Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Jolene Lozano

THE RELEASE

Hailing from New Jersey, Jolene Lozano has carved a niche for herself in San Francisco's music world, captivating listeners with her emotive and soulful vocals. She has garnered over 150k Spotify streams and a devoted following of more than 1000 monthly listeners. Jolene's passion for music and songwriting was kindled in her childhood by her father, who wrote songs for her and her sibling. This ardor intensified during the pandemic when she bonded with a college professor over their mutual love for music. Sharing her doubts and aspirations, Jolene presented a demo of her debut single, "Balloon," to the professor, who was so taken aback that he introduced her to his son, Ryan Martin. Since then, Jolene and Ryan have joined forces on all her musical endeavors, forging a dynamic alliance that allows her distinctive artistry to flourish.

Her newest single, "Imaginary Wonderland," whisks listeners away on an enchanting odyssey of dreams and optimism, providing a respite from the monotony of daily life. Drawing from her own longing for excitement after a tedious workday, Jolene, in collaboration with Ryan Martin, has sculpted an auditory landscape that whisks listeners away to a realm of infinite potential. This track showcases Jolene's imaginative prowess, her innate ability to resonate with her audience, and the adaptability of her singular artistic voice. Listeners have been entranced by the otherworldly lyrics and celestial sound of "Imaginary Wonderland," deriving solace and motivation from Jolene's message. Eagerly, Jolene unveils her latest single to the world, inspiring fans to craft their own "wonderland" of hope and creativity.

THE INTERVIEW

What song or moment in time sparked your passion for music?
I've carried a love of music for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is singing "Mary Did You Know?"in a kindergarten play. I loved the song and fell in love with singing. I couldn't explain it, but it just felt so good. My passion for music was heavily influenced by my father, who was a composer and songwriter in the Philippines. Despite working long hours, he never lost his passion for music. When he came home from work late at night, he would sing a song he wrote for me and my brother called "Kiss & Hug"to help us fall asleep. I grew up listening to my dad play the piano for hours, and he was also the one who taught me how to play the piano and provided me with the tools to create and express myself through music.

If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?

This is such a lovely question! My Mount Rushmore of inspiration would consist of four individuals who have molded me into the artist I am today.

1. First up is Aretha Franklin, the QUEEN of soul! She is the core of my singing inspiration. I used to get really nervous singing in front of anyone, but when I sing Aretha songs, a new, more confident version of myself emerges, and it feels amazing. (My go-to karaoke song is always "Respect".)

2. Amy Winehouse is another significant singing inspiration for me. I remember hearing her for the first time and being struck by the unique, soulful, bluesy quality of her vocals, while also conveying a strong sense of emotion and vulnerability in her music. I admire the way she brought her true, authentic self into her music and was unafraid to express her personal struggles.

3. Odesza is a major influence on my music style. Many of my songs have a dreamlike quality, which is strongly influenced by Odesza's music. I love how their music transports me to another world, creating a dreamlike state. Not only are they incredible musicians, but they also create innovative music experiences for their audiences. I was blown away when I saw their HP music dome at the Panorama Festival in NYC. The visual experience became a core inspiration behind my pursuit of music-tech projects and creating epic concerts.

4. Lastly, Brasstracks is a musical inspiration for me. I discovered them on SoundCloud during high school or early college and fell in love with their song "Moments". It gave me chills! From that"moment"(no pun intended) on, I was obsessed with horns and trumpets, and vowed to one day make music with epic brass parts that make people want to get up and dance.

How does your creative process work from the moment you develop the idea to the completion of the record?

It really depends! Sometimes I start with the lyrics first, sometimes the melody - it's a mixed bag. I keep a running list of notes on my phone of ideas and feelings that pop into my mind throughout the day. For "Imaginary Wonderland,"I actually came up with the lyric "I put my headphones in, press play, set the scene - before it's my stop, I play fantasy" while riding the train home after a long day of work. Every time I commuted back home, I had this routine of always putting my headphones in, getting lost in my thoughts, and pretending like I was somewhere else (and having my own main character moment, of course). While I'm a big dreamer, I also wanted to convey the insecurities and struggles I've faced that have made me feel like I've prevented myself from chasing my dreams - fear of failure, comparing myself to others, low self-esteem, and then running away. Once I write the song, I send it over to Ryan, my amazing producer, for his thoughts. He does his magic, and we create an awesome record together.

As for this release, who is the producer and what about the production moved you?

Ryan Martin Potts is my AMAZING producer. He is incredibly versatile, having produced EDM songs, rock, punk, and on top of all that, he writes and sings his own amazing music (folk/acoustic) under the name Ryan Carter Martin on all platforms (be sure to stream him!). He is also a mixing engineer at Quad Studios and has worked on a bunch of awesome records, including blackbear, Cyndi Lauper, Offset, and more. In my last year of college, I bonded with my strategic management professor over music during online office hours. I opened up to him about how much I loved music but was totally lost and how I had a bunch of insecurities about putting myself and my music out there. I ended up sending him a demo of my song for feedback/thoughts. He ended up really liking the song and connected me to his son, Ryan, who happened to be a songwriter/producer! And that is how my debut single "Balloon" was made! We have been working on music ever since, and I feel so lucky to have had them both in my music journey. Both are incredibly talented and genuine people. I gave Ryan a demo of"Imaginary Wonderland" with a super simple piano loop while I sang over it. Based on the lyrics and feel, I wanted the song to be dreamlike, conveying the pensiveness and anxiousness that come with a mini-existential crisis of"what am I doing?" but also be fun for people to jam out to and sing. Within a week of listening to that demo, Ryan was able to bring my lyrics more to life through his beautiful production and more emphatically express every emotion I wanted to convey and every emotion I was feeling when I wrote the song. I don't know how he does it, but every time I send him a simple demo, he produces the song in a way that lets those emotions shine.

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