Singer Jennifer Newberry Upclose Interview - Maile Cabral (Seattle Celeb Buzz)

For my first real interview for my blog, I have selected Jennifer Newberry, local female artist as my first subject. I have watched her grow from the first time I saw her perform at Seattle Fashion Week 2010 to her performance at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup for their Celebrity Fashion Show last December. I remember the first time I heard her on Kiss 106.1 and I started screaming in my car. She began her career in 1999, when Jen recorded her first song “Summer Attraction” written and performed by her in Sweden. From 1999 to the present, Jen has written, co-written & produced over 35 songs. With her next album due this May, she seemed like the perfect fit for my first real Celebrity Blog.

MC: I am so excited to be interviewing you! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. I chose you as my Celebrity Spotlight as a local female singer, with a large public presence! Tell me about some of your most recent performances in the area.

JN: “Well, last weekend I performed at the 7 Cedars Casino in Sequim, but a few weeks before that I performed at the Great American Casino in Tacoma.”

MC: What is your most memorable performance?

JN: “It was actually on the radio station KISS 106.1!”

MC: Oh my gosh! I remember hearing that! I was so excited!

JN: “That was really cool, I heard it doesn’t happen very often and not very many local artists get to go sing on a big radio station like that. They heard me perform at the Hard Rock Café in Seattle and they asked me to come in, not only once but 3 times… it was such an honor to be a guest there, it was a big memorable thing for me!”

MC: How old were you when you started singing?

JN: “I have been singing my whole life… first time on stage I was five. My mother was a singer. My mom would perform and I would come along.”

MC: Growing up, what artists did you look up to?

JN: “I have always looked up to artists who have something substantial in their lyrics and in their vocal ability. My first influence was my mom’s vocals. After that, it was Robyn from Sweden, she has a very clever way of writing lyrics and she is a really strong woman, and I really look up to that. When it comes to music that is empowering in some way, that shows courage… and to just be who you are. There are so many people that I like a lot vocally like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys… really a lot of soulful singers that really use their vocals”

MC: That’s awesome that you brought up the importance of a strong woman. On this blog, I like to support strong, successful women that have a positive influence on their fans. Describe what being a strong successful woman means to you.

JN: “It’s to be able to conquer your career with-out anybody’s help and to have the knowledge, talent and courage to do it without anyone holding your hand. I think a lot of people are waiting for someone to take them to the next level. I’m not going to wait around for that to happen. The music business has changed from when you could send a track of your vocals, it has changed to you need to have a finished product. You are doing it all by yourself, why not just take it all the way, record the music, and give it to the label. I’m hoping to have control over my music in the future as much as possible. For my next album, I wrote and co wrote all the songs, it took a while to get it done, but at least it is something I can claim.”

MC: Tell me about your favorite song that you’ve written

JN: ”It’s very hard to say they all have a special place in my heart. I think a song that I wrote Cannot Lie really like that song a lot. It expresses so much of who I am and for me when I perform my songs it’s like a little bit of giving people a piece of me so they can understand me. Everyone wants to be understood. This song is a release to show that I am not perfect but dig a little deeper and you can see who I am. I love to sing and perform that song because it has such a powerful message.”

MC: If you could meet any celebrity singer or artist, who would you meet?

JN: “I would really like to meet U2 and I would like to see them and meet them, they have such cool music. I have not been able to see them before.”

MC: What would you like people to know about you?

JN: “I’m a regular person who likes to sing, I’m really approachable. It sounds corny, but I like to be everyone’s friend if I can. I am a socially engaged person”

MC: So Jennifer, personally, I view you as local celebrity and a person of influence. What kind of positive impact do you hope to make using your celebrity status?

JN: “Wow, thank you! I think I have always had a strong urge to help others. People come to me when they need to talk. I hope my music can be a healing tool. Hopefully it’s something they can relate to and know they are not alone. Some people can’t express themselves, and hopefully my music can help them do that.”

MC: I heard you have a new CD coming out. Tell me about it:

JN: “It comes out May 15^th, on my birthday. It’s my own Birthday present to myself. The songs on the album reflect everything I have been through up until now starting from when I moved to the states. The album is going to be called Inspiration From The Rain. We all go through stages in life and at some point we leave a place that was dear to us, we’ve all left home. And my album translates those steps in my own life.”

  

             Jennifer Newberry and Maile Cabral

MC: I am excited to announce that you are my special Celebrity Guest at our next Girl Power Hour event, “Swap Til You Drop” this Saturday which encourages sustainable and reusable fashion through recycling. What will you be hoping to find at the swap?

JN: “You know I just recently moved into an apartment and I don’t have a lot of stuff but I am hoping I can find something cool to give away instead of finding something to keep. I already have a lot of purses, so hopefully I will find it in my heart to give one away.”

MC: Speaking of fashion, tell me a lit bit about your own personal fashion trends?

JN: “I love clothes, buying a new outfit makes my day. I like to be trendy too, so I try to keep up with what’s out there. Personally now I like the street, punk/Scandinavian look.”

MC: What one fashion accessory can you not live without?

JN: “I cannot live without my purses and shoes.”

MC: What is next for you? What’s your next event / appearance / show, etc.?

JN: “I have a few casino gigs at the end of the month at EQC and Great American with my cover band 4MORE, we play top 40 music. I am rehearsing with my original band to perform May 15^th for my CD release party, which is going to be at Citrus in Seattle, 1001 Fairview Ave N. For details watch my webpage http://www.jennifernewberry.com/ or on my social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Reverbnation & MySpace”

Thank you Jennifer and we can’t wait to see you at our Girl Power Event!