Interview: JeRonelle
September 8, 2020
Photography: Brandon Hicks
For many musicians, the road has been a subject of great joy and ire. Traveling and the experiencing new places has its fair share of excitement, but it can also be a lonely place. The adrenaline of a show, crowd, and fans cheering are unlike any other, but it can be a long, arduous grind. These sentiments have been expressed by a number of bands.
The Ramones wrote about the joys of the road in their song, Touring: Well, we've been to London and we've been to LA/Spain, New Zealand and the USA/Europe, Japan and Pango Pango/Canada, Siam, Oz and Kamoto/The kids all come from miles around/The party get start when the sun goes down/And holiday inn's the only home I know. For many
Comparatively, Journey’s, Faithfully highlights the challenges of maintaining romantic partnership and family. During the chorus, Steve Perry sings: They say that the road ain't no place to start a family/Right down the line it's been you and me/And lovin' a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be/Oh, girl, you stand by me/I'm forever yours, faithfully. The road giveth, and the road taketh away, and still remains a subject of interest for musicians today.
Last week, JeRonelle, a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, released Think Of You, the first single from his forthcoming EP due later this fall. Think Of You deals with the many contradictions a musician feels: the euphoric feeling of the stage, yet still yearning for the touch and embrace of partnership. Following the release of his new single, I got a chance to talk with him about his new song, his upbringing in Omaha, his creative process, and more! Here’s our conversation:
Stanley: You’re currently living in Los Angeles, but I’m interested in your upbringing - where are you from originally? How did where you grew up shape your approach to music?
JeRonelle: I was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Growing up in the midwest, and particularly in our household, I was somewhat limited on the kind of music that was allowed in the house. My mother was pretty straightforward on what she would and wouldn’t tolerate, so a lot of the music that I was exposed to early on was either Gospel or radio-edited versions of some of the major Pop songs of that time (late 90’s/early 2000’s).
Some of my earliest memories include sitting in the backseat of Mom’s car while she played old Gospel mixtapes and me asking questions like “who’s that singing?” or “what’s the name of that song?” I’d sit there and try to match what I heard and harmonize as much as I could. Eventually I would get tired of hearing choir after choir and would beg her to switch to the radio where I could hear artists like Usher, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys & Destiny’s Child. She would oblige for a few songs, but the minute a song with too many suggestive lyrics came on, she’d switch right back to the Christian stations. What’s ironic is that some of those very songs I would get so annoyed over her playing I can’t imagine going without today.
As I moved from elementary to middle school, and then later onto high school, I got exposed to more Classical/Choral styles of music. Studying these new genres led to me getting involved in a lot of school choirs, concerts, and state/national choir trips.
Stanley: You’ve spent time performing and touring with Common, Khalid, Tisha Campbell and others, as well as being a contest on FOX’s The Four, where you really made an impression on a lot of people with your performance on the show. How have these experiences shaped you as an artist? What have you learned from being around the aforementioned artists?
JeRonelle: A lot of the major experiences I’ve had so far all came about just by me being in the right place at the right time, or by being connected to some great people. While some opportunities lasted longer than others, I did what I could to live in each moment and soak up as much knowledge as possible. For example, I remember performing alongside Tisha Campbell regularly at the Xen Lounge a few years back and that becoming one of my first major, ongoing background vocalist gigs. Being given the chance to perform every week and be in the room with some of Black Hollywood’s biggest names is something I’ll always be grateful for and never forget. Tisha would always push me to break out of my comfort zone and keep things fresh for the audience.
Even more recently with experiences like being on FOX’s The Four, or as a singing as member of the Sunday Service Collective with Kanye West, I’ve learned to stay alert and keep my skills sharp because you never know when opportunity will knock at your door.
Stanley: I’m interested in the creative process for Think Of You. How did the concept for the song come about?
JeRonelle: Late last year I did a lot of traveling and touring around the country getting to do what I love to do. Unbeknownst to a lot of people, I was also trying to balance a brand new relationship at the same time. Although things didn’t work out, I was inspired to write about the balance between life and career and what it felt like being in a long distance relationship for the first time. We started to put the music production together in February just before COVID19 hit the country hard, so the remainder of the process to put the song (and all the music from my upcoming EP) together was a lot of sending ideas back and forth over the phone using voice notes on my iPhone.
Stanley: I wanted to get into some of the credits on this song. I love the production on Think Of You, it’s super funky!
You worked with Andre Pickney, who’s a part of Triangle Park Music — a group of producers and songwriters based in LA who’ve worked with everyone from H.E.R. and Khelani to Ty Dolla $ign and BJ the Chicago Kid — as well as Michael Morgan. And you have Durand Bernarr with additional background vocals. This is incredible lol.
What was it like working with them? How did you know these were the people you wanted to collaborate with?
JeRonelle: We love a good lineup! Hahaha
I have a great working relationship with all three and I met them all here in LA at different times. Mike and Dre I met doing separate gigs, while Durand I met one night at an open mic and I’ve stayed connected to all of them ever since. When I first started writing Think Of You I approached Mike with the initial concept of just wanting to do something up tempo that would translate well to a live show/audience. Once he laid down the initial bass guitar line, we shopped it around to a few producers to see if they could come up with that extra flavor that would bring the song to life. I reached out to Dre to see if he could come up with any ideas and within 48-72 hours, he sent me back the track you hear now and I thought it was absolute fire!
As I was working on other new material, I played some ideas for Durand just to get feedback. Once he heard Think Of You and where I was trying to go with the song, he hit me up and wanted to add to the background harmonies. I finished my part of recording, he sent back his parts, and we put everything together. I’m honored to have all three of them on my song. You’ll also hear Mike & Dre’s production throughout the rest of the new EP as well.
Stanley: When can we expect from the new EP?
JeRonelle: I feel like my new EP ‘Beloved’ in some ways is an extension/continuation of my last EP ‘Vulnerable’ but more up tempo and a tad bit more energetic. I always aim to being emotionally open through my music and somehow be a voice for those who are hopeless romantics (such as myself) but don’t quite seem to have it together or can’t get it right. The project is 6 songs and covers everything from long distance (Think Of You), to songs like “Pulling Away” and “Rounds” that touch on the breakdown of a relationship and the reconnection between two lovers that can sometimes happen later down the line. One of my personal favorites from the upcoming project is “Stay” which really describes where I’m at right now mentally when it comes to relationships and just wanting to have that one consistent person in your life as opposed to having multiple unsaved numbers in your phone and multiple options to choose from.
Although I haven’t set a firm release date yet, the new project will be coming later this Fall and I’m excited, hopeful, anxious, nervous, and paranoid all at the same time. Being an independent artist is already tough enough but trying to navigate the waters of the music industry and promoting new music in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis has been especially stressful. It’s truly God’s hand, and the support from family, friends, and supporters that keeps me going. I’m optimistic that “Beloved” is going to be an amazing music experience that my followers will connect to and want to listen to over and over again.
