We sit down to discuss her record-breaking single, what she really thinks of her One Tree Hill departure, and what superstar she may be joining on the road!
It’s going to be a busy year for our friend Jana Kramer! With the end of an era on One Tree Hill segueing into a blossoming music career, her star is on the rise, and Focus on the 615 is going to be there to cover it the entire way. We were thrilled to catch up with Jana for an exclusive interview. Although we were both fighting off illness, we had a great conversation discussing her music, her new album and what to expect from here on out.
Matt: Yesterday, your single Why You Wanna became the most added debut single in the history of Country Aircheck. Try to describe what that’s been like for you.
Jana: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. Everyone was going “yeah, you broke the record, you broke the record!” but it hasn’t had time to hit me yet! We kind of celebrated breaking it, but the fact that the radio stations actually came through and picked up the song, and the fact that we actually did break the record is insane. I’m excited!
Matt: That’s fantastic, and now the single has been downloaded over 200,000 times!
Jana: I swear One Tree Hill has the coolest and most devoted fans ever. And on top of it, the neat thing is, people will come up to me and say “I love your song, and I didn’t know you were on a TV show!” and that to me is the biggest compliment ever; that people are actually hearing me through my music.
Matt: That’s got to boost your confidence going into a debut album, right?
Jana: Yeah, what’s giving me confidence is just the fact that people like it, and going into the studio this next week [to finish the new album] is going to be exciting.
Matt: Let’s talk about the new album: What can we expect? Is it a simple introduction to Jana Kramer? An all-encompassing repertoire of your musical influence? How would you qualify it?
Jana: It’s me to the core. Scott Hendricks, my producer, and I wanted each song to represent some part of me, and I feel that each song does exactly that. I have my sassy side, and so I have a song that’s very sassy; and then there’s the honest, heartfelt song; then there’s the song that we’ve all been through where our heart was broken… literally each song I’ve lived, I’ve felt, and that’s what I want… for people to get to know me through my music if they haven’t already met me before.
Matt: You’re obviously a country singer, what kind of stylings and country influences are embedded in your music?
Jana: It’s country. It’s not too poppy, it’s more organic sounding. To me it’s refreshing.
Matt: Now, the common saying is “you have your entire life to write your debut album.” Did that prove true for you as well? How long has this been in the making?
Jana: I’ve been into music my entire life, but I never thought I’d be here talking about a “debut album.” I started writing when I was a little girl, but I really seriously started writing when I was 18 or 19. To know that 10 years later an album would actually be a work in progress… it means a lot. It’s going to be amazing, I’m just so excited!
Matt: So, we have to talk about One Tree Hill. Your last episode aired last night. What’d you think of the show, and how’s it feel to be done?
“I was really kind of bummed out with how the exit of my character happened.”
Jana: I was really kind of bummed out with how the exit of my character [Alex Dupre] happened. We didn’t know that we were going to get picked back up, so when we did, the shooting schedule was already in the process. And I didn’t want to wait for 2012 to start my radio tour, so I kind of had to pick one or the other… So they pretty much wrote out my character, which I understand, because they couldn’t shoot around my schedule. But it would have been nice to give my character a little more of an exit. But it all worked out, and I’m happy right now.
Matt: So it’s on to the singing career.
Jana: Yes!
Matt: Can we expect any more acting in the future? Or are you in Nashville to stay?
Jana: I’m definitely in Nashville to stay. I’m totally focusing on this, but if a project comes along that doesn’t interfere with music, I’d definitely do a project here or there. It’s definitely a part of me that I don’t want to lose.
Matt: After this album drops, what’s on the radar next?
Jana: I’m going to hopefully get on a tour. It’s nothing official; we haven’t locked anything down yet, but we’re definitely trying to lock something down very very soon.
Matt: Any idea who you might be touring with?
Jana: Possibly Brad Paisley. But I’ll be doing a bunch of fair dates and shows. I’ll be on the road pretty much the full year.
Matt: Nice! And I hear your debut video comes out next month…
Jana: I know, I’m so excited!
Matt: And sometime late spring, early summer on the album?
Jana: Yes sir!
Matt: Thank you so much for talking with us today!
Jana: Cool, thank you so much!
We’d like to congratulate Jana on everything so far. We are definately looking forward to the video, the album and Jana’s continued success in country music! And stay tuned, because sometime very soon, we will have the opportunity to sit down with her on camera to capture a little more Closer Look @ Jana Kramer.
Click here for our first Closer Look @ Jana!
