Jenn Cristy

Local musician Jenn Cristy brought people of all ages together for a night of exceptional sounds and nostalgic memories. Cristy released her new CD, �Hotel Confessions,� on Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The show highlighted her first release since being signed last year to a new distribution deal; Gracie Productions, an affiliate of major-label corporation, EMI, that marked a change in her sound last November.
�I am absolutely tickled to be here,� said singer Chad Mills, who performed with his band as an opening act. �I learned from a very young age to love the cream and crimson.�
The concert began with Mills and his band. He played for about an hour, singing about a wide array of issues from homelessness to growing up. His songs centered on ideas of nostalgia, Hoosier values and returning home to Indiana.
Cristy provided piano for the final song in his set before addressing the audience with her own history as a local artist.
�This has been three years in the making,� Cristy said. She said that making the album was like preparing for a wedding. Cristy began with the song �Tiny Windows,� which incorporated soul and pop while allowing her to utilize her classical piano skills. Her set included a mix of songs from all three of her albums. Each song incorporated her three core elements: voice, piano, and backing band.
She had a band composed of 10 people behind her that helped add to the dimension of her sound. Between songs, Cristy would lead improvisational sessions where the band members played off each others� beats. Prior to playing her song �Mr. Beautiful Brown Eyes,� she announced that her new CD�s name was an allusion to the song�s lyrics.
�It sounds dirty, and I like it,� she said about the title.
She then invited the audience to dance to the music in front of the stage. Later in the show a young boy named Dylan came onto the stage at Cristy�s suggestion and danced for the crowd, who chanted for him.
She filled the theater with lyrics that seemed to resonate with the audience as they swayed to the beat of �1,000 Broken Hearts� from her new CD.
�The idea behind the song is that I would deal with 1,000 broken hears for love,� she said to the crowd.
Cristy received a standing ovation at the end of her performance. After a few minues of clapping, Christy came out for an encore performance.
�I always wanted to play at Carnegie Hall, so I guess I will close this chapter in my life and play some classical music for you all,� she said.
After playing on the piano, she decided to finish her encore by rocking out with the band.
Audience member Mandee Combs traveled from Terre Haute, Ind., to see Cristy�s release show. Combs said she has been a fan of Cristy�s from the beginning and is also friends with Dave Dwinell, who is the drummer in the band.
�They rocked,� Combs said. �Their music just flows. They sounded incredible.�



- IDS newspaper

The next night, the Bus-Chum stage goes dark before Jenn Cristy and her band unveil new songs live at a CD release show for �Hotel Confessions.� The album has ample room to showcase Cristy�s powerful, soulful yet intricate vocals and dextrous piano playing in what sounds like a rock musical for mischievous love � and love gone wrong � with kiss and tells and morning afters (�running from the things we know�all of us are lying to protect ourselves�). The CD of foot-tapping originals moves to the bedroom and back through such titles as �Dirty� and �Bleed� to the often requested �Butterfly Wings� and �Mr. Beautiful Brown Eyes� (�mister I�ll call you later / I won�t lose your number�). It was recorded at Bloomington�s Farm Fresh Studios in five days over the summer by Cristy and her band � Dave Dwinell (percussion), Andy Stocker (guitar) and Al Paurazas (bass) � with an appearance by Moe Z. - The Herald Times

MYSBLT Bands to watch in 2010: Part 1. Jenn Cristy

by Taylor Roberts in Album Reviews, Musician Reviews, Reviews, bands to watch

In this issue MYSBLT: Music You Should Be Listening To:

We are proud to bring you the first installment of a double feature: Artists to watch in 2010. I’ve been lucky enough to sit down with two acts that represent the bright and promising future for independent music. Up first is Indiana’s own soul-rocker, Jenn Cristy. She’s been building her musical resume since 2000 and has recently generated quite a buzz as the Jenn Cristy Band has released their third album, Hotel Confessions. I recently met with the front woman whose motto, “Less Diva, More Rock!” sums up her sound perfectly. In a basement coffee bar in Bloomington, Indiana, we discussed her impressive history in music, influences and the new album. MYSBLT is proud to feature her as our first act to watch in 2010 and we can’t wait to see the great things she has in store for us.

Jenn Cristy’s story reads like every other rock diva today: A classically trained pianist from the age of 4, gets accepted into a prestigious music school, begins working with a rock legend and then embarks on a solo project… That’s how Courtney Love did it right? Ok maybe not. But that is what makes Jenn’s music and story all the more exciting and intriguing. Jenn was gracious enough to wake up early the morning after a gig to sit down with me and discuss her journey, influences and new album.

Jenn Cristy began her musical journey at the ripe age of 4, being trained in classical piano while growing up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 14 years later, she was accepted into the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Cristy entered her collegiate career with no aspirations of becoming a rock star or fronting a band. With her background in classical piano, rock was the furthest thing from her radar. She later discovered the music school was going to interfere with swim team practices and she changed her major. After all, her sights were set on becoming a swimming coach after graduation and as she puts it, “I’ve only got this body for a short time, so I had better take care of it!” As she had moved herself away from music and focused on school, she received an offer she couldn’t refuse. Based on a reputation she had built from singing national anthems and working with local acts, Jenn Cristy was asked to help out on a small, little album, for a small, little band; by the name of John Mellencamp. “I’ve supported a lot of acts, on a lot of projects… mostly local… but obviously, Mellencamp was the big one.” Jenn not only brought her piano skills to the 2001 release Cuttin’ Heads, but she sang vocals, played violin, organ and flute, spending entire days in the studio learning new instruments. Cristy took pride in the fact that she was “…the first one in the studio and the last one to leave.” Her advice to young musicians is that, “…if you want to be part of something, you need to be there the whole time.” Not a bad idea. Following her stint in the studio, she hit the road for an 18 month tour to support the album, which included the incredibly emotional set at the 9-11 tribute concert in New York City.

Upon returning from the Cuttin’ Heads tour, Jenn Cristy decided it was time for something different. In 2003, she moved to the front of the stage to begin her career as a leading woman. She was determined to speak her own mind and bring a new fusion of rock and soul to the scene. This was when I first was introduced to her by a mutual friend and instantly, I knew she had something special.

The Jenn Cristy Band slowly unleashed its own brand of classic rock guitar riffs and bruising drums mixed with soul inspired piano melodies and a voice that would bring down Broadway. For the next six years Jenn worked with more than a dozen musicians cycling them through, one by one as she searched for the right combination of attitude and talent. Cristy released two albums between 2003 and 2008, which she describes as a chaotic “…learning process…” Needless to say, both albums fell short of her potential and vision for her music. Then comes 2009 and the release of Hotel Confessions. With a budget conscious eye and limited studio space, the band rehearsed and did arrangements for 8 weeks before recording. The preparation truly pays off as the new album finally places Cristy at the forefront of a new recipe for a soul-rock combination. Hotel Confessions is far and away the most mature and professional album for Jenn Cristy. It shows her range at vocals and capitalizes on her ability to tickle the ivories like no one else in rock. The album is a new take on piano fronted rock as her work is masterful and reflects her years of dedication to the craft. Every element of the album is right on target with the vision Jenn has for her music. It’s dark and beautiful, classic but new and more listener friendly than her past attempts.

So go to your neighborhood record store and pick up a copy! …or not…

Unfortunately, Hotel Confessions is not sitting on shelves just waiting for your grubby little hands. The long and sometimes traumatic experience of trying to land a label has limited distribution of the album. Though the hope is to have millions of fans buying millions of copies of her music, Jenn is not willing to have a label limit her creative vision. Her early experiences with loser managers and a digital distribution deal gone wrong have taught her to take her time to insure she works with the right people. After all, it’s the digital age and independent musicians can do a lot for themselves through social networking websites, live shows and use of the “blog-o-sphere”. The Jenn Cristy Band is representing themselves beautifully, as Hotel Confessions is available for purchase through Jenncristy.com, can be streamed on Myspace and picked up at shows. There is also a fan page on Facebook that provides the latest in news, tour dates and music.

So what’s on tap for Jenn Cristy in 2010 that has MYSBLT all a buzz? In addition to glorious new album, the band will be touring extensively throughout the Midwest and the East Coast beginning in the spring. Not to mention, Cristy is back at the table writing new songs and laying the ground work for the next album. Be sure to check her websites for more information and give the new tracks a listen. It is only a matter of time before Jenn Cristy and her soul-infused rock starts blasting ear drums from coast to coast. Keep rocking Jenn, MYSBLT will always be a fan!

Be sure to check out our next post in which we will feature the Los Angeles band, Local Natives as our second band to watch in the New Year. They’re busy touring with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and met me at the Boulder Theatre to discuss their recent signing with the indie label Frenchkiss as well as the February 16th release, Gorilla Manor, and their plans for 2010. For now,

Love, peace and chicken grease. - Princeton Record Exchange

by Matt Erler
Jun 25, 2008 Jenn Cristy, Original State of Mind
Locals Only, 2449 E. 56th St.
Friday, June 28, 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Sometimes getting your foot in the door is about being in the right place at the right time.

In the spring of 2001, classically-trained pianist and Indiana University swimmer Jenn Cristy was asked to sing the National Anthem at an IU basketball game.

Halfway through the game, Cristy was approached by a man who worked for an impressed John Mellencamp. A huge IU sports fan, the singer was at the game and asked her to join his band for the recording of 2001's Cuttin' Heads and the subsequent world tour.

"It was a shock for everyone around me more than it was for myself," Cristy said. "I'm not one to get my hopes up until something actually follows through … I wasn't blown away by it until I actually started recording."

It was an experience that helped shape Cristy, both as a person and as a musician.

"It was a complete slam in the face professionally," Cristy said. "I learned so much about recording. I started developing my own voice. Watching John and how much of a perfectionist he is helped me start my solo career."

Cristy sang backup for Mellencamp through 2002 and recorded vocals for Cuttin' Heads track "Peaceful World."

She then played five shows for Mellencamp during his "Summer Work" tour before receiving the news that she and her husband were pregnant. She left the tour immediately. In 2003, her daughter April was born, and Cristy started her own band.
Becoming a solo artist

By 2005, Cristy had independently released her first solo record. Becoming, a mix of jazzy, piano-based pop. It isn't one of Cristy's favorites. "I wasn't crazy about it, but it was a good start," she said.

"One of the biggest obstacles I had during the first album was trying to figure out what sound I wanted," Cristy said. "I had already worked with a lot of different musicians and hadn't quite heard things come together the way I wanted them to. I also became incredibly impatient with the first album. I wanted it done and ended up rushing the whole process, which in the end didn't work in my favor."

Still, it helped establish the singer's sound.

That sound has roots in Cristy's early life in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Her parents got her started in music early, classically training her as a pianist. She stayed busy.

"I don't remember getting very much sleep," Cristy said. "I practiced more than most kids at a young age, both piano and swimming."

Her classical upbringing kept Cristy from being exposed to the kind of music American teens were listening to — Cristy remembers playing Rachmaninoff, not Billy Joel or Paul McCartney.
Naturalistic neo-soul

Despite Cristy's relatively straight-forward sound — she's not exactly the first singer to take a piano and belt out neo-soul music — her music is surprisingly naturalistic. While she could easily be compared to half a dozen piano men and women — Billy Joel, Tori Amos, etc. — she's her own woman.

"I consider them influences but I don't necessarily try to emulate anybody," Cristy said. "I was compared to fellow musicians who were guys because of the way I played," she said. "I like playing aggressively. I like playing into the keys more. I think being an athlete really carried over when it came to playing the way I did."

After the growing pains of her first album, recording has grown more natural for the singer. She released her second, self-titled album in 2006, and has kept up a busy touring schedule since then, including repeat appearances at Locals Only.

"It has definitely gotten easier," Cristy said. "My expectations are much higher for myself and for my band. They have helped me define my sound and I'm very excited to see where we go with the third album."

Four songs from that upcoming third album, recorded at Bloomington's Echo Park Studios, are available on the singer's Myspace page: www.myspace.com/jenncristy.

"With this album I've grown up a lot," Cristy said. "Musically, I've grown up a lot. Lyrically, I've grown up a lot. The newer songs are a lot catchier. People are singing along to them after three or four times."
- Nuvo Magazine

July 14, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston
Photos by Mary Abreu

jenn cristy

Cincy Groove: When did you start playing piano? Do you play any other instruments?

Jenn Cristy: I started taking piano lessons at the age of 4. I play guitar, the flute in high school band, then came percussion. My senior year in high school I switched to the violin. I started playing guitar in college and picked up the oboe as well on a whim. My most recent instrument I have picked up is the digeriedo. I just love learning new things.

Cincy Groove: Do you play any other instruments besides piano on stage?

Jenn Cristy: Just keyboards. I did play percussion and flute when I toured with John Mellencamp. I have played guitar a few times, but I can't seem to take myself seriously when I'm playing it. I think my band get a kick out of me trying to play something new on stage.


incy Groove: Are you working on a new album?

Jenn Cristy: Well, we are hoping to get picked up before we head into the studio for the third album. If we don't get any backing, I hope to have the new album out by early next year. We do have 4 new songs on my myspace page that will be appearing on the new album.

Cincy Groove: What kind of music was playing in your house growing up?

Jenn Cristy: Zamphir, who was a pan flutist, Elvis and Celine Dion were the main three. There wasn't really influence from those 3. I was classically trained, so there was a lot of classical music as well. My dad bought me a double cassette of Queen when I was younger. Probably Queen and Weird Al Yankovic were the first bands that I heard on my own. My older brothers listened to Pink Floyd.

Cincy Groove: So how did you end up going on tour with John Mellencamp?

Jenn Cristy: I was a swimmer at Indiana University, where I had won 3 Big Ten championships my senior year. To announce the accomplishment, they had me sing the National Anthem at a Indiana - Illinois mens basketball game. I had song the National Anthem a few times at swim meets and one previous time at a basketball game, it was a fun thing to do. But John Mellencamp was in the audience at the basketball game and ended up asking me if I would be interested in coming out and talking to him at his studio, and possibly recording and touring with him. The next week was the NCAA's and right after that I went straight into the studio.


Cincy Groove: What was it like the first time you went out on stage with John?

Jenn Cristy: I believe it was out in California. We recorded the album and then we rehearsed so much that by the time we went out on stage, it was almost like it came automatically. It was very cool standing back stage hearing the crowd start screaming. But once I got on stage the adrenaline took over and it was really overwhelming, but a great feeling.

Cincy Groove: I understand John still lives there in Indiana. I think its really cool that somebody of John's fame decided to stay in a small town.

Jenn Cristy: Yeah he lives just about 15 minutes from me. You know its really hard to get started in an area and break through, which we have finally done here in Bloomington. It was estimated there was 1,100 people at our last outdoor concert here. Last year there were 500 and 2 years before that, nobody knew who we were. People would ask us why we are staying here in Bloomington. I told them John stayed here and he is doing pretty well. Its kind of like an oasis in the middle of Indiana. Once you have been here a while you will realize why John stayed. Its just a really cool town.

I have known a couple bands that had really good followings here and they left to try and break through somewhere else. I always said why would you do that? You can stay here play for 500 people and make money. Slowly the word will get out, you just have to be patient.

Cincy Groove: What is your songwriting process like?

Jenn Cristy: Usually when I get an idea I will write it down in a composition notebook. If its something that I think will come together quickly I will sit down at the piano and see if I can get a verse or a whole song done. The songs I get done in 15 minutes are the ones people seem to like more. Because they are more simple and not over done. Others will end up taking a month or more. It varies.

Cincy Groove: What do you like to so when you are not performing?

Jenn Cristy: I really think I would rather be performing over everything else, outside of being a mom and a wife. I have some friends I like to hang out with on a regular basis. I'm a big, big movie person. I think we have close to 600 dvd's, so we are always watching movies. But as far as free time goes, I try to spend as much time as I can online doing research, looking at other bands, looking at other venues, doing anything I can to get the word out. - Cincy Groove Magazine

Video Interview with Dave Lindquist ’Off the Record’

OFF THE RECORD
with Dave Lindquist/Indy Star

Jenn Cristy's new sound and distribution deal
Jenn Cristy released four songs Nov. 25, 2008 at the iTunes Store and other download outlets. (Credit: Photo provided by Jenn Cristy)

Jenn Cristy, a former star swimmer at Indiana University and backing vocalist in John Mellencamp's
band, has a new sound and a new distribution deal. She released four songs Nov. 25 at the iTunes
Store and other download outlets.

Cristy says she's excited to have worldwide access to listeners after signing with Gracie
Productions. The company, which features Indianapolis-based singer-songwriter Sally Anthony on its
roster, is affiliated with major-label corporation EMI.

Keyboard specialist Cristy released her debut album, "Becoming," in 2005 and its follow-up, "Jenn
Cristy," in 2006.

Cristy says the online tracks "Butterfly Wings," "Mr. Beautiful Brown Eyes," "Collide" and "Shelter
Me" are a preview to an album she plans to title "Hotel Confessions."

The compositions are the most energetic and accessible to date from Cristy, who appeared on
Mellencamp's 2001 album, "Cuttin' Heads."

"I'm trying to be a lot more aware of what people want to hear," she says. "I'm not changing
necessarily what I'm doing musically, but I'm trying to figure out those little things that make
people start to sing along."

Devoted fans frequently gather to catch Cristy shows at Players Pub in Bloomington, where she lives,
and at Locals Only in Indianapolis.

Her storytelling has become more direct, and she says listeners are responding.

"I know there are a lot of random lyrics I don't throw in anymore," she says. "I take my time and
say, 'OK, I'm going to put something smart here and not just some filler.'."

Cristy, who's happily married and a mother offstage, skewers no-good significant others in the
lyrics of "Butterfly Wings" and "Mr. Beautiful Brown Eyes."

"He doesn't take anything personally," she says of husband Ben Strawn. "I write love songs and I
write man-hating songs, still."

Jenn Cristy

Showtime: Dec. 6, Ragazzi Arte Cafe, Bloomington. Call (812) 323-9005.

Hear her: www.myspace.com/jenncristy - Indianapolis Star

Bloomington native rocks the park
Local singer Jenn Cristy plays free local concert
Sara Amato | IDS | 7/9/2007

Bloomington singer and songwriter Jenn Cristy sets up her keyboard for a free concert at Third Street Park. As she checks her microphone, the crowd moves in and sets their blankets on the grass. Children are laughing, dancing and playing with each other. Cristy's 4-year-old daughter, April, runs around her father, Ben Strawn.

April, who is wearing a red cowboy hat with a "Jenn Cristy" pin tacked into it, hugs her father and smiles. She says she's proud of her mother. As Cristy gets ready to begin the concert, April looks up and says, "Hey, there's Mommy!"

Cristy opens her set with a new song called "Collide," which describes waiting for the good and bad things in life to crash into each other. She transitions right into the next song as approximately 400 audience members cheer her performance.

Drummer Dave Dwinell has been playing behind Cristy for almost two years and feels they work well together. He said he likes the kind of product she's making and feels other people like it, too. He said the main charm of Cristy's music is that it appeals to a wide range of audiences.

Dwinell said Cristy's music has matured since he started working for her, and she has become more confident about her work over the last two years.

Bloomington resident Beth Smith waited near the stage with her two children. She said she knows Cristy and her music because she used to work with Ben Strawn.

"She's very upbeat and friendly (on stage)," Smith said. "It's not an act."

Cristy said she's been singing for as long as she could remember. She never took lessons as a child, but she sang in the choir and made up songs. Cristy said she wrote her first song when she was 11 and still remembers it.

Cristy started playing the flute and piano in elementary school, but switched to percussion in high school. During her senior year, she picked up the violin. Cristy also began playing guitar, oboe and trumpet while enrolled at IU.

She met John Mellencamp when she was a sophomore at IU. Two years later, she met him again and recorded with him on his CD "Cuttin' Heads." She said she played flute and percussion on the CD, and it was a brand new experience for her because she had never before recorded professionally.

Cristy attended IU for four years on a full swimming scholarship. She practiced swimming eight hours a day, and said she had to put her music on hold while she was swimming. However, once swimming was done, she returned to music.

"The only thing I really carried from swimming to music is the heart-work," Cristy said. "It's a 24-hour job."

Cristy met her husband through IU swimming. Strawn helped with the diving team and Cristy used to say hello to him every day for five years before she finally asked him out on a date while resting between tours. They have been married five years.

Strawn said Cristy teaches him to be a better person and he learns something new from her every day. He said each song she writes is better than the last, and she has become more socially conscious, speaking out on issues about which she has strong opinions.

"(She) becomes more and more passionate about what she does," Strawn said.

Drawing a lot of influence from Ben Folds, Queen, Billy Joel and Peter Gabriel, Cristy released her second album in 2006. She said that, although her first album was jazz-orientated, her second production focused more on rock 'n' roll.

Although she said she doesn't like to make plans, Cristy hopes to get back into the studio this winter for a spring release. She said she's keeping her fingers crossed, but sometimes things don't always work out the way they are expected to, so she might not get into the studio that early.

"It's very expensive to go through that whole process, and I don't want to rush any stage of it," she said. "I am eager, though."

Despite the difficulties involved with booking shows at local bars in Bloomington, she said she hopes that, as the band grows, she'll be able to play more shows in town. She said she loves playing in Bloomington, and the overall response to her music has been great.

"People come up and say the most amazing things about my playing and my singing," Cristy said. "It's incredibly overwhelming sometimes, but I make sure it doesn't get to my head because I always I feel I could get better. We all make mistakes."
- IDS

"This week's guest, Jenn Cristy, is a talented multi-instrumentalist as well as a fantastic singer/songwriter. Many of you will remember her from her appearance on "that Mellencamp guy's" grammy-nominated album, "Cuttin' Heads," as well as it's subsequent international tour. (John, however, is from Seymour, which has been ruled to be outside of the metro area, thus he doesn't qualify to be on "Indianapolis" In-Tune.) Frankly, when I drove down to Bloomington to meet Jenn (Bloomington, by the way, does count -- my show; my rules), I didn't know quite what to expect, but I'm now happy to report that she definitely lives up to her motto: "A lit'l less diva ... a lit'l more rock." As the interview shows, she is in fact, a warm, funny, and very genuine person who I really can't say enough nice things about. So, I suppose I'll just let this week's show speak for itself. - Indy in-tune

Jenn Cristy goes "Off The Record" with David Lindquist

Jenn Cristy goes "Off the Record"

You'd be hard-pressed to find an unsigned Indiana musician with more distinguished credentials than Jenn Cristy

Cristy, who stars in the current episode of "Off the Record" posted at IndyStar.com and INtakeweekly.com, was an All-Big Ten swimmer at Indiana University and she also recorded and toured as part of John Mellencamp's band in 2001 and 2002.

In recent years, Cristy has crafted a solo music career that doesn't follow popular trends of R&B-pop (think Beyonce Knowles) or mainstream jazz (such as Norah Jones). Cristy's motto of "A little less diva, a little more rock" speaks volumes about her approach. During our "Off the Record" interview, she shares the somewhat surprising origin of the phrase.

During the episode's performance segment, Juergen Weber -- in his debut public appearance with Cristy's band -- delivers the first guitar-hero solo in the four-month history of "Off the Record."

One final note about Cristy, Weber, drummer Dave Dwinell and bass player Oliver Wittman: They lugged a lot of gear a long way to perform in the photo studio at Indianapolis Star headquarters. It's a detail that's easy to overlook when you catch a band doing its thing in an area nightclub. It's also evidence that musicians must really love the playing to tolerate the grunt work. - Dave Lindquist/Indy Star

INDIANAPOLISMUSIC.NET
Sellout crowd fills Vogue for Battle finals
Steve Hayes
Jenn Cristy emerged this year as the first solo female artist (and only the second solo artist overall) to make it to the Battle finals. Thursday was my first time seeing her. With her first song, I immediately understood why she got to the finals. In a night with a lot of great bands and musicians, Cristy stood out as the best single performer on the bill.
"Seated at center stage behind her piano all night, Cristy was in masterful voice throughout her set. Her infectious smile and expressive eyes added to her presence as it felt like she was almost acting rather than simply singing. She also roamed her keyboard with a mastery only earned by years of practice. - Steve Hayes/Indianapolismusic.net