Tell us about yourself and your music
I’m Jennings Couch and I was born in NYC and raised in England. I’ve been playing music my entire life but started to write my own material when I was about 12 years old. Over the last year I have been honing my songwriting skills and my overall sound as an artist and I am pleased to say I have found my unique sound which falls into the alternative / pop / rock categories. My biggest influences are bands like Imagine Dragons for their anthemic productions, Twenty One Pilots for their genre-blending techniques and Grandson for his edgy approach to a hip-hop / rock sound.
Talk to us more about your latest release
My latest release ‘Where Did U Come From?’ embodies everything I love about songwriting and developing my sound. It’s bold, edgy, hard-hitting yet retains a commercial pop appeal. It’s rare that I write and record an entire track in a matter of days, but that’s exactly what happened with my last release. it just poured out of me. I enjoy writing about topics such as mental or emotional conflicts and how that makes people feel. For example, ‘Where Did U Come From?’ is about the battle between loyalty and lust, good and evil. You know this person is bad for you, but you can’t help but crave them.
What inspired you to write this release?
I was inspired by many things when I wrote ‘Where Did U Come From?’. In terms of the instrumentation and production, I was inspired by an artist called Grandson. The use of an acoustic guitar in a blues style along with punchy drums and dirty synths is really appealing to me. Lyrically, I just wrote about a topic that interests me, which is the conflict between right and wrong, good and evil.
Describe the writing and recording process
The writing and recording process is my favorite part of what I do. There is no better feeling than being in a studio (or someone’s bedroom) and watching your creation come together. The process of writing and recording ‘Where Did U Come From?’ was actually very straightforward. I was at my mate’s house, who’s studio is literally his bedroom, and we were meant to be working on a couple of other tracks. I was messing around on the acoustic guitar when I struck that guitar riff. Immediately I had a vocal idea and told my mate we had to record it. By the end of the day, we’d scrapped our other ideas and were well on the way to completing ‘Where Did U Come From?’. Because the idea came so naturally and suddenly, I had no trouble writing the structure of the song, the lyrics, or anything. It all quite literally poured out. Within a few days, we had a finished track and I couldn’t be more happy with it.
Any plans to release a video?
Any plans to hit the road?
I am always gigging in and around London! My next gig will be at The Monarch, Camden around 8pm. I’ll be supporting Izzy Thomas at her new single launch!
I hope to plan a UK tour sometime this year, and perhaps a small European tour next year!
As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?
I believe it is SO important to establish your brand from the onset. Know who you are, what your sound is, what your style is, fashion sense. EVERYTHING. The sooner an indie artist can establish a brand, the sooner people can start relating to that brand. I had to think long and hard about how I wanted to portray myself to the world. I found my sound, then I had to develop coherent visuals to go with the music. So I chose 4 colors that I use for every single artwork that I release. We also keep the music videos very coherent in style.
Who have you been listening to lately?
I’ve been listening to a great alternative pop band called The Man Who. I think they have very solidly written songs that are commercially appealing, but that also has that bit of edginess that I’m always craving. Plus I love the productions on their records and will use them as a reference for my future tracks.
Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influences are Imagine Dragons (for their big anthemic productions), Twenty One Pilots (because they literally don’t stick to a genre, and they are good and it), Grandson (for his blending of hip-hop and rock) and The Man Who (for their solid pop songwriting and edgy productions.
Tell us about your passions
My number 1 passion is music. Writing and recording are my favorite things in the world. Then once that process is done, taking my work to the stage is a very fulfilling feeling. Aside from music, I am passionate about antiques and anything old. I’ve been buying and selling antiques for many years. My favorites are anything from the Victorian period (1837 – 1901).
What else is happening next in your world?
Now that the holidays are over its back to life and back to reality! That means consistent releases (a new single released every 6 weeks) along with music videos, acoustic versions and of course GIGS. I can’t forget to leave some time for writing new material as well. On top of all that, I’ll be gigging as much as possible. I’m looking to branch out of London and reach other cities like Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester.
Thanks for an awesome interview, Jennings Couch
Connect with Jennings Couch
Website: https://www.jenningscouch.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenningscouch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenningscouch/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenningscouchYoutube: http://www.youtube.com/c/JenningsCouchSoundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jenningscouch