Jennie Stearns

Jennie Stearns is a classic American songwriter. By turns heartbreaking and hopeful, her songs are evocative, poignant and haunting. Quintessentially human. Her strong yet intimate vocal style and the vivid imagery portrayed by her lyrics gently draw the listener into her world. Despite the often somber mood, you'll find yourself strangely at one with her perspective, akin to the intimate atmosphere of a late-night red-wine-confessional with a lifelong, much-loved friend.

While her earlier albums (1998's "Angel with a Broken Wing" and 2000's "Mourning Dove Songs") displayed the influences of the country / old-time music scene in her adopted hometown of Ithaca, it is "Sing Desire", her most recent release, that truly shows her blossoming talent. "Sing Desire" ventures boldly into new musical territory, and it is this album that has garnered acclaim from press and radio as far afield as the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Japan.

"I've been drawn to dark and beautiful ballads ever since I was a kid. It's the sadness that I sense I'm somehow connected to. There's something soothing about the ballads, too, a desire to make everything ok", she says. And while "Sing Desire" continues this obsession, it's tremendously adventurous in terms of its arrangements and production. Stearns credits much of this to her co-producer, Chad Crumm, who she teamed up with for his huge library of archived sound as well as his formidable musicianship and production skills. Crumm set glinting accents of sampled sound and unexpected instruments against Stearns' low and lonesome vocals. Touches of spinet, muted cornet, moments of feedback, and even a lost fragment of an old Japanese television soundtrack add a sonic richness to her gentle singing without ever overshadowing it. The album also features Willie Watson (from band-of-the-moment Old Crow Medicine Show) singing two duets with Jennie.

So far Jennie's albums have all been self-released, sold via her website and at shows - very much a one-woman (and friends) cottage industry. Now though, as her two children get a bit older, she's looking forward to concentrating a lot more on her music career and is extremely happy that Blue Corn has picked up "Sing Desire" for national release.

Jennie's next record is already nearly done. Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier, Slaid Cleaves) is producing it and playing on it, and it'll also feature drummer Rick Richards (Slaid Cleaves) and Grammy winner Jim Lauderdale singing on two tracks. It's time for Jennie Stearns to take her place alongside the Americana heroines she's so often compared to.

Sing Desire