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Whether
relishing the fun of instant gratification in the song "Naked,"
excited by a voyeur in "Window," ridiculing former classmates
in the enjoyably evil "High School Reunion" or telling
the world to 'take her imperfections or leave her' in "Any
Other Way," singer-songwriter Jennifer Marks is not
afraid to explore sensitive subjects honestly in her music. Her
new self-titled release, due out May 4, is a mix of honesty, openness
and humor.
Throughout
the pop/rock-edged CD, Marks stares life straight in the eyes
with her trademark sense of hope. And just when you think a bad
mood might get the best of her, she picks herself up again with
style.
Recently
signed to Bardic Records, Marks is grateful for the support
she's receiving on the album's release. I caught up with her after
we both returned from SXSW in Austin to discuss what's next.
WOMANROCK:
Your
self-titled CD hits the streets May 4. You previously released
3 albums on your own label. How has signing with Bardic Records
changed things?
JENNIFER:
It
is very different when you have a team of people working with
you. At first I was very uncomfortable with it but I was given
a great analogy the other day as I was freaking out and trying
to micromanage. I was told to look at it as if I won the lottery.
Now, I can afford to have a live-in maid, a chef, a gardener,
etc. It is hard to give up the control, but I have been so busy
doing my job (performing) that I have to let someone else do the
dishes.
WOMANROCK:
What
plans are in place to promote your CD?
JENNIFER:
For
the last 6 months my label mate Ben Arthur and I have been
playing at high schools throughout the U.S. It was a great idea
because we really got to connect with a lot of kids. The kids
got out of class, which made them happy and we got to perform
for them, which made us happy. I have become an expert at singing
at 7:30AM. We made a commercial that will be airing on MTV2, Oxygen
and other cable networks to publicize the release. There is a
video that will probably be made by the time you read this, and
I have been on a plane almost every day, visiting radio stations
throughout the US. And that is just the beginning!
WOMANROCK:
Can
you talk about your tour to date?
JENNIFER:
The
High Schools were great and I think we will try and continue doing
some here and there but the next phase will be performing at Barnes
and Nobles throughout the US. Barnes and Noble is being incredibly
supportive of me. They will have the CD in listening stations
in all their stores along with it being on their recommended list
so we decided to do a lot of the upcoming shows at the stores
themselves.
WOMANROCK:
Do
any particular places or people stand out while you've been on
the road?
JENNIFER:
I
was in San Francisco and I was missing my husband, my dog-just
everything. After being out for almost 3 months I was kind of
ready to get home. I did a show that a young girl had been planning
on attending for a while. She had been emailing me that she was
very excited about it, which was so sweet. Unfortunately her mom
got lost on the way and they missed it. She emailed me that night
and said she was very sad that she missed me. I felt really bad.
A few hours later her mom emailed me and said she was hysterically
crying and inconsolable. Her mom asked if I could find some time
to meet them for 5 minutes just so she could say hi. I decided
that I would do one better and I invited them and a few of her
friends to my hotel room the next night so I could give them a
private performance. It was so much fun. She was so happy, but
truly what they didn't realize is they made my whole trip out
there worthwhile. The experience was awesome for me and it took
my mind off of feeling homesick.
WOMANROCK:
What
a great remedy! Let's talk about some songs. On "Fragile"
you sing, "I'm feeling kind of fragile lately, but come right
back with, "I know only I can save me now." In this,
and many other tunes, it seems like you lay out your vulnerabilities,
but then this tremendous survival instinct kicks in that ultimately
overrides, keeping the moods hopeful. Where do you think your
upbeat outlook comes from?
JENNIFER:
The
ironic thing is I am a cynic at heart and a neurotic Jew from
Long Island. If I bought a lottery ticket and my numbers came
up I wouldn't believe it until the check cleared. If you were
to talk about the polar icecaps melting I would begin to imagine
my house and all my worldly possessions floating away into an
icy grave. With that being said I have no choice but to look at
the bright side of things. It is truly about survival for me.
Really, I would never leave my house if I didn't find humor and
laughter in life. I guess I can also give some of the credit to
my family. We live by comic relief.
WOMANROCK:
"Any
Other Way" is an endearing song about people's imperfections
… usually their best parts. You also talk about forgiveness:
"I have made mistakes/So I'm familiar with forgiving."
Ultimately, as understanding as you're willing to be, you're not
willing to change who you are for someone who can't reciprocate.
Will you talk a bit about that?
JENNIFER:
I
am a big believer in not compromising on things that really count.
I am totally willing to try and work something out and make everyone
in a situation happy, but overall if someone doesn't like me for
who I am, I can't compromise with that. I don't mean it in a rude
or harsh way. I just feel like we all spend a lot of time focused
on what others think about us and this song is about finally coming
to a point in your life where you just say, "Listen you don't
like me? Fine. I will find someone who does."
WOMANROCK:
"Walk
Away" is track 6 and by that point on the album, I recognized
your characters always seem to exhibit accountability for their
actions. i.e. "I could walk away from you/I cannot walk away
from myself." Can you go into more detail about this song
or that sense for taking responsibility?
JENNIFER:
Wow
… I wasn't thinking about not placing blame or taking responsibility
when I was writing any of these songs, but that is a very cool
observation. Of course now I feel a deep sense of responsibility
to come up with some philosophical answer. Truly, it has always
been important to me to be able to wake up and look at myself
in the mirror every morning. I make decisions based on that because,
"You can run, but you can't hide." I'm pretty sure that
wasn't Confucius.
WOMANROCK:
The
song "Raggedy Ann" manages to be as subtle as it is
revealing. You use the powerfully innocent childhood memory of
"Raggedy Ann" to handle a confusing topic with a soothing
touch. What was the inspiration for this song?
JENNIFER:
This
song was written for a young girl who was sexually assaulted by
one of her teachers. I cried for days when I heard about it. It
was absolutely impossible to imagine what she was going through.
I spent a lot of time hoping that this ordeal wouldn't prevent
her from moving forward in her life. Amazingly, just the opposite
happened. She took a stand and she started to speak out about
it. I was so inspired by her courage and strength. Here she was,
a young girl, making very grown up decisions on her own. I wanted
to let her know that she had my utmost support and at the same
time didn't need it. A lot of people have written me and said
that they can relate this song to a situation they were in with
a friend or a girlfriend. I guess the basic sentiment is the desire
to protect someone you love and also give them room to stumble
so they can learn how to get up themselves. It is bittersweet
to let go.
WOMANROCK:
For
people who have never heard you perform, how would you describe
your musical style/influences?
JENNIFER:
If
I were to describe it as a food I would use Popcorn at the movies
with a coke-salty, satisfying, and when the kernels get stuck
in your teeth-you got a nice cold, sweet coke to wash it down.
As a cocktail I would say a Grey Goose Martini-a little dirty
with extra olives.
WOMANROCK:
You're
very involved in the women's rock community. You're a member of
Indiegrrl, GoGirlsMusic.Com, GirlMusician.com and WOMANROCK. Why
do you think it's important in this industry to support networks
like these?
JENNIFER:
I
think it is super important to have community. Coming together
creates strength. I have gained a lot of support from these organizations
over the years. It is great to be able to relate, discuss and
learn from other people doing the same thing you are.
Join
Marks at Virgin Megastore in New York City (52 East 14th) on May
4 at 5pm for an in-store performance to celebrate the release
of her album. On May 22, Marks will appear at Café 111
in Brooklyn, New York as part of the WOMANROCK.com showcase (read
more here). For additional tour
information and updates check out: www.bardicrecords.com.
For a preview of Marks' new CD, check out the online e-card here.
Tina
Whelski is a NY-based freelance writer/photographer who has
written for the Village Voice and currently contributes a regular
music column to the Aquarian Weekly/East Coast Rocker. She's also
a drummer.
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