Focus: Jenny Lascelles

Who are you and where are you from?
I’m Jenny Lascelles, a singer-songwriter and pianist from Newcastle Upon Tyne.

What is it you do?
I perform original songs, both solo and with my wonderful band.

How long have you been doing it?
I started learning to play the piano when I was about 9 years old and then, in my teens, discovered that I could use it as a tool to write my own songs. I was never the strongest musician in my class, and performing didn’t come easily. I had to work really hard to overcome stage fright, but fell in love with music and felt compelled to write and play. I was lucky to be supported by some amazing music teachers and found that it was the best way to express myself. I first started performing my own songs on the local open mic scene during my uni years and built up from there. It has always felt like a natural path to follow.

What inspires you?
I find myself often returning to similar themes over and over again, I suppose looking for a sense of catharsis. I struggle badly with anxiety and am fascinated by people’s inner workings, so I write a lot about mental health and how that affects our relationships. I seem to return a lot to natural imagery – the sea, the weather, the earth. I work in a very visual way, so the songs often play out cinematically in my mind as I write and perform them.

Climate change has especially been at the forefront of my thoughts lately, as it’s such a massively important issue, and so last year I ended up writing a trio of songs around that theme. The first, Strange Weather, was released in June, with the other two to follow. They’re all quite different in sound and style. I’m working on rounding them out to something larger-scale, maybe an album.

My great musical inspirations are Tori Amos, John Grant and The Jezabels, though I love finding new (or new-to-me) artists and listening to a wide variety of genres. Anything that gets me moving or deeply feeling something.

Tell us about your music.
I often describe it as ‘intimate songs with a big sound’. I think that my writing has gotten much darker over time. My earlier stuff was much more folk-influenced and, while there are certainly plenty of dark themes in folk music, the sound world has moved to a heavier place. I am always looking for a connection, a hook or an image that speaks on many levels.

I’m lucky to be working with an amazing band, all of whom are incredible independent musicians themselves. We’ve built up a stage show that we’re very proud of and really enjoy performing together.

What have you got coming up in the future?
Myself and the band are playing the Newcastle Fringe Festival on the afternoon of 28th July at The Cumberland Arms. We’re really excited to be part of such a brilliant festival (and one that takes place on our home turf!), and The Cumberland is one of our favourite venues that does so much to support local artists.

I’ll also be heading across to Bobik’s in Jesmond later that evening, to support the wonderful Imogen Bose-Ward with a solo set.

On the release side, I have two more singles coming out this year, and my latest album A Little Louder will soon be out on vinyl, which is an exciting first for me!

Where can people find out more about you?
You can sign up for my mailing list at jennylascelles.com if you’d like to keep in touch, or you can find me at facebook.com/jennylascellesmusic and Instagram @jennylascelles.