»My goal is to be honest with people about who I am, both through my songs and when I'm on stage«

Interview with US singer-songwriter JJ Heller

(Deutsche Übersetzung hier...)

US singer-songwriter JJ Heller and her husband Dave have a way of connecting with people through honest, soul-searching songs about faith, love and redemption that stir the hearts. We love JJ's music and her pure voice since her debut Songs That I Know (2004) and think that her new record, The Pretty and The Plain, is a beautiful piece of art and poetry. In a recent interview, JJ told us more about these new songs, her artistic vision and her move to Nashville ...

Monica Seidler: JJ Heller, what is the motivation behind your writing, singing and performing?

JJ Heller: I know that this is really cliché, but when I write songs and share them with people, I feel like I'm doing what I was created to do. My goal is to be honest with people about who I am, both through my songs and when I'm on stage. I've come to realize that if people don't trust me, they're not going to listen to what I have to say. I pray that God uses these songs to bring healing to people who feel alone, and self-examination to those who think they've got it all together. In addition to all this, I simply love what I do for a living!

Monica: It's amazing how every record of yours displays its own unique soundscape and atmosphere. There are some fine new nuances in your acoustic folk-rock style in The Pretty and The Plain. What are your musical roots and what has influenced you lately?

JJ: I grew up listening to Keith Green, Amy Grant and the Beatles (how's that for a combination), but recently I've been really into Ray LaMontagne, David Gray, Patty Griffin and Feist. We wanted this record to have a hint of a whimsical feel, and I think it works well to balance out the sometimes heavy subject matter of the songs. There are so many subtle, quirky sounds (thank you Mitch Dane) that really make it a rich album. At first we were afraid that people might find it to be too weird, but it seems that everyone is enjoying the playfulness of it.

Monica: Your songs speak a lot about brokenness, love and redemption. What gives you the certainty, that though our "days are filled with trouble", God is good?

JJ: He has proved himself over and over, both in my life and in the lives of the people I love. Whenever I start to doubt him or start to worry, all I have to do is remember all the stories I've heard about how God provides. If Jesus loved me enough to die for me, I am sure that he will complete the work that he started in my life.

Monica: Would you like to share the stories behind "Why Is It Colder" and "Have Mercy on Me"?

JJ: "Why Is It Colder" draws a lot from the story "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. The story's about a tree who loved a boy so much that it ended up giving him everything it had: from apples, to leaves, to it's very wood. I think we all have relationships like that in our lives, where we give and give to someone we love, but they don't really know how to love us back.

"Have Mercy" is an extremely personal song about my struggle with anxiety and panic attacks. I didn't think this kind of thing happened to "normal" people, but I've been living with its effects for about five years now. It's not something I asked for or ever wanted, and yet God allows it to happen. I've prayed for him to take it away, but the answer he has given me so far is the same answer he gave to the apostle Paul: His grace is sufficient for me. I've learned a lot about who God is through all of this... that he's not interested in making me feel comfortable, He's interested in making me grow. It has become painfully obvious to me that I cannot live this life on my own. I also know that God doesn't just sit up in heaven watching me suffer from a distance, but He's right here, crying with me.

Monica: Why did you call the album "The Pretty and The Plain"?

JJ: We wanted to highlight the fact that when Jesus was on the earth, he spent a ton of time with the outcasts of society. He showed kindness to the prostitutes and tax-collectors and affection to the lepers who hadn't been touched in years. Jesus has a heart for the broken ones because they can see and feel a need for him. It's only when we live in his love that we can truly be free.

Monica: It's so nice to find a song co-written with Canadian singer-songwriter Jaylene Johnson. How did this teamwork come about?

JJ: Dave [her husband] and I wrote a christmas song (called "Christmastime") with our Canadian friend Jill Paquette. Jill suggested that we get together with her friend, Jaylene, to try to have a song writing session while she was in Nashville. We had already mixed and mastered "The Pretty & The Plain," so we went into the session with no expectations. As fate (or, should I say, God) would have it, we ended up writing "Grow" and knew that we needed to go back into the studio to add it to the already completed record. It's now the first track on the album, and the record would seem incomplete without it.

Monica: What do you want your audience to take away from a concert of yours?

JJ: We want our audiences to have fun, and enjoy our casual approach, but we also want to challenge them to ask themselves questions about who they are and what they believe.

Monica: How was moving to Nashville like? It seems to me that you're near to the Square Peg Alliance, aren't you?

JJ: Nashville has been great for our song writing and musicianship. We've been exposed to an amazing level of talent here, and it has inspired us to do what we can to keep improving and redefining our art. We're friends with a lot of the folks in the Square Peg Alliance and we count it a privilege to know such great people. We're hoping to play more shows with them in the future.

Monica: Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

JJ: If you want a little glimpse of what our lives are like, you can check out our video journals at jjheller.com!

Monica: JJ Heller, thank you so much for this interview!

For more information about JJ Heller please visit www.jjheller.com