Note classic I'd never heard of, that was in a friggin' bargain bin! Go check it and all the above - your welcome 🙂

K: LOL. What are your current and future musical/art projects?

J: I've very much enjoyed being part of the Fabio & Grooverider/Outlook Orchestra shows these past 2 years - next year we’re playing the Royal Albert Hall in London…pretty big for a girl from Fallowfield. 🙂

Musically, I'm always performing and curating in my hometown (Manchester). I'm about to be an Artistic Director for the first time, working with an amazing team on the opening ceremony of Womex 2024 here in Manchester. I'm enjoying using the eclectic skill set my 20-odd years career has given me off the stage and hope to do more projects like this.

K: Good to know.

J: I'm gonna get my album back online at some point also…its being remastered and sage’d then it will available for your streaming pleasure…but maybe not on Spotify….fuck those guys and all that invested in them.

K: That's good news. What is the one thing your fans don't know about you, but should?

J: I struggle to take people seriously who use the expression 360 when they mean 180.

K: We just lost Randall. Did you ever have the opportunity to work with him?

J: I didn't, unfortunately, but he was some of my favourite tapes from the old skool tape packs. Alot of people I care deeply for were very close with him and their loss is what I feel for, he was their friend, companion, supporter, mentor. So much in DNB just wouldn’t be what it is if he was never here. RIP to a foundation of this incredible scene.