11 Questions With...Jennifer Haase

Here is another new series we will be having on the blog. It is a chance for us to bring to you some great talent that we feel is on the cusp of big things. Have an act you think we should know about? You can let us know via comments below. Also, a simple email sent to inflamedtemperament@gmail.com would work as well. Please don't spam us. It hurts our feelings.

This week we tackle 11 Questions with singer-songwriter, Jennifer Haase.

After you finish reading the questions below, how about you go check out her website? You can help with the completion of her new album by donating some cash (as low as $15, which gets you a copy of her album when it drops). I strongly suggest it. This chick rocks and you can always tell people you knew about her way back when.




Now, drum roll please...



11 Questions with Jennifer Haase


1. 5 words that describe your sound:

countrified folk pop with lemon


2. 5 words that describe your life:

leap before looking, wings spread


3. When did you know that you wanted to be a singer?

My parents have reel-to-reel and cassette tape recordings of my sister and I singing at a really young age.  I always enjoyed singing.  It was in my 20's when I decided to try my hand at songwriting, too.  That transformation to songwriter (and then later from a really bad one to a decent one) was deeply poignant for me.  I think I was 22. 


4. I see mentions of Alison Kraus and Emmylou Harris in a review on your website. Pretty amazing company. Who would you count as an influence on your music, both in contemporary and more classic artists?

When I first started writing songs, my biggest influences were what I called The Three C's: Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Rosanne Cash. I still listen to these three amazing songwriters faithfully, but I've added so many new influences since then. Patty Griffin, Sheryl Crow, and Aimee Mann are among the top of the list. 


5. I love the quote by Stephen Kellogg that mentions the sincerity in your voice. With today's music scene it seems so many people are products of an industry rather than true musicians. What do you think it is about your music that lets your sincere emotion grab people's attention?

You know, my record producer Mike Leslie (www.mikelesliemusic.com) and my recording engineer Robert L. Smith (www.defyrecordings.com) both say I'm a bit of a "straight from the journal" writer and maybe my somewhat confessional writing style is part of my draw. I also like to work with unique imagery when I can, making the same old theme sound more personal. I don't know why this is, but sometimes deeply personal songs are even more universal, too. Does that make sense? Well, anyway...you might ask those boys why they think my songs work. I'm a bit too close to the songs to know sometimes. 


6. Speaking of Stephen Kellogg (whose Sun Studio Session was featured on the blog in a live video clip of the day a few months back), you have appeared on/co-wrote the track “Another Midas Story” from his album South of Stephen. Tell us how you formed that friendship?

Stephen and I met in 1997 at "The Essence of Songwriting" workshop taught by Rosanne Cash at The Omega Institute.  It was a 5-day thing and truly changed my life. Stephen and I were paired up as co-writers for a song that week. "Another Midas Story" is that song, which we later recorded for Stephen's album "South of Stephen." I'm from Nebraska and was living there at the time of the workshop.  Stephen was the first person to say to me that I should move to the East Coast and take my songwriting seriously. When I did move to NYC, he was offering to help me book shows and offered to do some touring with me, but I wasn't ready.  I didn't have the confidence.  That was before he had a record label.  As you could imagine, I'm kicking myself about that lost opportunity now.  But there are amazing opportunities yet to come, I can feel that.  Stephen said recently that he'd like to produce some of my songs someday.  I would love that. 


7. Two of my dude friends have gigantic man crushes on him and one has seen his band over a dozen times, because he thinks they put on a great live show. How important are live shows to your music?

Everybody has a crush on Stephen Kellogg! And Stephen has always been so wonderful on stage.  Really energetic and fun.  Live shows are extremely important to me, too, though I don't do them enough yet. My success and happiness as a singer/songwriter is a balancing act between writing, networking and performing.  I'm still figuring that balance out.  Stephen has a support team, his band and his label.  I am all of those things for my own career right now, so it's harder to make it all happen at once.


8. What can fans expect from a live set of yours?

Lots of chit-chat and smiling self-deprication between soulfully sung tunes. And I've been known to wear a pretty rockin' cool hat a time or two. I usually perform alone with my 6-string, but look forward to some full band sets to support the album.


9. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Definitely churning out albums with record label support, with some great licensing deals and album cuts for other artists.  I do enjoy performing, but it's being a songwriter that I love the most.  I hope to do a lot more co-writing over the years, too.


10. Your next album, No More Invitations, is due out in the fall. How does it differ from your previous recordings?

'No More Invitations' is both a bit darker and more flirtatious than my first release (Listening Chair).  And it's quite a bit more pop sounding, too, on certain tracks.  Mike and I have been joyfully throwing down our best Beach Boys b-vox on a few of these songs, but others are so beautifully bare. We allowed ourselves to experiment more on this one, definitely.


11. Anything else about the new album that you want readers to know?

Rosanne Cash added a very special guest vocal to my song called "Oneonta" and I really look forward to sharing how lovely it turned out, when the album releases.



Here's her new single (which is available for purchase right here):



We would like to thank Jennifer for being our first 11 Questions guest. She's an awesome musician and a genuine person that we wish nothing but success for in her future musical endeavors. Check back with us as we check in on the progress of Jennifer's album and hopefully bring you future news on release dates, etc.



Also, check back soon for our next edition of 11 Questions.

Furthermore, you should really just check back every day. Why? Because Inflamed Temperament is where it's at.


Like you even needed to ask.