Music News

Introducing Jenny Tolman

June 11, 2019 Nick Cantwell country music, dave brainard, high class white trash, jenny tolman, so pretty

If you are not already aware of Jenny Tolman and her witty, well-observed song writing then I can guarantee all that will change very soon with the release of her debut album ” There Goes The Neighborhood” on 19th July.
Rolling Stone listed her as one of their ” new country artists you need to know” back in 2017, comparing her music to the likes of Angaleena Presley, Nikki Lane and Brandy Clark and the album is fittingly produced by Dave Brainard who worked with Clark on “12 Stories”. It’s a loose concept album set in the fictional town of Jennyville which is populated by some very colourful and interesting characters who make great subject matter for the songwriter.
If her name IS vaguely familiar to you it is hopefully because we have already featured her hilarious single ” High Class White Trash” several times in our regular music shouts

But let’s rewind slightly. Jenny is a rarity in that unlike the majority of Nashville based singer/songwriters she actually grew up in music city where her father, a singer himself, worked as a talent buyer ( a quick google reveals that’s someone who books artists on behalf of a particular venue!). She suffered from severe anxiety in high school which led to her being home schooled, she always loved writing stories and was particularly drawn to country music because of its tradition of storytelling. She wrote her first song aged 16, foregoing college (dropping out after just one term) to pursue her dream of making it big in the music industry. An abusive relationship while still in her teens inspired her to write what she says was her first “real” song entitled “Beautiful” and it’s not unusual for her songs to contain some aspect of emotional pain alongside their humour.
Tolman and Brainard have been working on her album for a couple of years now, frequently co-writing incidentally, and based on what I already heard I am confident it will be right up my street…..a classic country sound ( no programmed instruments in the mix), Jenny’s stunning vocals and her writing with its relatable story telling and character building are everything I love all rolled into one. Check out the beautiful new single ” So Pretty” if you need further convincing!