Tales of An Inspired Musician - Wk #3 - PNT Tv | Fem-Queer Entertainment Network

Tales of An Inspired Musician Week #3

Week 3: The Interview!

[PNT TV MUSIC DICTIONARY by Jess Walker]
Jennifer Corday

-Noun

1. Musical Goddess
2. Best Live Band, Best Alternative Band, and Best Live Female Performer (OCMA)
3. Incredibly beautiful and genuine person

An Interview with Corday

Jessica Walker

I can honestly say that I was very nervous to even talk to Jennifer. Not only because she’s gorgeous, but because of her musical talent. From an aspiring artist’s perspective, she is pretty much everything I hope to become one day and so much more. Be sure to check out what she said and find her on the interwebs. Oh and be sure to let her know how much you love her music! Because I know you’ll love it! I’m going to let you get to the interview now. Have a wonderful week sweets. Until next time!

All My Love,
Jess

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JENNIFER CORDAY
@ PNT TV MUSIC

Jennifer Corday - Jeanine Hill Photography

JW - First and foremost, I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your music…it’s got this raw…”let me show you what real emotion and music is” sort of feel.
Is that kind of vulnerability hard to recreate in the studio? I think you’ve done a superb job with that and it’s something you don’t hear these days with all the digital options.

JC - That is one of the deepest compliments I can receive, so thank you! I think artists who are raw and real and vulnerable are indeed a rarity these days. I heard Linda Perry (producer of Pink, Gwen Stefani and more) speak about vulnerability and she said most artists write about their scars when what they should do is rip off their scars and write about what’s underneath. That really spoke to me. You have to really dig deep to get the good stuff.Technology has allowed millions of artists to be able to produce and upload music more affordably than ever and studio gear that was once unaffordable is now at everyone’s fingertips. Auto-tune and pitch correction as well as a myriad of other vocal effects can bury the real deal. That said, I must admit I love effects! I try to create new effects though, by experimenting with a combination of things in the studio. I have a home studio and use Logic Audio along with Stylus drum loops. There is so much you can do! I think the important thing is to not use effects because you can, but because the song compels you to do so. My song Linger can bath in some delay, almost as if the music lingers, whereas my song Losing Control has the vocals dirty with distortion, matching the lyrics of the song. So the song should dictate to the producer and not visa versa. The song, if well-written, is pure and knows what it’s intention is— and it will ultimately lead the way.It is tough to capture that vulnerability in the studio and honestly I don’t know if I have ever truly been successful. I think my first album Welcome To My Past comes closest and is still one of my favorite albums. I give a lot of credit to producer Matt Walin at Bitemark Records in Orange County for his work on that record. That album is probably the least commercial as far as pop songwriting, but is really raw and honest. Some of my favorite tracks on Driven include “Swallowed” where I recorded some voices off my answering machine, “Cruelle DeVille” which is just really quirky and off-beat, and “Driven,” co-produced by Renea McKee where I play djembe drum. My latest record Superhero has an incredibly vulnerable new track I dedicate to my mom called “Wonder Woman.” I play cello on that and it is really sparsely produced. Sometimes less is more.

JW - With that being said, I read an interview in which you stated you were working on an album due out sometime this year tentatively named “Fish Out of Water.” Can you tell us a bit about that?

JC - Yes I am super excited about the new album. I am indeed determined to release it in 2010 and it is well underway, but slow-going. It is hard to focus on recording with such a busy live-performance schedule. A lot of major label artists have the luxury of taking a break from touring to focus on recording but I am trying to juggle both and that can be difficult. I had a scare with my vocal chords lately too— had to cancel a couple of shows and went to an ENT who said I was overdoing it. And to avoid alcohol and red wine and caffeine which are my favorite things, lol! So I am trying to back off on some live shows to allow more recording time with rested vocal chords!

The album was tentatively titled Fish Out Of Water-- I shot some great underwater photography with photographer John Norling and there are a few songs with water themes including the song Fish Out Of Water. But I think the album concept may evolve into including all the elements, or at least fire and water. I plan to shoot more photos with photographer Jeanine Hill with my guitar on fire!

JW - Who are some of your influences?

JC - I first leaned to play guitar to the Indigo Girls— I love their profound lyrics and vocal harmonies. Melissa was also an inspiration— musically, but moreover just as a role-model, being that she was a lesbian from Long Beach, playing in the same bars and clubs I played. I’ve always loved Madonna, being a strong business woman, great entertainer, challenging social norms and celebrating freedom of expression. Lately I am getting into older classic rock bands and learning songs from Zeppelin, Stones, Aerosmith, The Doors, Guns n Roses, Scoprps, ACDC, Jorney, Boston, and more. I have started an all-girl band called the Classic Rock Cougars and we do a tribute to classic rock complete with costumes. These girls— Rosie Aldrete on guitar, Desha Dunnahoe on bass, and Krysta Carson on vocals, really rock!

JW - I’m from a redneck town just north of Houston, Texas so your parody song “Redneck Lesbo” really had me laughing. I bet that goes over well with the crowd? How did you come up with it…just for fun?

JC - Totally was just for fun! Wrote it as a joke and then played it for the first time at Hamburger Mary’s in Orange County (now closed) and the crowd went nuts! There was such a demand to buy it, I decided to record it so I threw a party and had a bunch of girls over to sing the “Hell Yeahs!” I did it all at my home studio and added in drums from my drummer’s studio— it turned out great! A country producer Michael Farrel is working on a new recording with some top-notch country players so I’ll let you know when that gets released.

JW - I came across something really awesome on your website (http://www.corday.net): “First ever three-time winner of Best Live Band, Best Alternative Band, and Best Live Female Performer at the Orange County Music Awards.” That’s an amazing achievement….how does it to feel to be the FIRST!?

JC - Yea that was amazing. I was getting embarrassed by the 3rd time I went up to receive the award in the same evening! But it sure felt great! I have the 3 plates hanging here in the studio so it’s a nice reminder that your talent is being recognized. I have won a number of awards from OC Music Awards, LA Music Awards, and a few Battle of the Bands competitions and it all feels fantastic! But in the end, it’s more about recognition from your fans that counts— about real people who are moved by your songs, rather than a panel of judges.

JW - What’s your favorite aspect of performing?

JC - I’d have to say the fans again; the interaction with the audience. I am a real entertainer at heart— I majored in theatre after all— so I love connecting with the crowd and seeing them have a great time. There are certainly great moments on stage when I lose myself in the music and there is nothing like that high. I guess you could say the music drives me, and the audience entertains me!

JW - Not only have you been having success as a performer, but you write for Curve, do a monthly video log called “Girl Rock”, which also airs here on PNT Tv! And you took on the job of Music Supervisor for the film “Elena Undone.”

Elena Undone

JW - Can you tell us a bit about the movie and your time spent with the music?

JC - I loved working on Elena Undone. I suggested music cues for a few other lesbian films including And Then Came Lola and We Have To Stop Now, starring Cathy DeBuono and Jill Bennett. They referred me to Jane Clark and Nicole Conn, producer and director of Elena Undone and I started finding them songs. They loved what I was doing and hired me on as Music Supervisor. As an actress and a musician, I think I have a great understanding of how to match music to picture and I have a ton of artists in my database, especially women. I was thrilled that so many of my tracks landed in the movie, but it’s also a thrill to find a song from another act that fits perfectly. I think we created a great soundtrack packed with some well-known lesbian artists including Melissa Ferrick, Jen Foster, Rachael Sage, Ashley Matte, The State Of Music, Otto’s Daughter, and more. You can check it all out at ElenaUndone.com

JW - Is there much of a difference when writing music for your albums versus writing songs for a movie?

JC - Yes for sure... This was a pretty intense assignment: to write a song for the most important scene in the movie and what was to become history as the longest on-screen kiss. I worked closely with Nicole who is a great visionary and really knows what she wants. We had long conversations about it and I loved our open communication: initially we disagreed about the approach to the song— I thought the longest kiss should be backed with music that was emotional, spiritual— vulnerably intense. Nicole wanted something more sexual and more visceral. She told me to stop thinking like a girl and write the song with my penis. LOL, that was really the aha moment! I hung up the phone and starting writing “Coming Undone” right then! I wanted to give her what she wanted with the sexual intensity without being too over the top. I think I achieved that goal in creating some beautiful lyrics that are hot but still show the vulnerability “Can you see my veins tangled up in you, can you see me all exposed? Red and blue I’m bleeding into you, untwist my heart til I explode...”

JW - So, any new projects in the works (studio time, tour, new movies, etc.)?

JC - Producer Jane Clark has asked me to do music for her new film and I hope to do the music fro Nicole Conn’s next film too— she is working full-time on promoting Elena Undone for now though, so that may be awhile. I am excited for the release And then Came Lola on Wolfe Video which features 3 of my songs and hope to do music for directors Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler again. We Have To Stop Now Season 1 was just released on Wolfe video and the soundtrack is available on Amazon. I am working with Cathy and Jill on Season 2 and hopefully Season 3 to find new music so that will be really exciting. It’s really been word of mouth referrals in the film industry so hopefully the word will continue to spread so I get more work in that arena.

As for the tours, I just returned from the Redrock Women’s Music fest in Utah and made a bunch of new Utah fans, so we hope to get back there soon. I am super excited to be hitting Cozumel to play at the Sweet Vacation at the Cozumel Palace Resort and then directly to Key West where I am performing for Womenfest at Pearl’s Patio. Pearl’s is a women-only resort and it will be our 4th season with them. I will be bringing the all-girl band and meeting my East Coast drummer Amy Blaze for these shows, it’s always fun to play with her!

In October, we will be one of the headliners at Tuscon Pride and also Inland Empire Pride. I was hoping to play Women’s Week in P-Town but that will have to wait til 2011!

Will need all the down time I can get to finish the record. Expect some surprises and definitely something raw and real.

For more about Jennifer visit http://www.corday.net . Click here to join the CORDAY E-Mail list: http://www.corday.net/contact and text: Corday to: 69302 to join the Corday Text Club!

How to find her:

Hosting "Girl Rock" every week at :
http://pnttv.weebly.com/podcasts.html

http://www.twitter.com/jennifercorday

http://www.facebook.com/jennifercorday

http://www.myspace.com/jennifercorday

http://www.youtube.com/user/jennifercorday

www.cdbaby.com/corday

www.reverbnation.com/jennifercorday

www.itunes.com/Corday

Stalk Me (not literally, but you know)

http://www.twitter.com/jessicalare

http://www.youtube.com/pnttvmusic

http://www.youtube.com/jessicalarewalker

http://www.facebook.com/jesswalkerband

and here at PNT Tv of course!!! 'Til next week guys..bye!!!

Chat Bitches!!

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