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Courtney Jaye: Traveling Light

By David Diehl

New Island Def Jam recording artist Courtney Jaye recently released her debut album, Traveling Light.

Shine caught up with pop's newest princess to talk about what it took to make the album, where she gets her inspiration, and what we can expect from her next...

Shine: First off, congratulations on your debut album, Traveling Light, being released today, June 7th. What does it feel like to have this dream come true?

Courtney Jaye: Probably one of the greatest feelings in the world. It's a chapter in my life, and I feel very, very fortunate to have captured it on record.

Shine: How did you get started in music?

Courtney Jaye: Well, I've pretty much been singing my whole life, but I started to play the guitar when I was about sixteen in high school. I've always been a music lover, and at that point in my life I was really into the Grateful Dead. That was what inspired me to start playing and then I just stumbled upon songwriting. Next thing I know I was writing songs and it all happened very naturally.

Shine: What was it like to make this record?

Courtney Jaye: It was so easy. It was so quick and it was so easy. We did it all in like five weeks. It was a beautiful process and the vibe with everybody that was in the studio with me was super. It was just all positive.

Shine: What was your inspiration for the album?

Courtney Jaye: What I wanted to do was bring all of the different places that I've moved in my life--and all the influences musically that I've gotten from those places--I wanted to bring them under one roof and accompany them with my songs, which are inherently pop songs. So, I wanted the instrumentation and the production to be very unique and eclectic, and somewhat organic at the same time.

Shine: You mentioned the Grateful Dead, but are there any other main musical influences for you?

Courtney Jaye: Neil Young was a big one, Ani DiFranco, a band called Ween that I love…a lot of singer/songwriters, Shawn Colvin…that whole kind of world.

Shine: You called your music inherently pop, is there any other way that you would describe it?

Courtney Jaye: Organic. Very natural. I wanted to make a pop record that sounded real and not overly produced, but still very lush at the same time.

Shine: You moved around a lot growing up. You've spent time in Atlanta, Kauai, Austin, LA...What was that like?

Courtney Jaye: That was amazing. I love traveling so it's always exciting for me to experience different people and different places. To go out of my comfort zone, and to go into a new place that I know nobody and know nothing about, has always been exciting to me.

Shine: Right, well here is a question with an obvious answer, did those experiences have anything to do with the title of this album?

Courtney Jaye: Absolutely, absolutely, Traveling Light, I mean that's…I don't have a home right now. So, if that gives you any indication, I am traveling extremely light.

Shine: What was it like with acclaimed producer Peter Collins, who's also worked with people like Bon Jovi, Rush, and Elton John?

Courtney Jaye: He's amazing. He is one of those people that I love all of the records that he has done and I was always a big fan of his. I sat down with him at a meeting, right before I was deciding on who was going to produce it, and I told him exactly what I wanted and the vision that I saw for this record, and he got it. I just walked out of the meeting like, "Oh, he gets it." And he's so classy too, ya' know, he's a classy dude. I wanted to make a classy pop record, and I really feel that he was very instrumental in helping to execute that.

Shine: So your first single is going to be "Can't Behave," which you co-wrote with Gary Louris of the Jayhawks. How was the process of creating this song? Why have you chosen it as the single? And will there be a music video?

Courtney Jaye: Yes, yes, yes. [laughing] Yes. Playing with Gary…I'm a big fan, so it was kind of a milestone for me to be able to say, "Oh my God, I just sat in a room with Gary Louris, somebody I look up to, and we just created something." It's pretty cool. He's a great guy and I just have all the love in the world for him. He's very inspiring to me, and I love drawing myself to artists who are very inspiring in that respect.

Shine: You start playing some shows in Atlanta this week, right? Do you like playing live for large audiences, that kind of thing?

Courtney Jaye: Yes, I have a whole week in Atlanta. I love it. Absolutely.

Shine: So, what other plans do you have for the near future?

Courtney Jaye: I think it's just to tour my ass off. Be on the road as much as possible and to promote the record. And then when Christmas comes I'll go back to Kauai for a couple months.

Shine: Well, that works. That sounds great.

Courtney Jaye: [laughing] Yeah, not a bad trade.

Shine: Well, Courtney, congratulations. These next few weeks should be really exciting and we at Shine wish you the best of luck!