Jen Ledger, drummer and vocalist of multi-platinum selling, GRAMMY® nominated rock band Skillet recently signed with with Atlantic Records and Hear It Loud, the imprint encompassing the creative team of Skillet’s John & Korey Cooper and longtime manager, Zachary Kelm. Ledger recently released her self-titled debut EP earlier this month. Beloved by fans with an engaged social media following, Ledger’s unique vocals and powerful stage presence have given her a distinct role in Skillet since joining the band when she was just 18.The UK native has been working ardently in preparation for her solo launch, enlisting the talent of Skillet’s Korey Cooper along with GRAMMY® Award winning songwriter and producer Seth Mosely to produce the six song project. Check out Ledger’s debut EP below!
We managed to catch up with Jen as she talked about her latest EP and more!
I’m really enjoying your new EP
Thank you so much!!!
How has the initial response been from your latest EP?
So far, the response has been kind of overwhelming! I feel so thrilled to have such positive feedback! I talked about some pretty vulnerable topics on this EP – and it’s humbling to have so many people reach out to tell me how they’ve connected with the songs and been through similar experiences. It’s so nerve racking putting out your own songs about your personal stories out into the world! A little bit like wearing your heart on your sleeve, and it’s emotional and overwhelming to have so many people accept and embrace it!
What is your favourite track from the release?
My favorite track is probably “Not Dead Yet”, because it’s kind of become a theme song and soundtrack to my life. I have had to battle fear and anxiety a lot, and there was an especially dark season a few years ago where I couldn’t lie down to go to sleep at night without have severe feelings of terror and panic attacks. It was a crippling and defeating season of my life, and once I got through it I thought it was surely something I would never have to deal with again. But about a year ago, I started to feel those same feelings of panic creep back in. I came off stage one night after a Skillet concert , and cried to Korey because I felt so deflated. I told her that I couldn’t believe these old feeling were coming back and what if this is something that never goes away for me? Korey looked at me and said “Then you fight, Jen. You fight and you never give up. While there is breath in your lungs, until the day that you die you never give up fighting this. You don’t let fear rob you of your own life”
That was the day I resolved in my heart that I would never give up the fight against fear and anxiety in my life. Even if it comes back over and over again, I will go down swinging and not let it steal my life away from me. “Not Dead Yet” is all about this battle, so it’s a song that’s very important to me.
Can you tell something about the EP no one else knows?
A lot of it was written in the back lounge of our tour bus! Haha! It’s the opposite of glam. Since we tour so much, we wrote and produced almost the entire EP in a cramped back lounge or in grungy dressing rooms. I even stuck my head between a sofa and its cushions to track vocals for “Ruins” one night, because we were behind schedule, and it was late at night in a hotel. We needed to get it done so a created a makeshift vocal booth as to not wake the neighbors as I belted into a microphone at the top of my lungs. It was a sight to see!
Is it different recording solo than in the band Skillet?
Yes, we did so much of it on the road rather than in the studio like we do with Skillet. But I loved every second of it.
What do you get up to in your spare time when not working on music?
I love to draw and paint, but I don’t get much time to do that these days. My all time favorite thing to do in the world is to get breakfast food with my girlfriends! I don’t know why I have such a love affair with eggs and french toast, but when I get home it’s the first and only thing I want to do!
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
I would love to work with Lacey Sturm from Flyleaf. I am such a huge fan and I think she is the biggest influence on me vocally.
What was the first gig you ever attended?
I remember seeing a band called YellowCard in Birmingham when I was 14 or 15 years old. I loved that bad and was really mesmerized with their violin player. It’s amazing that I ended being a part of something so similar later on in life.
What inspired you to get into music in the first place?
My whole family loves music. My dad had us all listening to the Beatles and Queen from the moment we were born. But I actually got into music mainly because of how much I admired my older brothers who were musicians. I am the youngest of four kids and I basically thought my brothers were the coolest people in the world. They were the oldest and tallest, and therefore the best. Haha! From early on in life, I copied them in everything. I dressed like the, got really good at sports like the, and learned to play the drums to impress them. They were always in a band and pursuing music, so I followed them in that direction.
Are you planning to tour the UK and Europe this year?
Skillet is heading to Europe this summer, so I’ll be there very soon!
Thank you for answering these
All the best