 Credit: Margaret Malandruccolo Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Janiva Magness returns on February 23rd with her fourteenth album, Love Is An Army, which finds her reunited with producer Dave Darling. Fusing the classic sounds of Memphis and Nashville with a modern twist, the twelve track project features songs that balance love, hope and protest, all delivered by Magness' singular vocals. Here, she answers her Essential 8 and talks about her new album, musical mentors, and more. Did you have a musical mentor? A FEW OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER. If so, who was it and how did they influence you? BOB TATE (Sam Cooke/Jackie Wilson Musical Director, etc.) WHO MENTORED ME REGARDING DISCIPLINES AND BAND POLITICS AND BUSINESS. SUPER HELPFUL TO ME AS A 20-SOMETHING WOMAN NAVIGATING A SEA OF SHARKS IN THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC. HE HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITY I HAD AS A BAND LEADER ON A MUCH DEEPER LEVEL WHICH MADE ME A BETTER BAND LEADER AND BUSINESS WOMAN. HE ALSO HELPED ME RECOGNIZE THAT SOMEONE ELSES ISSUE WITH ME BEING A WOMAN AND BEING THE BOSS OR SOMEONE ELSES ISSUE WITH MY RACE WAS, WELL NOT MY PROBLEM, IT WAS THEIR PROBLEM AND I WOULD GAIN GREAT STRENGTHS FROM THIS UNDERSTANDING. THEN I WOULD SAY GAYLE HENSLEY GUNDERSON AND NANCY COX WHO WERE BOTH EARLY CAREER VOICE TEACHERS IN THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA, WHO HELPED ME LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE OF MY INSTRUMENT, WHICH WOULD MAKE ME A BETTER SINGER AND STORY TELLER ULTIMATELY. CURRENTLY AND MOST CERTAINLY DAVE DARLING, MY FRIEND, PRODUCER AND MENTOR. DAVE HAS HELPED ME BE A BETTER SINGER, A MORE AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATOR IN PART BY HELPING BECOME MORE VULNERABLE IN MY CRAFT, HE HELPED ME BECOME A SONG WRITER - WHICH I WAS VERY RELUCTANT & FRIGHTENED TO TRY. THAT IDEA OF WRITING SONGS HAS ULTIMATELY HELPED TO EXPAND MY CAREER. THESE ARE THE BIG ONES AND ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN KIND, HONEST, APPROPRIATELY CRITICAL AND ENCOURAGING TO ME. I AM SUPER GRATEFUL TO THEM ALL. With any particular song, was there “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? WELL THIS MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER YOU ARE SEEKING… I DONT HAVE THOSE KIND OF MOMENTS. PROBABLY BECAUSE I TRY TO KEEP WHAT BUDDHISTS REFER TO AS THE “STUDENT MIND”. REMAIN OPEN AND REMAIN LEARNING, SO COMPLETED AND PERFECT SORT OF DONT EXIST IN THE STUDENT MIND. I CAN TELL YOU THOUGH THERE ARE CERTAIN MOMENTS WITH SOME SONGS WHERE I KNOW WE HAVE SAID ALL THERE IS TO SAY WITHIN THE FRAME OF THAT SONG. WHAT’S THAT SAY ABOUT YOU AND THE TITLE TRACK LOVE IS AN ARMY WOULD BE TWO SUCH TUNES…THAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES WHEN THE LYRIC AND MUSIC IS WRITTEN... AND SOMETIMES NOT UNTIL WE ARE ACTUALLY TRACKING THE VOCALS. BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A PHRASE OR PART THAT DOES NOT MAKE ITSELF KNOWN UNTIL THAT VERY MOMENT. AS WAS THE CASE WITH WHAT’S THAT SAY ABOUT YOU. IF IT SOUNDS LIKE I AM SUPERSTITIOUS WITH THE PROCESS OF SONGWRITING... I AM. THEN THERE ARE TIMES I DONT “KNOW ITS DONE” TILL AFTER THE MIX IS DONE AND I REALIZE, WAIT... ITS REALLY GOOD! I JUST COULDN’T SEE OR HEAR THAT BEFORE, FROM BEING TOO CLOSE TO THE SONG, TOO INSIDE IT. IT’S ONE OF THE MANY REASONS I BELIEVE I AM SUPER FORTUNATE TO HAVE A PRODUCER I DEEPLY TRUST. Is there a story behind your album’s title?
A FEW THINGS.. ONE IS THAT (NOW MORE THAN EVER AS IT TURNS OUT) WE MUST RELY ON EACH OTHER FOR HELP AND STRENGTH TO CARRY ON IN THE FACE OF THE MANY ADVERSITIES LIFE GIVES TO US. THERE IS NO BEARDED MAN IN WHITE FLOWING ROBES IN THE SKY GONNA FIX IT FOR US. WE HAVE TO DO THAT, AND HOW WE DO THAT IS BY JOINING TOGETHER. SOME PEOPLE SAY IT IS THE "GOD SELF” THAT DOES THIS. A LOVING SPIRIT IN ALL OF US. I WOULD BELIEVE THAT. THERE IS GREAT STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. AND - PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS IS HONESTY AND LOYALTY. THIS SONG SPEAKS TO THAT - MEANING ...I GOT YOUR BACK, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, I WILL FIGHT FOR YOU. ITS ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE ARMY OF LOVE. AND ITS TRUE. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? LIFE ON LIFE’S TERMS. MY EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS, THE MUSE WHO PUTS THINGS IN ME THAT GOTTA COME OUT AND SOMETIMES ITS THE BLOOD THAT DRIPS OFF MY FOREHEAD ONTO THE PAPER AND MAKES A KIND OF RORSCHACH PRINT... When/where do you do your best writing? SEEMS LIKE LATE AT NIGHT IN MY OFFICE AT MY DESK, OR SOMETIMES IN THE CAR AS I’M DRIVING. THE LATTER BEING A DRAG TO CATCH IT BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS…QUICKLY TO WRITE DOWN, IT’S A BIT CHAOTIC REALLY, CAUSE I’M DRIVING!! I HAVE A PACKET OF THOSE YELLOW STICKY PAPERS IN THE CAR AND TRY TO JOT THINGS DOWN THERE… ITS PRETTY “ANALOG", BUT IT WORKS. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THOSE YELLOW STICKY PAPERS STUCK TO MY DESK AND OFFICE FURNITURE! Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? DEFINITELY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES AND FEELINGS. ITS ALL I BELIEVE I AM EVEN REMOTELY QUALIFIED TO ATRY TO WRITE ABOUT. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? DO YOUR HOMEWORK, GET AND KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR INSTRUMENT, AND STAY HUMBLE - ITS SAFER ON THE GROUND! What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? KEEP TRYING, DO YOUR HOMEWORK, GET & KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR INSTRUMENT, THE JOB IS ABOUT CONNECTION - REMEMBER THAT! AND STAY HUMBLE - ITS SAFER ON THE GROUND! Website Purchase Pre-Order
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