Jenna Paulette has taken life by the reins, literally and figuratively; a true cowgirl who grew up on her family’s ranch and in the world of country music, introducing her unique style she calls “New West.”
We caught up with the “Midnight Cowboy” singer to talk about how ranch-life influenced her personally and professionally, her musical journey and what’s to come.
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
JP: I’m a cowgirl who loves Vogue, a mix of the wild west and the modern-day. I love the idea of being a modern cowgirl and representing what that means in 2020.
CN: At what age did you discover music?
JP: I have always loved country music- my parents always had it playing in the car or in the kitchen when we cooked dinner, so I fell in love with it early on. They always encouraged me to sing and I started performing in church at the age of 3. From there on, it was always a part of my life and I still feel like I come to life on stage.
CN: Which musicians, country or not, have influenced you both personally and as an artist?
JP: I have always loved the Dixie Chicks and George Strait, but I also have a huge appreciation for Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney… they have consistently stayed true to themselves and a defined brand while taking risks when appropriate and I think that has made for a very long and steady career.
CN: What was the first album you ever owned?
JP: Probably Fly by the Dixie Chicks.
CN: In college, you earned a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication degree. Can you share with us how a certain island-loving country singer inspired you to pursue a degree in addition to a career in music?
JP: Haha yes, Kenny Chesney is the man!!! I was sitting on a bench talking to my dad going what the heck am I going to get a degree in at art school?! (I was there on scholarship for singing and had never taken an art class before!) I had just read an article on Kenny where it talked about his degree in Marketing. I saw the brand and audience he had developed for himself and was like Kenny is a genius and has his own slice of the country pie, I want to do the same thing with my own slice…and marketing is a huge part of that. So I applied every class I took in advertising and marketing to country music. Nothing could have prepared me better.
CN: Growing up on your family’s ranch, you were a part of working the land and the cattle. How did that experience affect you as a person and to also help create a strong work ethic?
JP: When the men in your life expect you to be able to do things boys are usually expected to do, you start thinking that way too. I was expected to lift heavy things, get cattle where they are supposed to be, fix fences, manage grass, and usually do it all from experience and by myself when no one was around to help. All of that has made me fall in love with the country way of life, help me connect with my audience in a real way, and prepare me to work in a mostly man’s world. I am so thankful for it.
CN: You have talked about how your grandfather and uncles gave you jobs that they would have given the boys on the ranch, and how you weren’t treated any differently because you were a girl. In what ways did that set your mentality in preparation for life not only in general but also for your career in country music, especially at this time when women are fighting to get the recognition they deserve?
JP: I think it helped me to never think that I couldn’t make it- that there is always a way. It created a mindset in me that I feel is similar to the way a lot of confident men feel about themselves. I always feel like I am capable and have the resources at my fingertips to figure it out and make the most of my opportunities. That’s all because of the expectations the men I grew up with had of me (both grandfathers, the businessman and the rancher, my uncle who is a rancher, and my dad who is a businessman). My grandmothers and mom played a central role in the home I grew up in, which was feminine, but I am not girly. I also think that is powerful. I think all of that has created an energy and perspective that works for the music and world I represent. I feel like it’s all an ode to the past that was always pushing me on. None of my influences forgot where they came from, and that has pushed me in the direction of progression.
CN: As a songwriter, can you take us through your songwriting process?
JP: All of my songs are based on stories or memories from the ranch or inspirations I find in everyday things, but they’re all very personal to me. I like to frame modern country music in a traditional mindset. I’ve really lived the traditional country life that you hear about in the genre on the ranch. Having been given the ability to really see and breathe and live that kind of lifestyle, there’s no way I couldn’t incorporate it into my music.
CN: You consider your niche a “New West” style of country music. Can you explain what that description encompasses?
JP: It’s a balance of pop, loops and synthetic sounds balanced out with the super western, traditional pedal steel. It feels like who I am as a person. I am a balance of the new and coming from a family that ranches and is very traditional in a lot of ways. Both things have to be represented or it doesn’t feel like me.
CN: This past December you released the acoustic video for your latest single “Midnight Cowboy”. What led to the decision to release a video for an acoustic version of the song?
JP: The song really resonates with me and I’ve felt connected to it because it represents and honors the world I grew up in with certain aspects of the life I live now in Nashville. It’s a song that’s so dear to my heart that I wanted to strip it down to showcase the lyrics and emotion.
CN: It’s truly such a beautiful song – what was the inspiration behind it?
JP: The song really is a love song that goes out to anyone who has someone they love on the road. Whether they are rodeoing, touring, driving a truck, away on business, whatever it may be… it’s a song about holding down the home front and keeping a light on in the window.
CN: Do you have a dream collaboration in mind?
JP: I would love to do a duet or feature with Cody Johnson.
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
JP: I don’t know if I can use one word, so I’ll go with “modern cowgirl” because it’s what I believe I get to represent.
CN: What’s on the horizon for 2020?
JP: Lots of touring, hopefully, some new music and lots of other things I can’t wait to tell y’all about!!!
For more information on Jenna Paulette, visit her website at www.jennapaulette.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.