JJ WILDE – AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH THE CANADIAN ROCKER
Photo Credit: Victoria McEwan
By Ralph Beauchamp
JJ Wilde is an amazing Canadian rocker who has been on my radar for quite awhile. Since I listen to The Verge which is Sirius XM’s Canadian outlet, I’ve been exposed to her dynamic music. She released her first EP, Wilde Eyes, Steady Hands in 2019. It was followed up by her debut album entitled Ruthless in 2020. Along the way, her songs have hit multiple Canadian music charts and Ruthless even won Rock Album of the Year at the 2021 Juno Awards. JJ Wilde just released her newest EP, Best Of Me (Part 1).
Wilde‘s music is fiery and her personal style is altogether ruthless. Think a young Joan Jett with modern day nuances. She takes no prisoners. Her tracks are both profoundly brazen with sublime arrangements and cinematically propulsive. But the Best Of Me (Part 1) showcases another side of Wilde. The songwriting is more sophisticated and orchestrated. The new EP delivers a more mature artist with stellar textures and a singular beauty.
Best Of Me (Part 1) opens with the airy “Arizona” which features tenacious vocals and layers of intricate guitar riffs. “Best Of Me” has a laid back country rock vibe similar to a Sheryl Crow groove, “Hands” brings the emotional depth. You can feel Wilde‘s anthemic intonations. It’s my favorite track on the record. “Say” rocks out with an infectious rhythm. Wilde‘s voice soars with a blazing eloquence. “Bad Side” is brash and filled with gnarly vocals and a molten lava cadence. Wilde already has dropped a new single called “Options” and once again Wilde takes on new ground. The track has pop sensibilities and an impetuous beat. Wilde won’t be typecast. She is a free spirit.
JJ Wilde was kind enough to sit with AMP for this in-depth interview.
AMP: What got you into music?
JJ: I’m a lover of music. I connected at a very early age. My family is extremely musical, My older brother was a big influence. He had the kind of talent that when he picked up any instrument, he could play it. I had other family members who also played. This totally sparked my interest in being a musician. In addition, my parents were huge music fans who played their music loud throughout the house. I guess it was just a product of my environment.
AMP: Who were your early inspirations?
JJ: My first foray into music heavily relied on my father’s tastes. He’s British and came to Canada when he was 14. He had a great pulse on the British underground scene. So, early on he exposed me to artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Elvis Costello. My mother’s favorites were Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon. She also framed my musical influences. From there, I began to develop my own preferences like AC/DC.
In my teens I kind of went more folk. I discovered Damien Rice. Also, Adele and Amy Winehouse filtered through my influences. Modest Mouse is another one. My inspirations really vary. As I grew older, I began to appreciate other genres outside of rock. If the music is good, I will listen. It’s all one big mix.
AMP: Can you give us some insight into your creative process?
JJ: It’s looks different every day. It mostly starts when I get some sort of inspiration. It’s hard for me to just sit down and tell myself to be creative. For me, I have to lean into that special feeling I get when I’m not thinking about it. I can be doing any mundane thing and all of a sudden a melody pops into my head. Then I run to my guitar and pray I remember what just happened when I hit record. I don’t usually get a full song. Most of the time it’s just a melody or a chorus. Later I go back to finish it. It’s that initial spark that starts the entire process.
AMP: Do you feel your new EP and single are an evolution in musical style from your previous material?
JJ: Yes I do. That’s the goal of any artist. As an artist, you should constantly be evolving and growing. As we expand as people, our music should reflect that change. Obviously, it is comfortable to stay in your safe zone but I love to push the boundaries. By pushing forward, you learn what you are capable of. There is a lot that has occured in my life since my first release and hopefully that change has transformed my art.
I also try to bend genres a lot more. My early songs were kind of raw and savage but my new tracks have a new step while still having a kick. I’m having fun playing with the softer side of music which is new to me. My sound and life is ever changing.
AMP: What kind of themes do you embed in your songs?
JJ: That’s also ever changing for me. The one constant is personal growth. I’ve been on this journey since I was a teenager. I’m constantly trying to find myself and figuring out why I’m here and what I am doing. I think a lot of people feel that way. Once you think you have things figured out, life throws you a curveball. I find my music is reflective of those curveballs. It’s a constant struggle to navigate through your life’s paths and that totally gets into my songwriting. Themes of self empowerment, recklessness, mistakes and messiness all find their way into the soul of my music. It’s all about life.
AMP: Is there a band (past or present) that you would have loved to be part of?
JJ: I’m a huge Tom Petty fan and I think that would be a great band to be part of. I never met him or saw him live but he seemed like the coolest guy. I couldn’t imagine being in that van and it not being fun. Another band would be Kings Of Leon.
Also, I would have loved to shoot pool with Amy Winehouse. She is one of my all time favorites. We played a show in Camden, England and I found this bar that had a big picture of her on the wall. It turns out to be a bar she frequented and when she couldn’t pay her bar tab, they would make her work the next day. Just sitting there was like being in heaven.
AMP: What do you want your fans to take away from your music?
JJ: I think art is subjective. Music is art and it hits everybody differently. For me, I just want them to feel something and feel connected in some way, Hopefully, I can help them get through some of their ills. That’s what music does for me. Whether happy or sad, my songs are the soundtrack of my life and I hope my songs get added to someone else’s soundtrack so they can continue down their path.
AMP: What do you do on your downtime when you aren’t on the road or in the studio?
JJ: I love to hike. I’m an avid outdoors person. I’m usually stoned, walking my dog in the woods. Enjoying nature helps me decompress. It’s the only time my mind isn’t swimming with ideas. I get to be totally present just hearing the wind rustling through the trees. I know that sounds corny but that’s what I really enjoy.
AMP: If you could collaborate with any artist (again past or present) who would it be and why?
JJ: Jessie Reyez would be a dream collab. She is such a badass strong woman. That would be my number one. Bob Dylan would be another thrill. Just to be in a room with him would be incredible. He can make poetry out of anything. I would love to watch him work and write a song.
AMP: What is next for JJ Wilde?
JJ: I know I just released an EP but there is more music coming. There is my new song, “Options” that just dropped which leans into this next project. It’s been a couple of hard years building all this new music and now it’s all coming out. More music and more shows. I’m not stopping.
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