"Little Boy" is imbued with a strong message, delivered artfully in the form of a song. What was the inspiration behind this song?
Jennings: The idea for the song actually came a couple of years ago when I was working with a producer mate of mine. We were chatting about music production (I wasn’t producing at the time), and he jokingly said, "little boy, you’ve got a lot to learn in life”. Right when he said it I knew it was a great lyric and could be turned into a great song. So I immediately started writing ‘Little Boy’, a letter to your younger self about the struggles of growing up.
What's the story behind the name Jennings Couch?
Jennings: Simple, Jennings Couch is literally my real name haha. My dad is called Jennings Couch, and so was his dad, my grandfather. So technically speaking I’m Jennings Couch the Third. But the name is weird enough and I didn’t think it was necessary to make it even stranger :)
Your website mentions that you wrote some of your first songs at 7 years old. What drew you to music and songwriting at such a young age?
Jennings: When I was a kid growing up in New York City, one of my first introductions to music was Green Day’s album American Idiot. After hearing the album I immediately asked my mum for guitar lessons. That quickly turned into piano lessons, then drum lessons, and singing lessons. I developed a real passion for music, but I remember that I didn’t like learning songs written by other people. So I would ask my tutors to teach me how to make my own songs. And that’s how I started songwriting!
Your music pulls from a variety of genres. Who are some of your biggest inspirations in the industry?
Jennings: I got really interested in ‘Genre-Blending’ when I discovered Twenty One Pilots. The way they were blending pop, rap, and rock was so new to me and got me really excited about the possibilities because I’ve always been interested in different genres. Growing up I would listen to rock and metal but was always intrigued by bands that fused genres, like Linkin Park for example. Then I discovered Imagine Dragons and loved their big anthemic sound and powerful productions. So I take a lot of inspiration from artists like that, but also less well-known artists like Grandson and Ghostmane, who are more hip-hop and rock-based.
What has your experience been like developing a unique sound? Any particular challenges that have come with that?
Jennings: I don’t think it’s challenging to develop a unique sound. I think you need to start by making the music you like. Think about yourself as an artist, how you want to be portrayed, and how you want your music to come across. Once you master that and are confident in your sound, I believe the uniqueness will come naturally. However, it might be better to call it authenticity rather than uniqueness.
What live performance of yours has been your favorite?
Jennings: My favourite live performance to date was a show I played at The Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden, London a few years back. We were filming the gig to promote my latest single at the time, "Love Hearts". The artwork for "Love Hearts" is a pink winking emoji face, so we made all these masks that people could wear during the show. I remember being on stage and looking out into the crowd and seeing everyone in these weird masks, it looked so damn cool and I was so proud and humbled at that moment! The footage ended up looking awesome as well :)
Interviewed By Hannah Conkin
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