Right About Now with Ryan Alford - Jenna Andrews - Grammy-nominated Songwriter, Host, Publisher, Executive and Vocal Producer.

Episode Date: January 25, 2022

Welcome to another episode on The Radcast! In this episode on The Radcast, host Ryan Alford talks with Jenna Andrews, Grammy-nominated Songwriter, Host, Publisher, Executive and Vocal Producer.In this episode of The Radcast, Jenna talks about her music influences, when she realized that she had the talent to write music and the time when she decided to take on the path of becoming a songwriter. Jenna also discussed the difference between a record label artist and a songwriter/producer. She also talks about how her publishing company ‘Twentyseven Music’ started. Her most memorable experience writing songs for famous artists, and fondest moments writing songs for the Korean pop group BTS, and more...Learn more about Jenna: https://www.thejennaandrews.com/  Follow her accounts on Instagram and Twitter: @thejennaandrewsIf you enjoyed this episode of The Radcast, let us know by visiting our website www.theradcast.com. Check out www.theradicalformula.com Like, Share and Subscribe on our YouTube account https://bit.ly/3iHGk44 or leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Be sure to keep up with all that’s radical from @ryanalford @radical_results @the.rad.cast If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, join Ryan’s newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE.  Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding.  Learn more by visiting our website at www.ryanisright.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel  www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford. 

A couple years later, funny enough, I put a song on MySpace that then got me a record deal at Def Jam. Writing with other artists was sort of something that I never thought about, but amazing for me. And then I just, you know, it was one of those things that you don't plan for that became your life. And I was like, oh, I'm just going to roll with the punches. All the way from Dynamite, obviously the Buttered Permission to Dance, to like, you know, the remix of Savage Love. Like all this stuff that we've done together to this point has been really seamless and very collaborative. You're listening to the Radcast. If it's radical, we cover it. Here's your host, Ryan Alford. Hey guys, what's up? It's Ryan Alford. Welcome to the latest edition of the Radcast.

We're going down the entertainment and music avenue again this afternoon, my friends. I've got a super talented singer, Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, vocal producer. So many titles, I can't even keep my head on straight. Jenna Andrews, what's up? Hi, how are you? I'm great. I'm awesome. I'm feeling like dynamite and butter all in one. Oh, my God.

I love that. Oh, pleasure to have you on the show. And congrats on all the success so far this year and the last couple of years. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. I know it's been a bit of a whirlwind and all of us navigating the pandemic and some of us having banner years even in spite of that. So it's just great to see all your success. Yeah, yeah.

It's definitely been an interesting couple of years just in the sense that, you know, obviously as people, it's been, it's something that, you know, we never thought we'd have to go, go through. But as for my career, it's been, you know, the best two years for my career life. So it's been a very interesting time for me. It's been interesting. I've talked to a lot of creative artists and different things here in the last few months. And everybody knows that the time period has been challenging in a lot of ways. But it seems like for some of the true artists that have had time maybe to spend longer on certain things, I don't know if that's been true for you, you know, with, you know, having to somewhat be

apart, but maybe getting you in your zone. I don't know if that's had an impact on you with having, you know, be able to focus better. I don't know. Well, I think, yeah, I mean, for me, it's, I think it was definitely that. But then in the very beginning of the pandemic, when my song Super Lonely came out, that was actually written before the pandemic. So that was, you know, that was very, very lucky in the sense that it became,

you know, the pandemic song is something that really, you know, help cheer people up in the beginning, you know? So that was a really cool feeling, but other than that, like,

you know, obviously all the BTS stuff and all, you know, the rest of the stuff that's come out during this time has been made in a pandemic and that's yeah really just because there's so much more time to like focus and have a different type of process to be able to you know for me just be able to zone like you said zone in go in for hours not feel like you have to go anywhere which was really nice yep well let's uh we're gonna i know we'll build back to uh you know the work with bts and other artists and some of the songwriting hits you've had but maybe let's start from the beginning or uh you know wherever you want to take us but i want to give everybody you know kind of the jenna andrew story

a bit and you know your your journey you your journey, you know, into the field. Yeah. I mean, what do you want me to start? Oh, you start where it's natural. Like, well, I mean, I want, you know, I want to build towards, you know, the, the business of music and how it's changed with streaming and writing and all those things. But I'd love for them to know just kind of like your journey, you know, I don't know, you start from wherever it makes sense for, you know, I guess your love of music and everything else. Well, yeah.

I mean, I started when I was a kid, like literally when I was five. My parents bought me like this little piano and I just taught myself how to play. And that was kind of a thing where they were like, oh, I guess it's your musical. Do you want to, you know, pursue this? I think for them, like they were never pressuring it on me. It was something that I wanted to do. So, I mean, from a young kid, I just always was in every lesson possible, whether it be piano or vocals or dance or whatever it was.

And so this has been a part of my life since the beginning. And then when I was about to graduate high school in grade 12 um i met a concert promoter because a lot of the like i would i was just always sort of a hustler trying to get on as you know in any way i could so i and i was from calgary canada um which doesn't have a lot going on so a lot of the artists that would come in i would just you know ask the promoter if i could sell tickets to open the show and basically um one of the promoters introduced me to a producer that I then moved to Vancouver to work with. And that was when I first got my, you know, first production deal. And then, uh, a couple of years later, funny enough, I put a song on MySpace that then got

me a record deal at Def Jam. And then, you know, the story continues. Yes. I heard MySpace in there. It's like, I know. I love it. Yes. I feel like I'm dating myself, you know, like the original music social media platform, you know, before TikTok or Facebook or anything else. So talk about, you know, the transition. I mean, I know it's, I mean, are you still producing your own music? I mean, like you're still doing, you know, the transition. I mean, I know it's, I mean, are you still producing your own music? I mean, like you're still doing, you're writing, you're doing all those things. But obviously you found a niche with, you know, vocal production and writing. You know, what's that transition or balance of those things of being your own artist versus writing for others? What's that been like?

of being your own artist versus writing for others what's that been like well for me like when i you know i was signed to def jam for like seven years and when i left the label i think for me i was definitely signed right on the cusp of when all the streaming stuff really you know started in terms of like spotify and mostly spotify in terms of like that, you know, kind of like you said, changing what the industry is now. I mean, it's so much different than even when it first started, obviously. But anyway, I think for me, you know, it was weird being signed for seven years and only putting out, I put out one song in an EP and one mixtape in like seven years, which is people put out in a month now you know so um so i think coming off the label i just all i was just so hungry to just put out music and have all the songs on my hard drive release so i think you know writing with other artists was sort of something that i never thought about but but amazing for me because i was like oh my god these songs get to come out

in the world i love this um and then i just you know it was one of those things that you don't plan for that became your life and i was like oh i'm just gonna roll with the punches you know that thing yep what uh what's uh as far as your own stuff like what are your highlights like when you like how would you classify your your your music i mean what what genre seem like it covered a few different genres i mean definitely in the r&b land and i you know i grew up into a lot of r&b so for me um it's like you know i mean r&b soul pop um i definitely categories it like that i mean my own artist stuff when i was putting it out sort of had like a little bit of like Massive Attack or Portishead as well, Billie Holiday. But I'm actually doing like some artist stuff right now with the guy that one of the guys that I wrote Butter with, Stephen Kirk.

We have an artist project we're working on that's definitely like more R&B leaning. So that's exciting. That's cool. I love it. And Massive Attack rings a bell with me. That was my jam back in the day i still enjoy it but like had a lot of that on like vinyl and different things oh yeah so uh let's talk about um you know writing and working you know with bts and

you know k-pop's at least for me like I know it's not come out of nowhere, but it like seems like it for me who's not necessarily plugged in to every, you know, mainstream thing. I was like, it seems like it wasn't a thing, and now it's like taken over the world. What's that process been like, you know, working with them and writing with them? I mean, it's been amazing.

They're just such, um, like they're so easy to work with and they're so talented and it's, honestly, it's been some of the best music and some of the best like experiences that I've had working with artists ever, just cause like, you know, as much as it's been in a pandemic and we, I haven't met them or been able to see them because a lot of the work we've done actually is over WhatsApp and all the notes that we send back and forth each other but

they've been really like amazing about trying my ideas and you know being very collaborative um so that was a really cool experience for me and like you know all the way from dynamite obviously a buttered permission to dance to like you know the remix of savage love like all the stuff that we've done together to this point has been really seamless and very collaborative what's what's the music business like these days like what's if you were to describe it you know like it seems so much i i know it's always been more complicated than people that just listen to music realize but it just seems so layered now. We talked about the streaming, but the fact of how many people are involved in a single album

or a single song, it just seems so dynamic and so complex. Am I overcomplicating it or is it truly that dynamic? No, it definitely is that dynamic. I mean, it doesn't have to be but i think you know obviously i think because we have access to so much today in terms of what you can add like just on the production side and things like that that's definitely plays a part but also um i think it's a lot to do with like you know you may have an idea with a certain group of people. Let's say like I write it with one person and one producer, one writer, and we have a song and then you bring it to the artist. And the artist is like, oh, I have my person that I want to bring in that brings my flavor. And then that person comes in and like, so it's more about like, you know, it's case by case. But in that situation, a lot of times, like the artist wants to bring their, you know, their sound into what the song is.

So sometimes that ends up adding more people. But really, I mean, that's a good thing for me. I think whatever takes the song to a place that it needs to be. I never I don't care how many people are on the song. Right. What who are your biggest musical influences? a song right what who are your biggest musical influences i mean honestly like like growing up my biggest musical influences were like brandy and mariah carey how all you know go ahead it was probably brandy, Mariah Carey, and Billie Holiday. Because, like, Billie Holiday, just her heart and, like, you know, you just felt everything that she would sing about.

And I think, like, the emotional side of listening to her music was so, like, it would just take you over. I love just driving and listening to her music. So that's something that really influenced like the way that I think about emoting in a song, if that makes sense. You know, like it just, it's just, I don't know. There's something that's just so, and obviously her life was so crazy. I don't know if you saw the movie that recently came out, but that it was just, it was amazing.

With Andrew Day, did you see that? Yes, I did. Amazing. Oh, so crazy. I didn't know that story, so I kind of went into it blind. I didn't know the story to that level. Yeah, I mean, it was pretty crazy. I mean, it just makes you, I love how much like that's the way that I, I mean,

obviously not the pain that she had to go through, but I feel like with music when you can listen to somebody's like pain through their music and it's just like, you don't know anything about them. That's pretty crazy. You know, like it's just, it's, it translates. That's what the craziest thing about music is. It is. It's the emotion. I mean, translate just that's what the craziest thing about music is it is it's the emotion i mean i grew up in a musical family and it's it plays such a huge part in our i don't know a human dynamic of you know it takes people from good moods or bad moods to good moods from sad to happy to you know

sometimes it takes you from to a sad place but it's not a bad place necessarily. And it's amazing that the power that music has on us as people. I know, exactly. It's so true. Do you enjoy the business? I mean, is it as cutthroat as ever, or has it gotten better? Is it like, do people play nice i mean it's definitely like you know as politically speaking it's definitely the same um you know i don't i don't necessarily enjoy that aspect of it just because i feel like you know music business

is such a oxymoron you know it's just so just so, it's like there's such a creative aspect. And obviously there has to be a business aspect. But that part can be, it's not always hard, but it can be hard and challenging just because, you know, you make this baby in such a pure way. And then you see it go out in the world and there's all these, like, you know, potentially corrupt things around it. So it's hard in that sense but you know I mean it's also it can be fun because it can be a game you know like playing the right and things like that I like it I like it so Jenna talk to me about like the songwriting process and like you know the marriage between artists and songwriting, like, you know, I imagine certain

artists come to you, you know, for songwriting help, but are you, you know, constantly like toying with ideas and then, you know, maybe you or your team shopping songs to different artists talk, what's that process like? No, it's definitely like that. Um, however, I think in today's world, you know, like it's so much about the visual aspect and the narrative of what an artist is trying to say in their story. So a lot of times, you know, it's becoming more songs that, you know, you're writing with the artists or developing with the artists in terms of, you know, creating their story along with just like the song. You know, obviously that does exist to be able to pitch a song. You know, for example, Butter be able to pitch a song. For example, Butter was that. But I mean, I'd already worked on Dynamite and sort of really gotten to know the guys

and really understand their voices and stuff. So in writing Butter, that was something that was super conscious when writing all the lyrics and certain melodies and just the way that they would phrase things. Like that was something that I feel like was in my, you know, all of our heads in writing this. But it's also tailored for a great song. Does that make sense? I think that it's not just like as easy as now to being like, oh, there's a great song. It's just like send it to a bunch of artists.

Like it's less like that in today's world today. Yeah, that makes sense. So who's who's been your favorite artist to work with oh my god that's so who's your favorite baby who's your favorite best friend i don't know if i have a favorite i i love so many of the different artists for different reasons you know what i mean it's like it's so hard to choose. Is it? But it isn't just about the numbers, but the sheer volume of downloads and listens, I'm sure with BTS, what's happened with Dynamite and Butter

and other songs, that's got to take a life of its own, I'm sure. I mean, I'm so grateful for the opportunity. And I feel like that's, you know, obviously something that's just completely changed my life. But, you know, I think every journey is like something that I feel like will be in the memory bank forever, you know. And I think like when I think of different artists that I've worked with or different times in my life or what it's represented, I feel like it's so special at that time. So I think that's why it makes it harder to choose. transition to that you know any uh insights or artists that you'll be working with or anything that you can uh shed light on that might be you know happening in real time these days like that i'm working with now yeah or just stuff that might be coming or people you're talking to

like you know no guarantees but is there uh i'm trying to get you to break some just some breaking news here on the radio I mean no I'm working with a bunch of new artists you know so I'm working with this artist Jessie Murph you know we put out a song called Sobriety last month and that's really exciting she's an amazing artist super talented

and you know EPing her project which is really cool there's another friend of mine Blue Da Tiger who's also amazing great bass player I've been like working a lot with her. We actually have a song coming out Thursday called Blondes that we did with like Teddy Geiger and you know, Scott Harris and Explicit. And, and then just like a bunch of different artists, you know, I mean, that's something that I i'm just like i love working with new artists and help developing them um i have a song on the j-lo movie that's coming out and on valentine's day next year with owen wilson i think it i think it

opens the movie so that should be fun um and a bunch of a couple of little projects that i can't talk about yeah but are really exciting oh very cool and you kind of said it there but give us a name give us an artist like you know not like a not i want to i want to like a prognostication here like not that you know they're a pet project like something you really like but maybe not be mainstream who's give me a mainstream uh someone that's going to be big that we may not know you You got a name for us? I think Jessie Murph, for sure. Yeah. So that's the name. Love her.

All right, cool. I haven't heard of her. I'd heard of a couple of the artists you'd written for, but I haven't heard of that one. Yeah, she's amazing. You should definitely check her out. You'll love her. What's the style?

What kind of, I mean, the R&B? Is it, you know? It's like a mix between like, it's like a mix between like it's like yeah it's like a mix between like post malone and billy eilish oh sign me up to i i'm not afraid i mean those are two two of my favorites i mean that's as mainstream as it gets these days but you'll find them in my playlist uh when i'm working out or something like that. So I love that. Let's talk about the green room. I know it's a passion project for you and something that's really important

with what's going on in today's environment and stuff in society and stuff. So what can you tell us about the green room? I mean, I started the green room because I feel like talking about mental health is very important. And I've dealt with anxiety, you know, for as long as I can remember. And, you know, it definitely, in my opinion, as much as it can be a burden in life, it really helps your music. And I think it's, you know, in every session I talk about mental health to some extent with, you know, whether it's my music or other artists' music. Like, you know, the talking point is so therapeutic in, in building the song. It really

builds a relationship with the artist or with yourself. You know, if it was my project and I was talking to a producer about what I'm going through, it's like, you know, you go through that therapeutic journey to find what eventually becomes the song. So I was like, wouldn't it be cool for people to see like you know their artists they look up to or whatever that may be talk about something similar that they're going through and would you know make them feel more human and less alone and I you know and obviously during the quarantine was a time that felt really you know appropriate more appropriate than ever to start something like that because everyone was so isolated so um you know started it in the beginning of 2020 and you know i called the jet foundation

which uh is a non-profit for mental health love them i've done stuff with them before and obviously they really like the idea so they provided therapists to be on every episode so it's been really cool because there's actually real support and we're just building it at every episode that we go um you know so there's sometimes if you know there was just building it at every episode that we go. Um, you know, so there's sometimes if, you know, there was like a life coach on one, there was a, you know, guided meditation. So it's not always necessarily a therapist now, but somebody that can sort of speak to whatever the topic is. So that's, so that's been a really cool thing. You know, I've probably done over 20 episodes and continue to do so. And I just want to grow,

you know, awareness for mental health. That's amazing. And it's I just want to grow, you know, awareness for mental health. That's amazing. And it's really cool that, you know, that you've got passion on it and you're bringing that to life. And it's, I think it's really important that people are becoming more comfortable talking about it because it was so, I don't know, I think it was something that everyone's, almost everyone is either struggle with or know someone to struggle with it. But yet, I don't know, there was this, there's an acceptability that's becoming more mainstream that i think is really great and really important yeah what's uh the uh you got time for we do a little segment called rad or fad i give you a keyword and you tell me rad or fad okay so what does that mean rad means what's rad mean no no no what does fad mean oh fad it's kind of a fad like may not be here to stay like it's a fad okay you know like or you

could take it as rad or bad okay okay uh first one the metaverse rad or fad oh my god i don't even know what do you think oh i think it's it's gonna be rad but it's fad right now i don't know i mean facebook's changing their name to meta i mean I mean, you know, like. I know. I agree with you on that. Yeah, I know. Space travel. It seems to be all the talk with all the. Oh, rad. Okay.

All right. You'd like to go to space? I think that would be so fun. When I was a kid, every time I would do talent shows, and I have like video of this, it's so funny. They're like, what do you want to be when you grow up? And I'd be like either an astronaut, a lawyer, or a singer. Hey, well, you found one of them. Maybe you could be a singer in space.

Otherwise, I'd be in space right now. But it is interesting to me. Mom jeans, rad or fad? Oh, actually, mom jeans are kind of rad. I'm not going to lie. If you wear them right they're kind of cute not gonna lie yes yes yes uh and finally tiktok oh see tiktok's like rad and fad because i love i love it but then like when you have to do it

yourself and like it's just like you have to find your sort of identity without sort of feeling like you're just kind of jumping onto something you know that part I think is kind of like fad but I love her I think TikTok's been really great in ways to you know in in certain ways you know obviously to break songs and and fad in the sense that it doesn't necessarily break artists and that's really hard unless you really find the right way to do it you know so and there's ways to break songs it's all strategy as much as you have this platform you really find the right way to do it. You know, so and there's ways to break songs. It's all strategy. As much as you have this platform, you have to you still have to be strategic with it.

So it's a tough one because it's not TikTok itself. I think it's more rad than fad. How about that? There you go. I like it. That might be the most eloquent way I've heard anyone. I throw the TikTok one in there. And it's, you know, it's probably to be fair to

TikTok it's probably past way past being a fad so it's probably not fair but it's interesting everyone seems to be it's a little polarizing because and I think you you summed it up perfectly you can't just jump on it easily you know like with Instagram you know a little selfie throw a story up you don't think about it and then, if you're not like editing it properly, doing it properly, it just doesn't come off right. Exactly, exactly. No, it's cool. Jenna, I really appreciate your time. I want to tell everybody where they can keep up with all things Jenna Andrews, The Green Room.

Where can everyone follow along with, with all these great things you're doing? Well, my, my, like my social media is just the Jenna Andrews across the board. And then for the green room, it's the green room talks. Sweet. That's easy enough. Yeah. The Jenna Andrews and the green room talks. Sweet. I love it. I really appreciate your openness and coming on. And I dig that hat more than anything. Yay! Thank you. I dig your style. I mean, it's cool. We didn't even talk about your influences there, but you've got a unique style. I love it.

Oh, thank you so much. Well, I really appreciate having you on. Hey, guys, you know where to find us. We're at theradcast.com. Search for Jenna Andrews. Search for The the green room it's all there you know where to find me i'm at ryan off on all platforms we'll see you next time on the radcast