Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I hail from Lubbock, Texas, a city full of live music. I often get asked what it is about Lubbock that creates such a vibrant music and art scene. Some say it’s because there’s nothing else to do but sit around picking a guitar. I’m sure that has something to do with it. Is it what made me want to start a career in music? Perhaps. My mom says I’ve been singing since before I could even speak. Music is in my soul. I’ve tried other careers – more “stable” avenues – but my heart always led me back to music. I’m just lucky to be able to do it as a “job.” And I work hard to continue to do so.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: This morning I am listening to Seth James. I saw him live at the famous Gruene Hall just yesterday, and I’m in love with is voice and style. I love to support my fellow Texas musicians. We have a really great community here in the Texas Music scene, and I’m honored to be a part of it, and I want to help foster it however I can. On the road this weekend I was listening to The Police, Neil Young, Heart, and so many other greats on the Classic Vinyl satellite radio station. My likes span multiple genres.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Jenni Dale Lord’?
A: My first influence was Reba McEntire. She is still one of my favorites. As I grew up, I learned to love musicals and fell in love with Barbra Streisand. Then Etta James and Ani DiFranco snuck in there somewhere around college. I’d say those are my top four influences. As for ‘Jenni Dale Lord,” well, that’s my name. People do ask me if that’s a stage name, but it’s not. I always hated my middle name until my twenties came around, and a dear friend of mine started calling me Jenni Dale. I guess it grew on me.
Q: You have just released your new album ‘In the Dance’. Is there a story behind it?
A: I had just put out ‘Sometimes a Girl Needs the Blues” in June of 2020. Around that time, a dear friend of mine, Cindy, was diagnosed with brain cancer and wasn’t expected to live. She asked me to write her a song, so I did. It was “In the Dance.” I knew there wasn’t a lot of time to get it recorded for her, so I hurried as quickly as I could. I wanted her to hear my full vision of multiple singers, including Lubbock Legend Kenny Maines and some of her favorites like the girls from HoneyHouse. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it in time. But she did get to hear it acoustic – just me and my guitar. By October, she passed away, but since I had already started recording her song, I decided to go ahead and move forward with a new album. The songs on the album are mostly centered on the theme of living life to the fullest – a theme which she brought forth with her tragic diagnosis and untimely loss. So even though the album is technically called “In the Dance,” we also call it “Cindy’s album.” We took two years to make it, and I think it shows. I couldn’t be prouder.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: My least favorite questions are “what is your sound” or “what kind of music do you play?” It’s so hard to describe. If you took country, rock, blues, folk, singer-songwriter, a handful of other microgenres and put them all in a blender, what would you get? Americana? I’m not country enough for Country radio, I’m not blues enough for Blues radio, I’m not rock enough for Rock radio, etc, etc, etc. All I know is I write what comes out, what needs to come out of me. More often than not, my songs come from my heart, from a deep place inside of me that has something to say for some reason. I’ve been told my songs are relatable, and that makes me happy. Music is cheaper than therapy, I’ve always said.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: Of course I have goals. Is there something more I want from the “career” side of being a musician? Absolutely. I’d love to have more open doors, less sleepless nights, someone to drive me around the country. When someone runs out on stage to hand me a perfectly tuned guitar between songs, I will know that I’ve “made it.” Until then, I get to wake up every day, play shows every night, fill my heart with joy making music with great bandmates, record albums, write songs, and do it again and again and again. It is fulfilling. It is success.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: I usually write a song when my emotions and state of mind are inspired. I feel an idea come about, sit down with my guitar, and write the song top to bottom. Maybe I start with the first line and go from there. Maybe I have a title or hook in mind, then see if I can turn it into a story. But it’s definitely a linear process. I’m not one of those who writes prolifically. It’s definitely more of a burst of inspiration sort of thing.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: I’m pretty sure I’ve checked off all the boxes for tragedies needed to inspire country songs, so to list the difficulties from the history of my life seems unnecessary. As far a the music career goes though, it’s mostly just the usual ones – getting your foot in the door, dealing with sexism, keeping a band together. Learning to roll with the punches is the best thing one can do in this business – heck, do in life.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: One of the proudest moments of my career thus far has been singing a duet with Joe Ely. Having that on my resume feels really, really good.
