A Chat with Beau Jennings (08.07.23)
Musician, filmmaker and former architect, award-winning Beau Jennings has been making waves in the music industry for several years. As the frontman of the indie-rock band Cheyenne, he toured the US gaining a reputation for a confident stage presence. In 2016 he formed Beau Jennings and The Tigers who quickly gained international acclaim. As a songwriter, Jennings has won the International Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Competition, and now we’re speaking to him about his most recent project. Join us and Beau Jennings as we talk about his career, his band and much more.
OSR: What does music mean to you, and can you imagine life without music?
Jennings: I see music as another means of communication. The beauty of it of course is that it communicates the indescribable things that other methods can’t. As the saying goes, it’s the universal language. I suppose I could imagine life without music but I think music has an inherently spiritual quality to it that would prevent a lot of connections between people and cultures from happening.
OSR: What drew you to a career as a musician and how did your career develop to get to where you are today?
Jennings: I don’t know that I was ever drawn to a career in music, I just made it. Anything I have resembling a career is just a result of trying to do things that allow me to keep making music.
OSR: Tell us about Beau Jennings and The Tigers as a band and also the music that you make.
Jennings: We’ve been together long enough, albeit through various line-ups, that I think we are developing our own shared language. It can take a long time to get there. Like any band, we make music that is a synthesis of our influences.
OSR: What do you hope people take from ‘People In This Town’ and your music in general?
Jennings: I hope people feel good when they listen to it and come away with an appreciation of hidden gems in their own hometowns.
OSR: What is the most challenging aspect of being a musician in today’s world?
Jennings: Money.
OSR: Which is more difficult: melody or lyrics, and why?
Jennings: Lyrics. They don’t have to be more difficult; children can write compelling/truthful lyrics. The trick is to say something interesting or compelling without making it too careful or precious.
OSR: If you could spend the weekend with any celebrity, who would it be and why? And if you could collaborate with one – who would it be and why?
Jennings: I wouldn’t even know how to begin to answer that!
OSR: How do you entertain yourself when you’re bored?
Jennings: I run, I spend time with my family, I fish, I cook, I read.
OSR: What does the future hold for Beau Jennings and The Tigers?
Jennings: I hope we make 150 records before we’re done!
Many thanks to Beau Jennings for speaking with us! For more from Beau Jennings and The Tigers, check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
