Q&A With Mary Jayne - New R&B-Pop Princess Emerges

Photography by Zechariah Jones

she reveals what has motivated her to pursue her dreams and where it all began.

Mary Jayne is an independent artist from California. Born and raised in San Diego, CA, now relocated to Northern California. It hasn't been easy for this songstress to get where she is today. At age 17 she began professionally recording music only to have her life changed forever becoming a young mother shortly after. After having her son, she decided to pause her pursuit into the music industry. During that time she continued writing music and perfecting her craft but not publicly releasing music. Still unsure if the music community would welcome her back, she took a leap of faith when she debuted her first single last year in November of 2018.

Mary Jayne had a unique and refreshing sound ranging from soft R&B to trap with bay area influences displaying her west coast upbringing. With the ability to sing and rap, Mary Jayne brings Lauryn Hill vibes to her song's by demonstrating a strong female lead without the overuse of profanity. Her lyrics are sophisticated yet simple and memorable.

So far Mary Jayne has released five single's within the past eight months; all of which are available on every major streaming platform. Her latest single titled "Blessed" is already making waves across the pond and playing on FM radio in London, UK.

Mary Jayne is not just a singer but a notified songwriter as well. Mary Jayne placed as a semi-finalist in the 2018 National Songwriting Competition on her first entry. Her unreleased song titled "Motherland" ranked top ten percent out of 169,000 song's worldwide. However, she has refused to comment on whether she will be releasing "Motherland" on her own album in the future or not.

Since the release of her first single "Cutthroat Chronicles" last year, Mary Jayne has been dedicating long nights to her first EP due to be released by the end of 2019. But first, let's get to know Mary Jayne better. In this conducted interview, she reveals what has motivated her to pursue her dreams and where it all began.

When did you start singing and realizing you wanted to be a musician?

"I started singing at the age of four, from the moment I started understanding the English language. I was raised in a large family with a violently abusive father, and singing was the only thing that brought me comfort."

How old were you when you wrote your first song and what was the song about if you can remember?

I wrote my first song at the age of six, I stole my sister's tape player and recorded over her favorite tape. By the age of ten, my song's had progressed to three verses, a hook, and a chorus. My first completed song was about how my life sucked, and I wanted a new one; It was very Avril Lavigne inspired. Age ten was when I realized songwriting came naturally for me. After studying communications and psychology in college, and having my heart broken a few times, my songwriting has evolved.

What inspires your music now? What experiences have you incorporated into your music so far?

Whatever I'm feeling at the moment. Sometimes that may be about love, happiness or pain turned into savagery, but I have songs about every experience I've had. Some rare occasions I write songs that just come into my head, but I don't know where from and within ten minutes the song is finished. I won't have a clue who that song is about until months later, but it somehow always comes full circle. The five songs that I have released so far haven't gone too deep or gotten too personal yet; I'm saving all the juicy stuff for later. I wanted to give people a chance to know the surface layer of myself before exposing whats underneath. Plus I'm still growing and learning how to express myself publicly which is harder than it sounds.

When can we expect your first EP and how many songs will be on it?

I'm not rushing my EP because I want it to be perfect and I over-analyze everything. It will probably have six-seven songs including Blessed. I am still editing the tracklist, but I've already started recording. So if all goes well then the end of 2019.

Most people who follow your music and your social media know that you are a single mother. Is it hard for you to make music while raising your son?

It's effortless because he's a little older now. That's why I waited to pursue my career seriously. Right after I graduated high school at age seventeen, I started recording music professionally with Bay Area artists such as San Quinn. Shortly after I became a young single mother. I decided to put my son first and be completely present for him every day. For me, I knew that meant pausing my career temporarily, but I continued writing songs every day while I worked the 9-5 life. Now that he is old enough to understand what I am doing, he helps me record and even does some background vocals with me! He's my best friend and will always be a part of my music.

What are your goals in the next five years, and what message do you want to generate with your music and image?

Goal is to reach as many people with my music as possible and continue to grow as a musician. Hopefully, one day get some form of recognition from for my artistry. I remember being a little girl watching the award shows and wanting to be that singer on stage so badly. Wanting everyone to hear everything I have to say. (Probably because I was silent my entire childhood while witnessing a tragedy.) But thankfully, I have reached a place where I will be heard. The message I want to send is being a strong independent woman. I want women to feel empowered without being a sex symbol and helping them to realize we have more power than we're given credit for.

Mary Jayne is sharing her painful experiences with her audience through her songs. She revealed that in her everyday life, she's a very private person and would rather hide any possible weaknesses by not talking about her emotions. (Except to her notebook and fans of course.)

She said, "I've always been the strong one who doesn't ask for help from my family, friends, and even boyfriends. People wonder how I hold everything together without venting more often, its because I'm writing all day. Even just little notes whenever I can, then later I'll go back and add to them until I have a whole song. If someone makes me mad in the grocery store, it might remind me of something my ex did and send me on a rampage. It starts with a few notes but ends in a masterpiece. People might think I'm texting, but sometimes I'm just starting a song, maybe even about them."

Well if that's not intimidating enough, she is a fantastic vocalist and covers songs by some of the most talented performers such as Whitney Houston & Nina Simone. Whom just so happen to be two of her biggest influences alongside Aliyah. It doesn't stop there; Mary Jayne has played a variety of instruments throughout her lifetime. Beginning with the Bass Cello at age nine, she hides behind the huge strings as she stands at only 5 feet 3 inches tall. Mary Jayne later went on to find a strong passion for the Piano, mastering songs such as "Arabesque" by Bach at age 14. She continues to play the Piano practicing daily and one day plans to incorporate her instruments into her music more frequently.

Mary Jayne is only beginning to share her many talents with the world, and the musical community is welcoming her with open arms. After concluding this interview, one thing is sure; Mary Jayne is off to a great start in a long career ahead of her. She knows who she is, where she comes from, and most importantly, where she is going. Here at LIFOTI magazine, we are intensely following her music, and we are so excited to hear Mary Jayne's upcoming EP and future projects. Her music is available on every major streaming platform. Don't miss a beat from this star on the rise.

Although she was featured in recently released Lifoti's September 2019 issue 09, you can check it from below link's for your country: