Jessi from the Songbirds, "Seven Questions for Songwriters"

SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR SONGWRITERS (Jessi Maxwell)
1. What makes you write?
Life experiences. It doesn’t matter how long ago something happened, if there is still a memory of it there is a good chance it will make an appearance somewhere in a song.

2. Who is the greatest unknown influence on your music?
My parents and all their musician friends. I have grown up watching, listening and participating in jams and such. It has really influenced my style of playing and singing.

3. What is your most closeted, secret, guilty and humiliating musical pleasure?
Erika Badu. I’m not really into R&B but I absolutely love her!

4. What established artist made you want to write songs, and why?
Jenny Lewis, Cheryl Crow, Dolly Parton, and lately I’ve really been getting into Brandi Carlile (there are many more, too many to name). I mostly look up to women musicians/songwriters. In the circle of musicians I grew up with there were quite a few women musicians. It wasn’t until I got out there on my own that I began to realize that the music scene is male dominated. I look up to established women musicians because I think it makes other girls realize that they too can be musicians. There needs to be more women who realize this and get involved in the local scene so we don’t get comments like “you are pretty good for a chick band”.

5. Advice for just‐starting songwriters?
When you need to write from your heart don’t worry about how people are going to interpret your words, there is nothing you can do about that. When there is nothing weighing heavy on your mind get out the notebook and write something fun. I think people like hearing a mix of serious songs and fun songs. Most important- play (and write) with other musicians!

6. Why country?
It was just a natural progression. The musicians I grew up with gave me my folk and bluegrass influence and my parents always had old time country (among many other genres) playing in every room in the house.

7. Favorite backwoods expression?
It’s one my best friend and I made up when we were 10 but it’s become a classic in that musician circle of friends I keep talking about. “Let’s pig out funny and junk up the place”

The SONGBIRDS will play the Honky Tonk Happy Hour on Friday, July 16th at 6:00 P.M. followed by the lovely and talented MISS MOLLY band at 7:00! We'll be at the Shrunken Head, 251 W. 5th Avenue Columbus OH, be there!