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Jillette Johnson of Pound Ridge Finds Her Voice

A Look Back at 2014 Interview of Jillette Johnson

By Rich MonettiPublished about a year ago 5 min read
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Photo by Jeanne Menjoulet

Jillette Johnson began writing songs when she was eight years old—imagining the melodies and words as she pranced around the house. But at some point Jillette realized she had the power to someday have her own sound come from the speakers where Carol King, Billy Joel and Paul Simon echoed. By 12, she had developed enough to throw herself into the singer/songwriting New York City Club scene. Home schooled in suburban Pound Ridge, the lower east side would serve as the educational model that nurtured her songwriting passion. At the same time, the hour commute and real life immersion sufficed more than adequately in comparison to the classrooms of her peers. The foundation soon had her showcased by a number of labels and signed at 17. As such, she was successful enough academically and professionally to attend NYU and continue as an actual New Yorker. This has had Johnson never looking back—except when she needs a fresh air respite back home. Her debut album Water in a Whale certainly reflects that. It has also received critical acclaim for song writing and vocals that are wise beyond her 24 years. Still, she is far from a household name. But that's actually by choice.

Turning down an appearance on The Voice in 2011, she readily accepts the lower profile trajectory of her career. Johnson does this not of resignation, but of a maturity that likely eludes even the most grown up among us. "Instead, I got the chance to find my voice. That's the biggest thing. Right now, I'm so sure of who I am as an artist, and how I want to be seen in the world. If I had taken The Voice, I don't think I would have been able to say that. So I think I'm really lucky, and it will allow me to have a really long career. Otherwise, if you jump in too quickly, and do find some success, it generally is pretty short lived if you can’t follow it up with anything," she asserted.

The Wrong Voice

An introduction that came by association and was played by ear. “I’ve never been somebody who wanted to be on any of those shows. But I was taken to the audition by someone who didn’t know me very well," Johnson said. "At the time, my approach was just say 'yes.' If something feels wrong, then access and decide how to move forward.”

This had her singing Sex and Candy over and over in the audition—and despite being strongly positioned to making the final cut—a bad taste lingered beyond her mouth. “There was something in my stomach that told me it was wrong. Then I read the contract, and I didn’t even have to listen to my gut,” Johnson revealed. “They just wanted everything for the rest of my life so I said no.”

But if she had any doubts, there were enough real voices backing up her decision. “The great thing about all my support, which includes my parents, but also my directors and producers, is they always play devil’s advocate with me. So there was no one yes-ing me or forcing me into a corner. I got to have realistic opinions,” she said. “Either way, everyone felt that whatever decision I made would be the right one, because you’re going to do it full out.”

Home Schooled in the Real World

So they all knew the feeling from when Johnson decided to home school herself. “We live in a time where you can find lots of resources to educate yourself, and luckily, I had the full trust of the school. Starting my sophomore year, I technically showed up once a year,” she remembered. “The kids in my school all thought I died or something.”

The sacrifices made for her music didn’t really amount to a real takeaway, though. “I didn’t go to all the parties, but at the same time, I didn’t really want to go,” said Johnson.

Instead, she got a very different view and started from the ground up. “I learned so many other kinds of things when I was in high school—like how to take care of yourself, going on the subway to Brooklyn and how to interact in the real world,” said Johnson.

Writing as Exercise

On the other hand, Johnson hasn’t quite broken out yet, but being reflective has her feeling good about a song called "Cameron" on Water in a Whale. “'Cameron' is a Transgendered boy. But it’s also about associating with the thing that you see in the mirror and not letting other people tell you that you’re wrong for being who you are. So it really is a catalyst to tell a lot of different stories,” she said.

The vantage point leaves her on familiar ground as a writer. “It means everything,” she said. “Writing is my may of interacting with the world, and I exercise that muscle all the time.”

"True North" definitely let her flex and find the balance between coming home and finding one’s way. “It's about finding the right path. You have to allow yourself to fail and ping pong back and forth until you find a middle ground,” said Johnson.

On the Right Path

In actuality the sentiment emerged when she came off tour with a band called Delta Rae. She already recorded the whole record, and I had two weeks to make changes. “I decided I wanted to change everything and add two songs. One was "True North" so it sort of describes the album, and the whole philosophy of my career,” Johnson revealed. “The constant search for success, happiness and peace.

So it sounds like she’ll fit right in for a hip move to Brooklyn. "That’s not really why I’m moving there. I need a peaceful place, because you get back from the road and you’re so burnt out,” lamented Johnson. “The problem is, I’m surrounded by all this stimulus that I go another week without sleeping, which is insane.”

Either way, music provides a wake up that she cannot do without. “It’s my lifeline,” she concluded.

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About the Creator

Rich Monetti

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