#26 Jann Arden: Where I Come From
Well, no big deal. My next guest is Jann Arden; a multi-platinum award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, author, broadcaster, podcast host, and author with three decades of incredible work in music and comedy. As a good friend of mine noted, she is considered a 'Canadian treasure' by many. She is set to release her 15th studio album, Descendant this week on January 28, 2022, via Universal Music Canada. In this episode she speaks about her ups and downs in the spotlight, great colleagues like Allan Reid and Jeffrey Remedios, body image and so much more.
Born and raised in Alberta, Arden catapulted onto the Canadian music scene in 1993 with her debut album, Time For Mercy, featuring the hit single, "I Would Die For You". A year later, with the follow-up album Living Under June, she would have her career breakout hit "Insensitive," which solidified her position in the music scene across Canada and beyond. To date, Arden has released 17 albums and achieved 19 top 10 singles. Her music is available to stream HERE.
With accolades that include 19 top 10 singles, eight JUNO Awards and 10 SOCAN Awards, Arden is a beloved Canadian musical artist and personality. In 2020, she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame joining the ranks of Canadian music icons like Alanis Morissette, Bryan Adams, Barenaked Ladies, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, RUSH, The Guess Who, The Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan, Shania Twain, and many more.
A versatile artist, Arden co-created and stars as a fictionalized version of herself in the CTV Original Comedy Series JANN, available on CTV in Canada. The first two seasons are available via HULU in the U.S. Premiering in 2019, and the series was the most-watched new Canadian comedy series of the 2018-19 broadcast season. Season three wraps up with the last episode on November 15. The show features Sarah McLachlan, k.d. lang, Elisha Cuthbert, Keshia Chanté and more. Arden has been involved in Workin' Moms, Wynonna Earp, Private Eyes and The Detour, she has previously appeared in sitcoms Ellen and Corner Gas. Arden has made guest appearances on CBC's Rick Mercer Report, as well as regularly appearing as a guest host on The Social. Arden also hosts an iHeartRadio original podcast called The Jann Arden Podcast, discussing everyday life challenges, triumphs, and tribulations. The Jann Arden Podcast is a fun-filled, relatable experience exploring what makes all humans authentically themselves with various special guests, including musicians, actors, politicians, writers, and athletes. Listen HERE.
In addition to being a singer/songwriter, Arden is, of course, an author of note, peppering her words of wisdom with her signature humour. Arden has written five books, the most recent being her new memoir "IF I KNEW THEN: Finding Wisdom in Failure and Power in Aging," released in October 2020 via Random House Canada. IF I KNEW THEN follows Arden's 2017 Canadian bestseller, "FEEDING MY MOTHER: Comfort and Laughter in the Kitchen as My Mom Lives with Memory Loss," which spent a combined 44 weeks on The Globe and Mail bestseller lists.
The new album Descendant is produced by Bob Rock, Russell Broom and Jann Arden. The 15-song collection represents the last 18 months of Arden's life and headspace. A bold, beautiful, and empowering sound of Jann Arden, Descendant signifies a return to form for the multifaceted artist, reflecting on where she came from and where she is headed.
Women nominated to come on the Women in Media Podcast in this episode: Jody Vance, Wendy Williams Watt, and
PRE-SAVE DESCENDANT AND LISTEN TO "STEADY ON" HERE
A Note From Jann Arden:
"This was one of the most organic, whimsical records I've ever written; all things considered, it could have been a wrestling match to make music at all. As the entire world has discovered, good things come out of bad things. We were all forced to strip down, reevaluate our lives and our jobs and our relationships. We were forced to think about what we really wanted and where we wanted to go. We thought about time and how precious it was and is. We baked, walked, thought, read, and watched our way into a big, altered state. We remade our lives and cast aside trivial unimportant things.
All the songs on Descendant came out of a place of gratitude. Working again with Russell Broom after a lengthy separation was magical for both of us. Russell was working on amazing soundscapes in his studio, intimate grooves and textures that inspired me just to put it all out there. I also wrote two incredible songs with Darcy Phillips. Darcy arranged all the strings on this album, giving it such a dignified, distinct vibe. An ocean separated Bob Rock and me, but we managed to use technology to write together over thousands of miles. It was fast and furious, and I didn't have time to edit myself or second guess anything. So, this is a different record for me. Two producers, a pandemic, a lesson in my own personal history and looking at all of it through a kinder lens.
We all come from a long line of incredibly strong people. Women, in particular, my ancestors, I am in debt to. I don't know how they survived being pioneers, constantly forging onward through impossible situations. It's all very heartbreaking. These songs are about who I am and what I'm made of. A new beginning to an old story."