Basic Folk: Jenna Nicholls

Jenna Nicholls was the imaginative kid who was friends with trees and believed furniture was alive. Raised in Western Pennsylvania, she was raised on jazz, classical and Irish music. Her music is reflective of the golden age of radio and The Great Depression. Her lyrics put people in a place visually and she encompasses a couple different tones including a delightful lighthearted falsetto. Now a resident of New York City, she considers her music an oasis from the political landscape.

We did this interview at Brandeis University in a spare room surrounded by a ridiculous set-up of dirty tablecloths and weird canvas signs I threw together in order to dampen the sound, which… I’m pretty sure makes the interview amazing. Right?

Okay anyways, Jenna is a lovely person who is smart and thoughtful. Her recordings are pretty magical and transportive to a time where radio is king funny voices coming through the either are commonplace. Also! Mark Dignam introduced Jenna to her husband, Brendan O’Shea. And Mark introduced me to Jenna! Thanks Mark and thanks Jenna. And thank you for listening.