MP3 Janie Chu - Roots

Thoughtful modern pop...From a huge, guitar driven band sound to the contemplative piano musings of post-modern life.

10 MP3 Songs
POP: Folky Pop, POP: with Live-band Production



Details:
Few ever leave a performance of Janieâs without marveling her rich vocals, passionate playing, and fresh approach to songwriting. She attributes her unique sound to a myriad of influences -- from her piano upbringing to a diverse listening palette that includes such artists as Imogen Heap and Jump Little Children. While anyone who has seen her on stage knows she loves to perform and share her music with others, her quest to keep making music stems from her own life experience.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia in the mid-70's, Janie readily absorbed music at a young age. Beginning piano lessons at the age of 6, Janie was trained on diverse piano repertoire including Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, and even Gershwin. Even though she had a voracious appetite for piano music, she knew early on that her penchant for commercial pop music always outweighed any desire to pursue playing classical piano seriously. She began writing, singing and playing small melodies as a child, going onto full songs and winning numerous music awards on into her teenage years.

After a series of setbacks, Janie finally made a decision to pursue music whole-heartedly and transferred into the Commercial Music program at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee in her sophomore year of college. At Belmont, she not only received commercial voice training and experimented with piano styles that drew comparisons to Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos, but she also was exposed to more guitar heavy singer-songwriters as Jonatha Brooke, Patty Griffin and Alana Davis. While still drawn to angst-ridden alternative pop/rock material, Janie became fascinated with folk influences and picked up the guitar herself. After graduation, Janie returned to Atlanta where she has recorded several demos, performed both as a solo artist accompanied by piano and guitar, and with a band. She has packed such local venues as Smith's Olde Bar and the Red Light Cafe.

Janie's debut album release, titled "Roots", is now available. Janie drew inspiration from a recent trip to China, finally taking steps to embrace her identity as a Chinese-American and celebrating the unique heritage that goes along with her fiercely American traits. Coupled with her thoughts on world events and personal experiences, the result is an intriguing collection of songs. Produced by Matt Stanfield (Jars of Clay, Plumb, Sandra McCracken), the record features thoughtful pop thatâs just a little rough around the edges, displaying Janieâs earnest lyrics on striving to hope in a post-modern world. Janie hopes to bring professional, thought-provoking music back to listeners who are tired of empty tunes and false images.