We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jenni Dale Lord. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jenni Dale below.

Jenni Dale, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I suppose, technically, I started my creative career at a fairly young age. I, however, took longer than I should have to really give it my all. When I was 19, I moved to Austin, Texas to pursue a career in music, but I chose to focus on sowing my wild oats instead. Moving to the big city from country life, doing things I’d never done, it was a whole new world and I wanted to play in it. If I had put forth the effort into my music then that I do now, who knows where I might be. It’s a regret I carry. I guess that’s a toxic trait of mine – not realizing what I have until its too late. So yes, I wish I would have “started” my creative career sooner. I think about that all the time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I fell in love with music before my earliest memories. My mom tells the story how I’d sing myself to sleep in my baby swing. Even before I knew words, I’d hum a tune. She put me in piano lessons at four years old, guitar lessons at 11, and joked how no one could ever listen to the radio without me singing along. Music is in my blood.

Over the years, I’ve released seven full-length albums, put together a band, and worked hard to insert myself into a saturated industry. Writing songs is my passion. I enjoy performing, playing guitar, and signing, but when it comes down to it, it’s the lyrics that hold my heart.

The songs I love the most are the ones that get you in the feels. I joke in most of my shows that the heart-strings are my favorite things to play. I’m really in love with the ballads. While I love to show people a good time, I secretly love to make them cry – not because I want them to be sad, but because I want them to really get what I’m saying, to understand, to empathize, to connect – and when that happens, it’s the greatest feeling. My songs are true. They are real. They are my life.

I’m grateful to have my music played on Country radio, but the Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll are undoubtedly an influence on me and my songs. My heroes span every genre. When you love music as much as I do, it’s hard to limit your tastes to one style or another.

I am so proud of the music I’ve made. I’m even proud of the journey – regrets and all. I see life differently than when I first started. I like to think I’ve grown – as a singer, as a musician, as a songwriter, and as a human being.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Playing music in Austin, Texas is not a lucrative career unless you’re at the top. A city full of musicians willing to play for exposure makes it nearly impossible to make a living. (I have yet to figure out how to pay my rent with exposures.) I went to culinary school and worked as a chef by day musician by night. Eventually, working a full-time job meant less time for my “music career.” So I settled down, got married, and basically decided to live a standard Nine-to-Five and give up on my dreams. It wasn’t long after, my marriage crumbled, my job fell apart, and I found myself extremely unhappy.

With no ties to Austin anymore, I packed up at 30 years old and moved to Lubbock, Texas. Did I think I would find a booming music scene there that would get me back on track and working toward the thing I always wanted? Heck, no! But I did. I started playing some gigs and before I knew it, I was happy again. Is it always easy, no. But do I ever regret it? No. I’ve learned that the biggest mistake I made was not going for it when I should have.

Was I a little old to be starting over? Maybe. But people start over all the time. It’s never too late. Without that change, I may not be living the life I’ve always wanted – playing music full time, on the road, and seeing the world.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

There’s a ton of unsigned music out there that’s really great. The biggest stars were once local acts. When you “shop local” you really are helping your neighbor pay rent, not helping another record label exec buy another house. Go see live music in your town. Tip the band. Buy tickets to their shows. Pick up an album. Most likely, your local artists have dedicated a large portion of their lives to learning those skills. I think sometimes it gets overlooked that artists spent years honing their crafts. They may have spent a few hours playing a gig, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The best thing society can do to support artists is support artists. Sometimes it’s even just an “atta boy!” that’ll keep a creative creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: jennidalelord.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jennidale
• Facebook: facebook.com/JDLMusic
• Twitter: twitter.com/jennidalelord
• Youtube: youtube.com/jennidalelord

Image Credits
Carley du Menil