Jen Janet does not want to be put into a box, and with her new single “Possession” and upcoming release “I Don’t Belong,” the singer is ready to prove that she doesn’t need to stick to one genre to make killer music.

A Massachusetts native, Janet began her love of all things entertainment and media as a child. From writing short stories and poems as a kid, and consuming all sorts of film, books and graphic novels throughout her teenage years, the singer soon began dabbling in creating music as a means of expression, leading to her 2017 debut EP, “Dangerous.”

As her first solo album, “Dangerous” showcased a lighter side of Janet, heavily influenced by pop and electronic music, giving fans an overview of her vocal range and general talent. But after realizing pop isn’t where her heart lies, Janet ventured into the world of the musical macabre, taking on the role of lead vocalist in heavy rock bands Novarium and Mimesis.

Now, three years later with several releases from her two bands under her belt, Janet is back in the studio to work on more solo music- this time taking her love of alternative and rock both to the mic and behind the camera.

With her newest single “I Don’t Belong” releasing this Friday, we were fortunate enough to chat with Janet about her new songs, her love of film, and what artists she’d love to tour with, in order to get a better picture of the artist behind the media.

Second Society Report:  First off, how are you doing? I know the world has been a bit turned upside down for the past few months, so I hope that you and your family/bandmates have been able to stay safe/healthy during this time!

Jen Janet: Thank you – so far so good. I use hand sanitizer a million times a day, but I’m doing alright. I’ve been able to spend more time indoors in my reclusive bedroom cave making music, so that’s ok with me.

SSR: Speaking of, how has quarantine impacted your writing/new releases? Do you think it’s helped or hindered your creativity?

JJ: At the beginning of the shelter in place I was not working, so I actually got a ton of work done on music. I wrote or finished something like six songs, recorded the vocals, and shot a music video. I thought I’d be going stir crazy but I actually didn’t, and I secretly loved being home all the time working on just music, or reading a book. I felt super productive and my mind was very clear. I was doing yoga a lot too, maybe that had something to do with it.

SSR: Did you have to rework any new music release plans as a result of the pandemic?

JJ: Not really. I was planning on releasing everything and working on my solo project remotely anyway. Most of the people I work with are in different parts of the country than I am. Currently I’m in California, and the producers I’ve worked with for “Possession” and “I Don’t Belong” are in New York and Rhode Island. Live music is put on hold of course, but my priority now is just making music, making videos, and hopefully being able to entertain people on the internet.

SSR: Now that you have one new song, “Possession,” out in the world, how are you feeling about it? How has the response from listeners been so far?

JJ: The response was really good. I come from mostly metal and progressive bands, so I wasn’t sure how people would feel about it. My solo project is much more “mainstream” sounding and is still rock, but it blends more electronic sounds than my previous projects I was involved in. There seems to be some crossover though – some people who really liked my previous bands have reached out to me and talked about “Possession.”

I’m really happy with what I am creating now so I am definitely going to continue with this type of sound, in this direction. 

SSR: On the 31st you release your next single “I Don’t Belong.” What was the inspiration behind that track?

JJ: The video and the initial inspiration for the lyrics are a bit different. I actually wrote the lyrics a few years ago at a very different point in my life than I am in now. A few years ago right after I graduated from college I ended up in a job that I thought I would like, but I really ended up hating it. I was also extremely underpaid, and the upper management did not really care or understand what the job day-to-day entailed. I also was spending time with people who I liked, and were very kind, but I felt like I just didn’t fit in most of the time. They weren’t “my people” if you know what I mean. Sometimes you just meet a group of friends and you just click, and you know that you’re going to get along really well. I just didn’t feel like I truly fit in, and I was trying to figure out where my life was going in many different ways.

Luckily I am in a very different place now and I’m very happy. But that time in my life I wrote this song to help myself feel better, kind of like a catharsis, letting it all out. The first part I wrote was the ending, with the “I Don’t Belong Here” acapella lyrics repeating over and over.

The video for “I Don’t Belong” is kind of the same, but takes a more financial angle. It’s about a character who wakes up everyday in the same place, she has a lot of bills to pay, it’s clear she’s not doing well, and she’s pretty hopeless. She ends up going out into the wilderness with a device that points to what you most want. She ends up finding an hourglass that she thinks will allow her to turn back time, presumably to when her life was a happier time. Throughout the video it also shows a more rich and beautiful version of her, the one she wants to become. I’m not going to give the ending away, but that’s the basic plot. It was my first music video that I fully directed, so it was really fun to work on. 

SSR: In 2017 you released your first solo EP “Dangerous,” which features prominent electronic/pop vibes- a complete 180 from “Possession” and your upcoming track “I Don’t Belong.” What inspired you to make the genre change? 

JJ: I really liked “Dangerous,” but as an artist it’s important to find what you love most and stick to it. Don’t try to be something you’re not. I realized I didn’t want to make that type of music in the long-term. I still like that style of music and I’d still be interested in maybe collaborating with people on things like that. But for who I am, being true to that, is more alternative music. I really like alternative pop and pop music that has a strange unique spin on it too. 

For now I’m going to stay in the alternative rock genre but I will most likely be adding more cinematic or unique instruments, and elements along the way. I definitely always want to be evolving and changing and I think as a songwriter that’s really important. I realized most of the music I truly love is music that always blends a bunch of genres together.

SSR: Speaking of heavier music, I know you are also the lead vocalist for two metal/rock bands- Mimesis and Novarium. Are both of those projects still active as you pursue more solo music?

JJ: Yes, both are very active right now. Mimesis actually just started writing what will become a trilogy of songs, or maybe more. We will also be doing lots of video content for it. Novarium just released our single “Virus” and the music video for it was very fun to be a part of.

SSR: How do you find time to balance between the three projects? 

JJ: I’m not going to lie, it is a bit difficult. I keep a well-maintained calendar and I am an organized person, so I try my best. Basically if I set a deadline for myself I just always have to make sure I really do stick to that deadline. 

I also try not to take on more things than I can, realistically, and sometimes that means saying no to things. Ultimately though all three are very different and I love all of them. I am able to express different parts of myself through all three.

SSR: How do you determine what songs should be for your solo project vs one of the bands?

JJ: Each project is very different so I don’t feel pressured to use material that I wrote for anything specific. Mimesis is progressive rock, and the main songwriter is Goreblaster, the guitarist, so I mainly do vocals and lyrics there. Same with Novarium – not all the time, but usually I just contribute vocals and lyrics/melodies etc. 

My solo project is different and I start out writing everything. I work with a very talented producer, Greg Almeida, who also plays guitar, and helps me re-work the guitar parts to sit in the song better, since I don’t play much guitar myself. Honestly most of the music I’ve written for myself has never reminded me of any bands I’ve been in, so it’s easy to separate for me.

SSR: I know that you are big on media forms beyond just music- which is clearly shown via your music video for “Possession” which appears more as a short film than a typical music video. Do you plan on releasing similar style videos for future singles?

JJ: Absolutely. I am a huge film nerd and I love telling stories. Part of what got me involved in lyrics was reading and writing. I started writing short stories and poetry when I was a kid and that really influenced me a lot. One of my goals right now is to have music videos for every single I put out. I would like to direct the majority of them myself too, so it’s a lot of pressure but it’s also really fun. It’s a great creative outlet to have.

SSR: What is your inspiration behind creating these films?

JJ: I don’t really know. I don’t have one inspiration I can think of. Anything I see, I suppose. I love every aspect of what goes into making a film or music video – I do the storyboarding, makeup, figuring out costumes, building sets, figuring out the lighting, etc. It’s just a creative medium that mixes so many different cool things together. I guess as a kid I really loved sci fi and action movies with a good story, as well as graphic novels and books. So that’s a general answer but that’s probably what inspired me most.

SSR: When you think of your career in five years, where do you hope to be? What do you hope to have accomplished?

JJ: Tough question. I just want to keep doing what I’m doing, and hopefully by then I’ll have a whole library full of music videos and music that people can discover. I really just want to entertain people with a good story and hope that someone takes something important from it. A lot of my songs deal with loneliness and things like that, and I hope someone might listen to it and be able to feel better, or at least feel less alone. 

SSR: Finally, my favorite question to ask because I think it gives fans an insight into your musical tastes/goals- if you could curate your own tour with yourself as one of the acts, what four other artists would you want to tour with? This can be any band from any decade, genre, etc. 

JJ: Some bands and artists I’m really into right now are Poppy, In This Moment, Muse, and PVRIS. Touring with PVRIS would be pretty sick, they all seem like really nice genuine people too. 

SSR: Any other things you wish we asked or that you’d like fans to know?

JJ: If you’d like to get updates on when I release music, go to jenjanet.com and click the link to sign up for my email newsletter. I only send out emails when I am actually releasing something, so there’s no spam. I also would love to connect with you on social media, and feel free to leave a comment or just say hello!

Website: JenJanet.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/jenjanetmusic/

Facebook: Facebook.com/JenJanetMusic

Twitter: Twitter.com/JenJanetMusic

YouTube: Youtube.com/c/jenjanet

You can stay up to date on all things Jen Janet via the links above, and be sure to stay tuned for her brand new single “I Don’t Belong,” out this Friday, July 31.