Interview with Jenny Woo
Rezine: What is the latest news?
Jenny Woo: Well, I’ve been working hard on releasing my new album “Proud of Every Scar” which I have been writing and recording since 2013. I was living in Russia and playing in a band there, but as of September 2014 I relocated to Italy and I’ve started up the band again here. I have also been touring a lot around Europe and recently in South America and Asia with my solo project, and I’ve got a few festival gigs this summer. In fact, there is so much happening that it’s hard to keep track of it all!
Rezine: What made you want to take the stage and start singing?
Jenny: To be honest I never really saw myself as a singer. I wanted to be a guitar player, and I even originally started playing the drums. I started writing songs at home on my acoustic guitar expecting that another vocalist would sing them, or that I could share them with my band. I wrote the songs about the values I believed in, and I wanted the songs to be played live because I thought that they contained ideas worth sharing.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a band that was willing to play the songs with me so I started out on my own and I started singing by necessity. It was a very uncomfortable experience and it took me a long time to get used to the sound of my own singing voice. That being said, I have come to love playing and singing through the years. I have a lot to say, and I believe in my lyrics so it’s an honor and a pleasure to have the opportunity to express myself through music.
Rezine: Who are the band members you share the stage with?
Jenny: When I was in Russia I played with some friends named Max, Dima, and Igor. Now that I live in Rome I have restarted the band with friends named Teo and Mattia. Teo is the drummer and he’s the man behind Mohican Tunes records and distribution in North Italy. Mattia is the bass player and I’m really grateful to have such great guys to share this experience with.
Rezine: What inspires the lyrics of your songs?
Jenny: I write songs about some of the experiences that I have lived, and experiences I think are universal. I write songs about pieces of advice I’ve been given, and about advice I have to give. I write songs about stories I’ve heard and the lives of people that I know. For example, “Here We Stand” is about some of my experiences in the skinhead scene... it’s about standing up for yourself and continuing despite the criticism and exclusion of your own community. They lyrics “They tried and tried, they fought and cried, got on their knees and prayed... but no matter what they do we’ll never fade away” refers to the fact that many people scream and shout in the skinhead scene about what’s “real” or not simply because they’re afraid of what’s different. And the strong will survive. Another song off the new album, “Glory Days” is about my youth growing up in the punk rock scene and how my mentality was as a teenager, and how it’s evolved as I’ve gotten older. The song “Your Name” off the album “Stronger” was written about the advice that my father gave me. When I was younger a few kids at my school would make fun of my name “Woo” because it sounded funny or because it was Chinese. However, he told me that our names are who we are, they are where we come from, they are our identity. We should hold onto our name and be proud of it, because it’s what gives us a place in the world.
Rezine: When you listen to other bands who are they and how do they influence you?
Jenny: I listen to a wide variety of music, however specifically in the oi! Scene right now I listen to a lot of Perkele, Lion’s Law, Rixe, Tim Steinfort, Bull Brigade, Nabat. In particular, I truly admire the guitar riffs of Perkele and how his guitar leads can lift a whole song and speak to the heart. I admire the power and strength in the stage presence/sound of Lion’s Law, the low-fi authenticity of Rixe, the traditional sound of Bull Brigade, and the sing-along gang vocals of Nabat. I try to take all of the things I love about other bands and their songs and use that inspiration for when I write and produce my own music.
Rezine: About the new album, how much work was it to bring it out?
Jenny: To be honest, I think that I have been working on this album since the beginning of 2013. It took me awhile to get all the songs written and to re-write and then re-write the songs again so that they sounded the way I heard them in my head. Sometimes you start with just a feeling and it’s hard to capture that exactly in the lyrics and the riffs, and so you have to work really hard and push your own limitations in order to capture what you want to share. I wanted to push my own limitations for this album in terms of song writing and also musicianship. I wanted to take the production quality as well to the next level, and as such I really had to push myself to practise, learn, and perform better.
Rezine: Is there a theme to the new album?
Jenny: The album is called “Proud of Every Scar.” I believe that we are mostly shaped by, and grow from, the adversity we face in life. The title refers to the fact that we should be proud of our scars because they are the landmarks of our lessons. We grow through pain. I also wanted to make a statement that no matter what other people try to do in order to bring you down, it can just make you stronger. Every critic can be a teacher and every insult can be a lesson. This album is a testament to everything I’ve learned and to how I’ve grown so much from the scars I have endured.
Rezine: Do you have songs that didn’t make it in the album that we might hear later?
Jenny: In every album-creating process there are always songs that don’t quite come together in time. I have a bunch of songs that are half-baked and that I’m hoping to put back in the oven.
Rezine: Do you have a song from the new album that you can’t wait to play in front of the crowd and what is it about?
Jenny: I think that there are a lot of songs on the new album that would sound great in front of a crowd – either acoustically or with the full band. One song I love to play is called “Hated and Proud” which is about the fact that popularity and acceptance is overrated... the people who make the biggest difference are the people who get the most shit. Sometimes being hated by a bunch of assholes is actually a compliment in disguise. The reason why I can’t wait to play it live is that it’s a very catchy and powerful song, it’s easy to sing along to, and I think that a lot of people could identify with it.
Rezine: You are coming to Montreal soon for a show. What can we expect to hear?? Do you have a plan to see other shows as well?
Jenny: Well actually I’m very excited about the upcoming Montreal show because I’ll be reuniting with my old punk band “The Birds of Prey.” The band started in Montreal in 2011 and we released one album and one single, and we played only six shows. The feeling was to create a sound influenced by ’77 punk rock, power pop, and oi!. I love this band and I miss playing our songs live. We haven’t played together in 4 years, and it will be a real honor and a privilege to join them again on stage. Additionally, I’ll be playing some songs from my acoustic set and I’ll be playing some songs from the first, second, third, and latest album. I guarantee good entertainment at every gig!
Rezine: What’s coming up for you in the near future?
Jenny: Well I’ve got my upcoming “Outlaw” tour coming up next month through Mexico, the United States, and Canada. After that I’ll be doing some album release parties in Europe and I’ll be doing some festival shows this summer with my band and acoustically. I think my band will be doing a 2 week tour through continental Europe and I’m hoping to be playing some “ex-oi!tica” gigs in Iceland, Turkey, and through the Balkans.