Today we’d like to introduce you to Annette Jensen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Logan, Utah. I started playing piano at 8 after my grandmother gifted me a piano and guitar lessons at 13 after I was gifted a guitar by my father. I started writing music at 15, the first being written on the piano. As an atypical Utahn, music helped me get through hard things in life and I wanted to do the same as the artists who influence me. I moved to Salt Lake City in April 2007 with the hopes of getting involved with the music scene. I spent a couple of years bouncing between living there and taking care of sick family in Logan before deciding to move back. By this point, I was in active addiction and reckless. One night, I had a nightmare that scared me sober. I realized something had to change and I went to AA the next day. The meetings didn’t last, but I’m still sober as of Sept. 11, 2014. As a result, I’m a better person, friend, and performer. After sobriety came the formation of the band I’m currently in. I play rhythm guitar in Open Door Policy. This band has made it possible for me to share the stage with some of the coolest people on the planet. I left Logan in search of a better life only to come back and change my world.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’m an ex-mormon and open lesbian in Utah. I battled addiction for a number of years before I vowed to spend as much time at music venues as I did at the bar. Finding community hasn’t been easy, but not impossible.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love connecting with other artists and the audience. I was a solo artist before joining a band. In our initial lineup, the lead guirist and I would trade parts depending on the song. One of my proudest accomplishments is turning an incomplete song into the outro of a different song.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Singing at the county fairwhen I was 12. I sang Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsnetteyo
