Interview: Jada Vance
From American Idol to the film Providence, and multiple charity performances, country artist, Jada Vance, is always spreading her good-time, spunky attitude and contagious smile. The small-town Tennessee native has worked with some of classic country’s best, including Linda Davis and Teddy Gentry, and has brought her energetic performances to the stage, opening for Daryle Singletary, Travis Tritt, Little Texas, and Little Big Town. When she is not writing songs or teaching young children at Cheerleading Camps, Jada can be found dedicating her time as an advocate for childhood cancer, veterans interests, and MRSA awareness. Jada’s previous single, “Hick N Roll,” hit country radio late 2017, and the music video debuted nationally on Heartland TV. Her newest track “There’s Always Me” impacts January 29.
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Splice Magazine caught up with country music’s rising talent, Jada Vance, on a busy Friday afternoon in Nashville. With the much-anticipated soon to be released single, There’s Always Me, the young dynamo has a lot on her mind.
Splice: “So you’re a country girl through and through. You were born in rural Madison, Tennessee and have extended family in southern West Virginia. What was it like growing up?”
Jada: “I lived with my mom and brother, Josh. She was a single mom and always did her best for us. We would travel to West Virginia to spend time with our extended family, and there was always music being made. As a kid, I always enjoyed it when Granddad and my uncles and cousins would bring out their instruments and start to make music. I’d watch and listen, and when they were done, I’d pick up Granddad’s guitar and try to imitate him. That’s sort of how I learned to make music on my own.”
Splice: “You speak fondly of your Granddad. How did he influence your career?”
Jada: “My granddad always encouraged me to follow my heart and to be as good as I could be; especially when it came to my music.”
Splice: “You’re also a former contestant on American Idol (Season 12). What was that like?”
Jada: “It was crazy. Mom took me to Baton Rouge for the audition. There were so many people there, and it was all kind of overwhelming.”
Splice: “What song did you sing for the judges?”
Jada: “I wasn’t sure what song I wanted to sing until I got close to going in. What you don’t see on TV is that there are like six mini auditions while you’re making your way through the line; I sang a different song each time. When it was my turn to sing for the judges, I sang Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead”.”
Splice: “And how did that go?”
Jada: “It was all sort of a blur, but I gave it everything I had and I got one of those golden tickets to Hollywood. It was really exciting!”
Splice: “How old were you when you appeared on American Idol?”
Jada: “I was just 16. I’m 21 now, so it really wasn’t all that long ago.”
Splice: “What did you think of Hollywood the first time you saw it?”
Jada: “Wow! It was overwhelming and culture shock for me! We didn’t travel much as kids; just trips to visit our family in West Virginia and the beach. But Hollywood was just crazy. This was even the first time I ever flew on an airplane.”
Splice: “And how about the judges, did you have a favorite?”
Jada: “I really liked Mariah Carey and Keith Urban a lot; but you don’t get to spend a lot of time with them, just a few minutes here and there. But I’m thankful for those times because I was able to learn so much.”
Splice: “What did you learn from the [American Idol] experience?”
Jada: “I learned to be comfortable with myself as an artist. I also learned a lot about having stage presence. And not settling for good since there’s always a chance to be better. But most of all it helped me to develop my work ethic. Music is fun, but it’s a whole lot of work, too.”
Splice: “Let’s talk about your music. Who would you say are your influences?”
Jada: “There are so many. I’d say, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Justin Bieber, Lauren Alaina, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Josh Turner, Dolly Parton, The Dixie Chicks and Martina McBride., to name just some of them.”
Splice: “Hick ‘n’ Roll is such a fun song to listen to. What’s the story behind it?”
Jada: “It’s funny how it came about. My two cousins have a huge catalog of songs that they wrote; they’re good musicians and backed me on my first EP. Judy Harris, who’s a music publisher in Nashville, pitched the song to me. We got permission to make a few changes, and off we went to record it. The song is all about me. Mom was a southern West Virginia redneck girl, and dad was a city boy from northern Pennsylvania. Me, I’m somewhere in between. And as the lyric goes, “Mix some backwoods sticks with some big city soul, call it hick ‘n’ roll”. That’s all me!”
Splice: “You also did a Holiday song “Unwrapping You”. Where did that come from?”
Jada: “That’s a song that I co-wrote with Corey Barker. We wanted to do something a little different, something fun, for Christmas. And that’s what we came up with.”
Splice: “Which brings us to the new single coming out on Monday, (January 29, 2018); it’s called There’s Always Me. What can we expect to hear when it’s released?”
Jada: “I sat on this song for two whole years before finally recording it. Ever since I started recording with “Read My Lipstick”, my songs have always been upbeat and fun. But, There’s Always Me is different. It’s the more intimate side of me. I hope it’s going to show me as being relatable and a real person; sometimes people don’t get that.”
Splice: “You’ve opened for some pretty impressive country stars including Daryle Singletary, Travis Tritt, Little Texas and Little Big Town. What was that like?”
Jada: “It’s amazing!! Mom booked me at the West Virginia State Fair where I went on right before Little Big Town. They were in the middle of an intense tour schedule and had to leave right after the show. But when we opened for Travis Tritt, we got to hang out on the bus for a while and meet him and the band, and even take pictures. It was fun!”
Splice: “When you’re not writing and singing songs, you’re involved with some interesting activities and charities. Do you care to tell us about some of them?”
Jada: “I’m a travel coach for cheerleaders. I recently worked at a clinic in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s something I really enjoy doing, and it’s fun.”
Splice: “One charity you work with that stands out is MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus) awareness, which isn’t something we see a lot of artists talking about. How did you come to take up this cause?”
Jada: “Growing up, a friend’s little sister was sick with what they thought at the time was a stomach bug; but the infection just got worse and made its way into her blood. She passed away, and it was just so sad because she was so young.”
Well, we at Splice think it’s safe to say that, Jada Vance will be one special talent to watch in 2018! Be sure to grab There’s Always Me Monday!!
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