With a nationwide tour alongside one of Canada’s leading rock bands, the release of a new self-titled EP and a 2014 Juno Nomination for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, Halifax native, JRDN, starts his 2014 off right by keeping fans, new and old, up-to-date with a new sound, and a positive attitude. The R&B crooner talks life, music and inspiration with Urbanology. He is ready to make a new and improved musical mark on the Canadian music scene.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT YOUR CANADIAN TOUR WITH HEDLEY? To get back on stage, you know, get in front of some people that haven’t really heard much of me, that might just probably don’t even know what I look like; they probably only know me over some radio. But to get back on stage, that’s the main thing, just to get back in the groove, get that rhythm back; it’s like ball you know, you got to get them jumpers up to stay sharp, got to get back in the gym, is what I call it. To get on stage, some of those markets I haven’t been in a while, so it’s gonna be cool.
I’ve definitely been listening to my gut a lot more from when I first came into the music game, for myself it starts from you, it starts from me. I didn’t really listen to my gut a lot when I came into the game, but now that’s one of the biggest changes. I’m driving the ship, I’m driving the bus, I got both my hands on the wheel now so just listening to my own thoughts and my inner self to make the decisions I need to make in my musical career.
WHAT MUSICAL AND PERSONAL CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE SINCE YOUR FIRST ALBUM [I AM JRDN]? Personal changes, I’ve definitely been listening to my gut a lot more from when I first came into the music game, for myself it starts from you, it starts from me. I didn’t really listen to my gut a lot when I came into the game, but now that’s one of the biggest changes. I’m driving the ship, I’m driving the bus, I got both my hands on the wheel now so just listening to my own thoughts and my inner self to make the decisions I need to make in my musical career. As for music, I’ve expanded, branched out, worked with like some different producers this time around on the project, and different songwriters, and just, like I said, knowing what I want musically and what direction I want to be at and which direction I want to go, and I finally feel like I’m steering in that direction.
WHAT WAS THE DYNAMIC LIKE WORKING WITH KARDINAL OFFISHALL ON YOUR SINGLE “CAN’T CHOOSE”? I went and did a show out west with him about two and a half years ago and we’re in the VIP, he reached out to me and he was like, “If you ever need me for a verse man, don be afraid to hit [me] up,” so I went into the right song, I chose a song that would suit his vibe, and he could really touch it and make it that much better, and his energy is amazing. But I wasn’t in the studio when he recorded it, I gave it to him one afternoon, and then I get a call from him 8 a.m. the next morning and he’s like, “Yo, I’m just putting the last finishing touches on this verse, and it’s ready,” I was still sleeping, and he woke me up. But he was really cool; we have another record coming up that we’re working on for his project, so I’m excited about that as well.
I’m not really doing any up-tempo dance joints, nothing like that, I’m staying away from that stuff, it’s not really my cup of tea. So I’m staying more true to the R&B and the music that I fell in love with.
OF THE SEVEN SONGS ON YOUR LATEST EP, WHICH ONE HOLDS THE MOST SIGNIFICANCE TO YOU? That’s tough, it’s gotta be between “Live My Dream” and “Love Ain’t Enough”, the beginning and the end. “Live My Dream”, I remember when I first heard the record in the studio and this is before I even had a thought that maybe this record could be for me, and I had just met the writer; and I remember when I first heard it, it really filled me up and almost brought tears to my eyes, because it rang so true to me. You know life isn’t always easy in the last few years, you know I had some things happen to me that were really tough so when you hear something like that, as an artist, I was really excited. That one definitely for sure because any artist, anybody, in anything that is their passion, trying to live their dream, wants to see an end result and an end goal, and that’s what it’s about.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE FANS TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR EP? If they haven’t heard me before I’d just like them to get an idea of what kind of artist I am and what kind of direction I’m going in, and what they could expect from the full length album. If they haven’t known anything about my music from the past I want them to understand where I’m at now musically and the direction that I’m steering towards. I’m not really doing any up-tempo dance joints, nothing like that, I’m staying away from that stuff, it’s not really my cup of tea. So I’m staying more true to the R&B and the music that I fell in love with.
Interview By. Aliecia Brissett
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