Makeshivt Kity Interview

Jordannah Elizabeth is a recording artist who's only looking to create art, most of the time at her own expense.

The Process Net Label: How have things been going with your music?

JE:
"I've been recording and working a lot on my new albums. Some are hits and some are misses, but all I can say is that I'm going to keep creating...

TP:
Are you unhappy with some of the releases?:

JE:
Whether or not the music comes out perfectly is not my issue. I have producers and if they don't do a good job, I have to work with what I have...I don't pay to record. Other artists take time out to work with me and help me with my art. I love what I do and I am going to support and love everything that comes out of the studio.

TP:
So, what are you going to do next?

JE:
I'm going to make some videos of...stuff. I don't really know exactly what I want to do, maybe make a video for "Move". Do some documentary stuff, interviews, live performance videos..you know, step it up.


TP:
Cool.

JE:
Yeah, I've been itching to make some videos... it's gonnah be really hard...I pretty much do everything I can by myself... I mean, I get help, but I do everything with pretty much a budget of zero...I'm a starving artist, I'll give up a lot of convenience for a voice recorder, or little a video camera, a digital camera...whatever I can get my hands on."

TP:
Do you really starve?

JE:
Sometimes. I mean, there are a lot of free places to eat in L.A. and in this country...but within the standards of the middle class, yeah, I live off of pennies. I make sure I have shampoo, hair color, soap, cash for laundry, and that's really about it, the rest goes to my art.

TP:
Do you enjoy living this way?

JE:
Yes and no. Everything revolves around what I want to do with my art. One month, I may want to get a device where I can record sound, the next month, I may want to take pictures, the next, I may want to do videos...so I travel around and look for devices will allow me to do that for the lowest prices, all the while dreaming up how I'm going to make everything happen.

Once I know what I want to do when it comes to my art, then I decide what I can spend on hair color, and what kind of toothpaste I can buy.

TP:
You say your work is "art", can you explain a little more about that?

JE:
I don't really know how to. I don't really consider myself a musician. I know musicians, they play an instrument and that's what they do. They don't work on posters or promote their work, they leave that stuff up to other people. They let directors and A&Rs, managers, lead singers, whoever, tell them what to do, cus all they want to do is play.
I respect that. That's just not what I do.

I pretty much determine how I present my music.
I am very vocal in how I want it to sound, I usually edit all my photos, every flier, every interview is done on my voice recorder, every article is done by my friends...I mean, I'm a model, a painter, a dancer, a performance artist, producer, director, event coordinator, booker, web designer, IT, graphic designer, slam poet, writer, blogger, I do a lot of things and I do them all in my own unique way.

TP:
I can tell you are a unique girl.


JE:
People tell me I'm different after talking to me for 5 minutes and I think to myself, "what could I have possibly said in this short time to come off as someone who's different?". I don't see it or hear it most of the time because I'm just being myself. I'm not a good impersonator...unless I'm making fun of someone, but I can't fake being someone I'm not, so I don't try, cus I know everyone will be on to me.

TP:
What's the most important thing about your art?

JE:
That I know I did all I could to make it happen. I travel, I lose sleep, I worry, I cry, I push and pull to get things out there.

TP:
Why?

JE:
Because.

TP:
Do you wonder what the world would be like if you didn't exist?

JE:
No. Well, when I was a little younger I'd talk to my mom about how she felt about me.
She almost got her tubes tied before I was born. She was called into the office to get the procedure done, and then something made her just walk out.

I think about that. A part of me knows I almost didn't exist. Sometimes I ask my mother if it was worth it, having my brothers and I. I don't get depressed about it, but yeah, sometimes, I get overwhelmed with...having this need to express myself.

TP:
You look a little exhausted right now.

JE:
Thanks.

TP:
I mean, watching you talk about your experience.


JE:
I run around a lot. And to some people it seems like I'm fooling around, doing nothing. I have my own methods of doing things, if I don't work, I volunteer at places that have access to things I need to get forward with my art and in my life.

Sometimes, I take a couple of years off and create, then go back to the rat race, then come back and create, you know...

TP:
Where are you in your creating period right now?

JE:
I'm almost done with this period... I want take a break around Christmas time.
I had a bunch of labels scouting me, then I put out an album that they don't like, so I lost the chance to get signed, but it's a blessing, cus I can continue to do what I want to do for now. They labels always check up on me every couple of years, sniff around. They'll pick me up when I'm ripe.

But for right now, I don't have to answer to anyone. I still have some cards I need to stack.
I'm still perfecting my image.

TP:
You don't think you're ripe?

JE:
No, I haven't found a stable band. The producers I work with have been a little distracted lately. I haven't found an ensemble to go on tour with yet.

I want to do that, tour for a couple of months in L.A., get a couple of videos, and live performances out there, then take a break.

I want to rest and find a boyfriend, get a dog to feed, try and stomach an Anne Rice book or something. Get a seemingly normal repetition of action going on. Then once everything gets nice and comfy, I'll bum around and create what I can again...it will all pay off some day. Some day.