From the very first moment that I heard ‘Late Bloomer’, I knew I wanted to know more about its creator. Glenna Jane is a Tokyo-born, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter, and the brains behind the tune I’ve fallen in love with. My passion for her sound was further ignited when I discovered ‘i see god in you’, and it solidified by unwavering devotion to everything Glenna Jane!
Chatting with us about the meaning behind her new single ‘Late Bloomer’, the bands and artists that inspire her, and what her musical future has in store, please give a big welcome to our friend Glenna Jane!
Welcome, Glenna! I’m so excited to introduce you to our ever-expanding audience! Firstly, congratulations on your brand new single! ‘Late Bloomer’ is such an anthemic and well-executed pop-rock tune! What does the song mean to you?
Thank you so much for your kind words! It really means the world. ‘Late Bloomer’ is about sending nudes before you have your first kiss – navigating religious sexual repression and guilt in the age of hypersexualized sex positivity. It’s about being a young girl and being forced to reconcile seemingly conflicting but, in actuality, paralleling ideologies surrounding bodily autonomy. It’s a tongue-in-cheek but surprisingly sincere reclamation of the awkwardness and naivete of first experiences of intimacy. It’s a retrospective indie rock meets bedroom pop anthem encapsulating the bittersweetness and disquietude of adolescence. At its core, it’s an honest but tender letter and hug for my younger self, a version of me that felt so much pressure to meet arbitrary deadlines of coming of age. Beyond its lyrical content, the song is also very special to me because it was the first track I worked on with Taro Hyodo, my producer and close friend.
I know it can be a daunting task for many artists to follow up on such a successful previous release. Is this something you thought about when creating ‘Late Bloomer’?
Not at all! When George and I released ‘i see god in you,’ we had no expectations because we were making music in the spirit of play. We hadn’t seriously considered releasing it until months after we began recording because we were content with it simply being a way for us to nurture whimsy within the creative process. Because the song and the process of creating it meant so much to us, it being received well was just the cherry on top. When I wrote ‘Late Bloomer,’ gut instinct outweighed potential reception. I wrote it in October of 2022 in pursuit of radical authenticity and deriving strength from vulnerability. It was the first full song I had written by myself in years, and it was really special because writing it felt like writing a diary entry. It just felt right and true to me, and I valued that feeling over external validation. As an artist, I think it’s natural to not want to feel like you’re shouting into the void, but I think chasing subjective markers of success is infinitely more painful.
Speaking of your previous release, ‘i see god in you’ is a truly haunting and beautiful tune. Working alongside George Cohalan, what more can you tell our readers about the track?
George and I wrote and recorded ‘i see god in you’ in 2021 when I visited his childhood home for Thanksgiving. We had just graduated college, and there was so much uncertainty and anxiety wrapped up in recent post-grad life, especially in terms of our relationships with music, so we wanted to rekindle our creativity and reframe the process of making art. We turned door knobs, hit glasses with spoons, and whispered with hoarse voices. We entertained every sonic whim and leaned into imperfection because we just wanted to find our way back to the joy and catharsis of music-making.
You’ve mentioned acts like Paramore, Mitski, Dijon, and Phoebe Bridgers as being inspirations for your music. Is there anybody else that you would credit, or give a shout-out to, for helping shape your overall musical soundscape?
Being Filipino, I grew up being bribed by my Titas to sing whenever the karaoke machine was brought out at family parties, so I always attribute qualities of my voice to belting Céline Dion and Whitney Houston at a young age. My mom worshipped female-fronted bands, so she got me onto The Cranberries and No Doubt. My brother – being 7 years older than me – was an emo kid, so he introduced me to bands like Radiohead, Three Days Grace, and System of a Down. I was also obsessed with playing Guitar Hero 3, so I loved the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, and Bloc Party. Because of the music I was exposed to growing up, I think my music is influenced in varying degrees by 90s and 2000s alternative rock bands.
What song do you love that you wish you’d written?
‘Your Best American Girl’ by Mitski!
Which of your lyrics would you like to see printed on a T-shirt?
I would love to see “I’m sorry if you just wanted a kiss” printed on a T-shirt! To me, that line is so emblematic of the situation that inspired ‘Late Bloomer,’ but I think it’s ambiguous enough to mean something entirely different to someone else.
What are your goals for the rest of this year? Is there anything you’d like to achieve as a musician or, even on a personal level, this year?
I just finished recording vocals for a new song, so I’m planning on releasing another single in the coming months followed by a third single dropping before the end of the year! I’ve written so much music that I love since October of last year, and I’m ready for them to no longer be stuck in my voice memos. I’m also releasing a music video for ‘Late Bloomer’ on July 14, so I’m excited to continue creating a visual world and language for my music. One of my goals entering 2023 was to play at least one show every month, so I hope to continue my streak and perform even more in the last half of the year.
Thanks so much for chatting with us Glenna! I have no doubt that there are many more songs up your sleeve, and I truly can’t wait to hear what else you have in store! In a broader sense though, what do you hope for in your musical future?
‘Late Bloomer’ is a departure from “i see god in you,” and my next single is a departure from ‘Late Bloomer,’ so my goal is to continue growing naturally and challenging myself sonically and lyrically. I just want to make music that feels right in the moment and is honest to who I am and how I’m feeling regardless of external expectations. This relates to my pursuit of radical authenticity. In releasing ‘Late Bloomer,’ I’ve come to realize that my experiences with growing up and intimacy and attachment – experiences I once thought were so singular – really weren’t so out of the ordinary. I used to fear that my music was too much of an overshare or too particular, but I’m seeing now that being candid and personal is how I’ve been able to connect with others.
