All this month I will be talking to Jenn, from the Boston based band Jennifer Tefft & The Strange. Today we will be talking about creating music.

How long can it take you to write a song?

Jenn: Some songs get written in one day, some take years.  

Is there any particular lyric you have written that you are particularly proud of?

Jenn: I don’t have a particular line but there are two songs on our new album whose lyrics I am very proud of – “Second Chance to Burn”; one of my favorite lines from that one is “Both our hands are dirty if its truth I’m telling today” and on “Papercut”: “You’re a switchblade, I’m paper thin, you’re a papercut on smooth white skin” – which is my description of my inner voice that isn’t always the nicest. 

“I really think that most listeners take the value of a great drummer for granted…”

Jenn

What is your favourite thing about making a record?

Jenn: For me, it is a toss up between pre-production and the mixing phase. I love watching the arrangements emerge as everyone adds their input and parts. Songs can go on quite the journey from the time they begin to be written to the time they are recorded and I love that creative process and energy. Then hearing the mixes as they develop towards their final versions is an incredible experience. That is when your vision finally starts to feel real.

How do you normally feel on release day? Do you have a particular routine you go through to prepare for the reviews?

Jenn: I usually waver between excitement and absolute dread [laughs]. I love the days before release day where it is all anticipation and excitement. Actually letting it out into the world and inviting other people in to judge your work is terrifying. But when the response is good – then it is a fantastic ride!

How do you choose what songs to put on a record? 

Jenn: I usually have a good idea of what songs are ready for an album. Even if they are not completely finished, you can tell if there is something good there. You can tell during pre-production and rehearsals whether or not a song is coming together enough to move it on to the album. There have been songs that we’ve tried to shoe horn onto a project but something just wasn’t gelling and we ended up shelving that particular song. Sometimes we go back to it – maybe even years later and take another swing at it. One of the songs on our upcoming album was supposed to be on my last album but we just weren’t feeling it. This time around, we got it right and knocked it out of the park.

Do you still feel that using real instruments is just as important in this day and age as it was 10 years ago and why?

Jenn: Even more so now! Fantastic music can be made on your computer, but nothing can replace what happens when people get in a room with actual instruments and create. The happy accidents that happen when humans create together sometimes lead to the most amazing things. The exchange of creative energy between humans with instruments cannot be replaced.

“I love watching the arrangements emerge as everyone adds their input and parts…”

Jenn

Finally, what is the most underrated instrument?

Jenn: The Kazoo? Just kidding. I really think that most listeners take the value of a great drummer for granted. A bad drummer can completely destroy the cohesiveness and energy of a song, and likewise a great drummer can elevate that song into something magnificent.