When I was a child, my dad wasn’t the amazing man he is today. He had a very tough life and often took it out on my Mom and me. When sober, he was (and is today) the coolest guy I ever met. But he struggled many years using alcohol and violence as a way of coping, while we lived in fear of ‘the next round’. After leaving home, I then spent 4 years wrapped in my own very violent situation. More violent than I had ever thought possible. I mean, this stuff only happens in the movies, right? That’s when I picked up a guitar and began writing. ‘Dark and Lonely’ was the first song I ever wrote. It was literally the beginning of my music career. I already had a passion for singing. I had been singing since High School and had been playing the local jamboree circuit for about a year. While I was struggling on a day to day basis to just exist, I was making a heck of a name for myself as an ‘up and coming’ singer/songwriter. I was playing the tunes for anyone that would listen but it took over 18 years for me to be able to sing THAT song publicly. Music started out as ‘free therapy’ for me, a way to escape for a while. It was my way of being able to say what I was feeling without admitting that it was me saying it. But that song was too close.I was sure everyone would know.

 

Long Story even longer, but still shortened, years later, finding everyone, My mom, dad, me and my brother in much brighter, lighter situations, I suddenly found myself  absolutely compelled to write something inspiring. I don’t know why. ‘Grace’ is a song that I still say was ‘Divinely inspired’. It’s not the kind of music I write. It’s not my progressions, or my style in any way. Hell, it’s not even in a comfortable key for me to sing in! I pushed this song aside for a long time because I didn’t know what to do with it. I couldn’t explain where it came from, and thought it must’ve been written for someone else to sing. It didn’t fit my shows. It took more years of living to realize what I had written, and the true message behind the words. The actual story-line has very little to do with the overall meaning of the song. It’s not REALLY about a girl named Mary. It’s not about ‘a little girl named Grace’. It’s about faith in a better tomorrow. It’s about handling every situation with Grace, self value and belief. Belief that everything happens for a reason and it’s up to us to find the positive and know that we can make it better. I didn’t know I was writing about my mom…myself…and even my dad in future days. I was writing about over-coming obstacles by having Grace and Faith in yourself…in Myself… I was writing a message to me to use in every struggle that had, and would come my way. Words to Live By. It’s kind of my ‘Motto’ now. ‘Dark and Lonely’ is a reminder that no matter how desperate things are at any given moment, you can always come through it with ‘Grace’ in the end.

 

Hows’ that for swimming in a well? Deep…get it? Nevermind. Moving right along….

 

 

Daniel/LLM:  (laughs)  Awesome! I feel inspired now actually. You have a lot of soul in your music so inspiration, to me when I listen, just feels natural.

 

Your song ‘Don’t Throw That Dog A Bone’ is a huge hit.  This isn’t secretly about your husband is it? Just joking. Was this song originally planned to be a single or did it just happen that way?

 

Jeni Carr: (laughs). The funny thing is I know if I like a song immediately. I knew the first time I heard ‘Don’t Throw that Dog a Bone’ that it could be a single and it was my intention from the beginning, almost six years ago! I had been working with a very successful producer and group of songwriters for a few months and was actually in the car, in Nashville on the way to the studio to record another song when Randy (the producer) popped a CD in the player and said, “This song reminds me of you. What do you think about this one? It’s been floating around town for a few years.” When the song finished, I said I wanted to record it. We finally did, nearly a year later. I’d been playing the song at our live shows for almost 5 years before including it on an album and releasing it as a single.

 

From the story, you can gather that ‘Don’t Throw that Dog a Bone’ is the one and only song on the album that I didn’t write, so it couldn’t have been about my husband but it does remind me of several Ex’s!!! (wink, wink!)

 

 

 

 

Daniel/LLM: (laughs0 What is the next big thing you have coming up?

 

Jeni Carr: Morning. Seriously. At this point in my ‘career’, every day that I wake up is the next big opportunity. I started playing music 20 years ago. I put off making an album for so long. I only intended to have a couple hundred to sell at my regular local gigs. I never imagined National releases and Charts and interviews and all the wonderful things that have come along. Sure, I dreamt it in the past when I was twenty-something. But I never dreamed any of it could actually happen, especially now. If all this could happen, I can’t begin to put a cap on what could happen next. Every moment is the next big thing I have coming up.

 

But Music Business-wise, we are still riding high on the growing success of ‘Grace’ as an inspirational single. It’s all the way up to #23 this round! I can’t believe it’s still climbing! The release of the video has been a great addition to the song and the over-all ‘Project Grace’ is still in its infancy. We’re constantly looking for new ways to spread the word.  We’re still debating on a 3rd release. Meanwhile, I’ve been gathering and writing new tunes in hopes of starting a new recording project.

 

 

Daniel/LLM: Nice! Did you feel like you just won the lottery when you were signed or did it feel more like a gradual, awesome step?

 

Jeni Carr: Honestly, the initial excitement of finally producing a record wore off very quickly. I knew how much work we had ahead of us and that it started immediately.

 

Daniel/LLM:  What were some key ingredients you believed got you on the road to a signing?

 

Jeni Carr: 2 phrases: “Stick to your guns” and “Never Give Up.”

 

Daniel/LLM: You’ve done this for 15 years at least.  How was the ride?

 

Jeni Carr: It’s ALL about the ride. In the end, we don’t talk about the awards shows, we talk about what we did on the way there and where we went afterwards. Highlights are great, but it’s the stories in between that make the highlights worthwhile. It’s the people we meet along the way. This business lets me cross paths with so many different types of people. Accomplishments are meaningless without  that.

 

Daniel/LLM:  And starting in the Louisville area, that’s impressive. What are some highlights of the city, in your opinion?

 

Jeni Carr: Louisville is a great city overall and music is the highlight for me. There are so many amazing artists in this town. I love Nashville, but I’m often inspired when I go there because I know the music in Louisville is better. I want our town to be known and recognized for that like it is there. I want other people to make sure they go out and hear local music when they are in Louisville. If they don’t, they’re missing out!

 

Daniel/LLM: I agree whole heartedly. And thanks for being part of the debut lineup. I hope to make Louisville the next L.A. or Nashville of music. As far as the local music scene for Country artists go, do you feel it could greatly improve? If so, how?  If not, what were some things that you think the city is doing right for its artists?

 

Jeni Carr: The support of the local music scene in Louisville could improve all the way around, but especially in the Country genre. I’m thankful to venues that still support LIVE music. But venues have disappeared and radio stations are monopolized, contracted and afraid to promote one local artist for fear of having to put their name behind all of them. .It makes it nearly impossible to move to another level. I’ve long prayed for a local entertainment venue/strip like Broadway in Nashville, somewhere in Louisville that you could go in and out of different clubs and restaurants and hear live music from open to close all day, every day. Where real, original music is expected and appreciated. Jobs, music support and tourism for all! I wish Louisville would better use it’s time in National spotlights to promote what really happens in Louisville everyday instead of hiring outside National acts to front events our town is known for. I mean, if I traveled all the way to Kentucky for the Derby, I want to see things I can only see in Kentucky. Let the big household names sing our National Anthem at events in THEIR town. (laughs) They don’t live here. It’s great to bring them in for people here to see. That’s why we have concert arenas. When it’s time to spotlight Louisville, let’s spotlight Louisville, not what we can pay to bring into town.

 

 

Daniel/LLM:  AMEN! (clears throat). Excuse me. You got me all pumped up there.  Well, you’ve done something right! You have an impressive list of acts you’ve shared the stage with.  If cotton candy turned into metal shavings every time you went for a bite and the only way to stop this was to say the names of three artists you’d still like to share the stage, who would they be?

 

Jeni Carr: Ouch!! Metal shavings or sing with people…hmmm… I’d LOVE to share the stage with Delbert McClinton, Vince Gill and Phil Collins.No particular order and not excluding any over the other. (smiles)

 

Daniel/LLM: Has this ever happened to you?

 

Jeni Carr: It’s never happened at a public event, like a county fair, or circus or anything. But ‘A sharp tongue often leads to a split lip’. Therefore, I’ve eaten many metal shavings over the years. (smiles)

 

Daniel/LLM: (laughs) What’s the worst prank you ever pulled or had pulled on you?

 

Jeni Carr: I once put Orajel on everyone’s microphones before a show. (heeeheee) That was a good one.

 

Daniel/LLM: (laughs) No way! That IS a good one! With a ferociously impressive vocal delivery, I wondered. (laughs)  Before we wrap this up talk a bit about your Carr Club. I love the clever play on words.

 

Jeni Carr: Ahhh…the Carr Club…Welcome to the Carr Lot Y’all!! Where everything, including the prices, are CCCRRRAAAZZZYYY!!

 

My friends, family and fans are all the same to me. I couldn’t do what I do without any of them. I spend time with close friends, and family and they know who they are. I felt my fans needed their own ‘identity’ and their own place to go to spend time or catch up with me. I figured the play on words was a fun way to make it memorable.

 

Daniel/LLM: What is one standout thing a fan has done for you or on behalf of your music that you know about?

 

Jeni Carr: Became my Team-Members. Everyone that works with me right now literally started out as fans. We all became friends, and they now work every day to help me. That’s dedication and it means the world to have people that believe that much to know that I, as an artist, and my music resonates with people enough that they would put their own names on the line to promote me is an unexplainable feeling that fills me with gratitude.

 

Daniel/LLM: I’d feel the same! Where can people go for more about you and get into this club?

 

Jeni Carr: www.JeniCarr.com

 

Of course we’re somewhat sociable. You can look us up on all the regular stuff, FaceBook, Twitter, just Google or Yahoo ‘Jeni Carr’ or even my band, TwangTown but for the REAL stuff, you gotta register to be a Carr Club member. That’s the only way you can visit the Members page. We post everything there first. Plus there’s a lot of fun stuff you can’t see anywhere else!

 

Daniel/LLM: Is there anything else you would like to add?

 

Jeni Carr: Lord, we could be here all night! I just want to add a few Thank You’s…

To my band members, Bill Miles, Mike Stump and Barry King…they always back me up…even when I screw up.

 

Thank You also to:

Steve and Mary Marillia, Danny Kronmueller, Tim Valentino, Mike Blair, Vicky Faith, Corey Wilson, My family, My son Justin and My husband (and Sound Tech) Jason…for the same thing…for always backing me up…even when I screw up.

 

Daniel/LLM: It’s time for that last signature question of mine. Let’s say that you were doodling some calligraphy.  You’re just cool like that.  As you doodled the words turned into an image of your favorite animal, one you believed to be one of your animal totems.  What is this animal, how do you feel it relates to you and what song of yours best represents this?

 

Jeni Carr: It’s a dragonfly, long noted as a symbol of luck. Dragonflies have always been an inspirational figure to me. I see them out in the yard and I can hear two songs…”My Own Backyard” (for obvious reasons!) and “Famous By Now”. That flight, that journey, ya know? Think of that the next time you listen to that song. Yes, .a shameless plug to make you pop my record in. (smiles)

 

Daniel/LLM: No shame! (laughs) Awesome! Jeni, it was a pleasure.  I hope I produced the coolest interview you’ve ever done. I think artists deserve good interviews and it’s the least I could do in appreciation for great music.

 

Jeni Carr: Thank You! I hope I gave you a little insight on myself as a person, what makes me tick and what keeps me going! It was definitely cool.

 

Daniel/LLM: Yes, I feel like I know you. And when I listen to that album this will make the stories on each song more lively. Thanks a lot! We wish you the very best in your career and look forward to keeping tabs on you. Congrats on the success!

 

Jeni Carr: Thank you for putting Local artists in the ‘LimeLight’! Local artists have to work extremely hard to balance real life and music life. Thank you for recognizing us!

 

Daniel/LLM: You’re forever welcome!

 

 

Story and interview by

Daniel C. Morrison – Louisville Limelight Magazine