Interview with NYC Singer-songwriter Jeneen Terrana

Watching Jeneen Terrana perform is equivalent to unwrapping a present, or in her world slowly tasting the different layers of a chocolate cake. Last Friday night, Terrana let us into the ​her world. 

Taking the dim-lit stage in bright, neon heels and a blue, ’50s-style dress, ​she ​had two musicians by her side but at times took the stage solo. I was able to chat with the sweet, sharp, and sassy folksinger about her latest EP and her passion for baking. Read along to see why being compared to a seven-layer dessert is the ultimate compliment.

Americana Lady: Jeneen, it was great meeting you Friday night. I really enjoyed your performance. The majority of your set was from your newly released EP. Can you tell us a little more about creating that EP?

Jeneen Terrana: It was great to meet you — thanks for coming. I created the EP in Jackson Heights, Queens, with producer Nicholas Howard.  He’s also a singer-songwriter and he’s got a great pop sensibility.  I heard some of his work and knew immediately that I wanted to work with him.  We started with me recording a simple demo with vocals and guitar.  Nicholas then built the tracks around the demos and brought them to life.

Why a themed album and how did you decide to focus on relationships? It is a universal topic but you jokingly said it was not autobiographically based…

Actually, I didn’t really intend to do that.  I realized after I recorded them that all the songs were about some stage of romance and love.  They are all semi-autobiographical, which is why I laughed.  I’m usually inspired by real life experiences but I take lots of liberties. That’s the fun part. 

You said you began singing in your teens. What influenced you? 

I started singing very young but I was too shy to do it in public.  In my teens, I started singing in front of people.  It was extremely nerve-wracking for me but I still wanted to do it.  There was something inside me that always wanted to sing.  

How did growing up in Buffalo influence you? Did you move to the City to pursue a music career?

My family still lives there so it was hard to leave them but the weather in Buffalo made it easier for me to go.  I went to Florida for a little while to finish my degree and then I moved to New York City.  Moving to NYC was always a dream of mine, but I was terrified.  I heard all kinds of stories about how horrible it was to live here.  In spite of all that, I knew this is where I needed to be, so I just did it.  And I was pleasantly surprised. New York always amazes me.  There are so many great people here and unlimited opportunities.

How do you like performing at C.O.W. ? It seems like that space could be utilized in any way imaginable. Do you like the intimate feel?  

The space is wonderful!  It’s a true listening room.  There are not many places that focus on listening to music and not many events that promote that type of a show.  It does provide a level of intimacy that’s really rare and beautiful.

I enjoyed that you broke the ice with the audience by letting us in on your passion for cooking. Do you particularly cook desserts? Can you explain more about your collaboration with the Food Network? How did your role there come about? Do you have a favorite Food Network show? 

I focus on dessert.  Cooking savory food never really appealed to me.  Chocolate and baked goods make me very excited, so I started taking some classes. There’s really nothing better than the smell of something sweet baking in the oven. And to share that with people and see the look of delight on their face, is priceless. I found out about the show, “Home Made in America” and sent them an e-mail telling them how I made my last album by baking cakes and selling them on a crowd-funding site called “Rockethub..” They loved the story and did a feature on the show.  It was surreal. I had about 20 crewmembers and cameramen in my kitchen. Sunny and I had a blast making my four-layer chocolate cheesecake and the crew loved it The best part was watching everyone taste the cake.  Bliss!

What are the top five current songs on your playlist right now?  

Great question. My taste is really diverse and everything depends on my mood.  But, I really love what Muse has been creating and I love Brandon Flowers’s solo work and his work with the Killers. I could listen to both of them all day.

Can you talk about your next album? You played two new songs that are not on the latest EP. When can we expect a full-length album?

The next album will probably be another EP.  I think it’s a little more fun to make half an album and then try something different.  It seems to give me more freedom to play and experiment. The two songs you heard will be on the next one and I’m busy writing new material.  

I’m excited to see your newest video. When can we expect to see that? Can you talk about how the music video process is different from your writing process?  

Videos are so different.  The story is already there, and now someone has to interpret that and translate that to video.  I was part of the storyboarding process and I was struggling with ideas. The way I got those creative juices flowing was to watch a bunch of videos and get inspiration from others.  We also had to work within a certain budget and certain locations.  We shot in February but still were able to get some great outdoor footage.  It was cold but we made it.