7 Questions with Jannah Beth
Jannah Beth stunned lovers of great music Australia-wide when she came out of the woodwork with a banger of a single off her first EP. “Cut Sick” is a sultry sounding track which defies genre labelling, pulling from electronic, hip hop, and soul music.
A visually stunning video clip portrays life in Sydney in a heart-warming yet realistic way, fully encapsulating a 20 something’s love-hate relationship with a soul-sucking yet artistically inspiring city of dreams.
Her hard work did not go unnoticed, not long after the release of her first song she was named FBi Independent Artist of the Week. She then went on to become a Spotify sensation, clocking over half a million streams. She is very active in the Sydney live music scene and we are eagerly waiting to hear what is coming next.
Find out more about Jannah Beth and her views on Hip Hop music through our interview below.
Your song “Cut Sick” has a deeper message about society incorporated into the lyrics of a very chilled out and feel good song. Could you please share your inspirations and motivation behind making it?
"At the time, I was in a situation that led me to travel alongside the 9 to 5 peak time for work. Seeing the crowds of Sydney Siders on public transport, dressed in business attire, same route, screens up, stress visible and all happening the same everyday sort of thing. As someone that identifies as a creative, it is a pretty conflicting experience for me as opposed to the norm for so many, one that I find challenging to accept... - so that motivated me to write a little about it."
Do you have plans to release more music this year? And since you came off the bat with such a strong first single do you feel a lot of pressure to polish the rest of the songs to live up to this standard?
"I am currently creating my first EP, with a single on the way. I don’t feel any pressure, this is something I love doing - I have an outlook that allows me to appreciate the fact I get to do this, be apart of something. I don’t really have any doubts that the work following will be of equal quality, if not even better - the typical artist response, as majority of us push ourselves to be better than our last release. I’m just stoked that my first release was received so well!"
You seem to be a very free- spirited and free- thinking creative person, was music and art a big part of your childhood? And who were some of the artists you were exposed to growing up?
"This is something I feel like i’ve been working away at everyday, taking up mind space for a long time. I started out as a drummer, dabble on guitar and keys which gave me the foundations and songwriting tools - I’ve always written, poetry or whatever form it took. So combining my love for writing and melody and rhythm was an inevitable progression. My family wasn’t huge on music, so I sourced out my own when that time came. So I didn’t grow up listening to hip hop and everyday I am catching up on that, learning and starting to develop my own style rather than fumbling around with whatever feels right, though I feel that is seen directly in my music, and doesn’t have to be a bad thing."
What would you say was your introduction to Hip Hop music and culture and what artists have been the biggest influences when developing your own style?
"When I was 15 I started hearing some local artists like Horrorshow, Mantra & the Big Village legends - it then became a turning point for my own music that this is something I can do, I don’t have to sit and play the acoustic guitar and sing sweet songs and cram all of my lyrics in but there was this whole culture that fascinated me and drew me in. I consumed loads of music, matched other artists to areas and found myself listening to hip hop from all over the world. Melody and Rhythm."
With so much talent coming out of Sydney and Australia in general at the moment have you got any suggestions on some other up and coming artists that we should seek out?
"So much talent! I’m stoked on Jmarz On Marz from Orange. Mister Miki from Sydney & the illusive Theodore Moonwater. All dope."
For those of us who haven’t seen you perform yet, what do you think makes your live set a must see?
"Let’s start with the music! I’ll let you make up your mind."
Who are your top 5 Hip Hop artists?
• Sampha
• Little Simz
• J Cole
• Fortunes
• Bibi Bourelly
