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Event
M.I.C. Presents Jillette Johnson
Jillette Johnson
Previewing Songs From Her Upcoming Album
For Jillette Johnson the journey has been as integral to her musical experience as the destination. Jillette, who began taking music lessons and penning songs as a child, has been performing live since she was 12, captivating audiences with her sultry, thoughtful piano-driven tunes. The musician, now 24, has spent the last decade cultivating her sound and defining her unique perspective. When she moved to New York City from her small town of Pound Ridge, NY at 18, Jillette was already familiar with the city and its clubs, from Sidewalk Cafe to The Bitter End to Rockwood Music Hall.
In early 2012, Jillette inked a deal with Wind-up Records, who were drawn in by her track Cameron, an inspirational number that explores the struggle of a transgendered person whom Jillette knows. The song appeared on the singers five-track EP, Whiskey & Frosting, which came out in August 2012, a prelude to her June 25, 2013 Wind-up Records debut album release, Water In A Whale. Culled from six months worth of recording sessions at Wind-ups New York studio, the album traces Jillettes experiences and ideas about living in the city and being young in todays society. She finished the album fall 2012, just before going out on tour, and as it turned out those weeks on the road shifted the musicians sensibilities.
Theres this funny thing that happens when you go on the road, Jillette says. Because youre not around the people that youre normally around and youre in a different environment and youre constantly being creative and putting out things. Your voice starts to change, both literally and figuratively. I just started growing really rapidly and my perspective started changing a lot. I got back two weeks before Christmas and I knew that we had to have everything done by the first of the year. So I had six months to make the record and two weeks to change everything. A lot of artists dont get that opportunity, to be able to have the album that they made and come back and make tweaks. Thats pretty rare and I got to do it.
The final album, which features the five tracks found on Whiskey & Frosting, centers on Jillettes soaring vocals and the sparse, haunting piano lines she wrote to accompany them. Produced by Peter Zizzo (Vanessa Carlton, Avril Lavigne) and Michael Mangini (Joss Stone, David Byrne), the album reveals Jillettes pensive reflections on the world around her, all of which lead to a deeper understanding of self-identity. The real power comes from those songs about the musician herself, however and the rest of the album follows in tone.
Water In A Whale opens with the explosive and powerful, Torpedo, a song about resilience. I wrote it about my relationship with my career and my unwillingness to give up on my dream, says Jillette. I've been writing and playing music for whoever would listen since I was a little kid, and with that has come a lot of rejection and heartache. Torpedo is about absorbing those blows to my ego and then bouncing right back up to fight.
Jillette brings her impassioned live aesthetic onto the album, infusing each number with a sense of intimacy and fervor. The songs shift from light-hearted buoyancy of Bassett Hound to the heavy urgency of Cameron, showcasing a viable array of musical and lyrical inspiration. For Jillette, whose years of experience and practice have set her up for whats to come, the goal is to bring these songs to life for as many people as possible.
The next year or two I think are wide open, in terms of what amazing things could happen, the singer says. And I think its just up to me to work hard every day and have a lot of luck. I hope to really build my live show. I cant get to hung up on what exactly will happen. Its really just about every day playing my heart out and connecting with fans over human experiences.
10:30PM Show, Doors 10:00PM
21+ Admittance, General Admission
TICKETS ON SALE 3/24/17 10:00AM EST
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LocationThe Lilypad (View)
1353 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA 02139
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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