Meet Carrie Jennings

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carrie Jennings a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrie, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I think passion, purpose, and healthy detachment are important aspects of developing a strong work ethic. Passion has always served as the spark that continues to light my path forward. I fell in love with dance and music at a young age, and with the support of my parents, teachers, and community, I took classes, joined ensembles, and participated in incredible performance opportunities all the way through college. My love of performing has been a constant source of joy in my life, and has propelled me to work hard at building a career as an artist. Another constant throughout my creative journey has been the exploration of my purpose. From a degree in classical trumpet performance, to becoming a dancer, teacher, and administrator for a North Indian classical dance company, to writing, recording, performing, and touring as an independent artist, I am always considering the impact of my work. I believe our purpose grows and changes along with us, and that we should always be questioning why we do what we do and who our work serves. When I am able to align my goals with these deeper intentions, I feel that my capacity for hard work grows exponentially. Lastly, a dose of healthy detachment has always been a key ingredient for success in my journey so far. Sometimes life finds a way to create this space for us, and sometimes we have enough presence of mind to create it ourselves, but regardless of how it happens, it is very important to detangle our sense of value from our work. This creates a more sustainable, healthy, honest working environment which allows room for failure and growth and helps avoid burn-out.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a vocalist, flugelhorn player, and guitarist based in Seattle, WA. I write deliberate and sultry music, combining melancholic singer-songwriter lyricism with soulful horn lines and indie R&B aesthetics. My performances are both tender and bold, with lush instrumentals and endearing stage banter. I am a storyteller and groove maker bringing people together to explore the depths of our human experience through song.

While spending a decade immersed in the Denver music scene, I performed regularly with soul/R&B artist Wes Watkins and toured the country with indie-soul band Mama Magnolia. I have been honored to open for acclaimed artists including The California Honeydrops, Snarky Puppy, and PJ Morton, and have performed at notable venues and festivals including Mission Ballroom, Coors Field, Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bumbershoot, Oregon Country Fair, and South by Southwest.

I released my debut EP “Good Tension” in October of 2023, and just released a new single titled “Half of Me” this November. In 2025 I already have two co-headline tours booked across the Pacific Northwest, one with Tacoma-based artist Tara Chugh in February, and one with Denver-based artist Wes Watkins in March.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Quality practice time, lots of performance experience, and immersion in a creative community have been the most impactful aspects of my journey so far. Advice? Practice, practice, practice! Otherwise, keep putting yourself out there and connecting with the folks in your community who are already doing what you want to do! We are not alone in our pursuits, we are in a web of interdependence where everything we do impacts one another. The more we care for ourselves and each other, the healthier our community becomes!

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am always looking to engage with other independent artists and community builders! I would love to meet more folks who are pursuing careers as performing artists, and also people who plan events, offer gathering spaces, or represent communities who want more access to music. Folks can check out my website (https://carrie-jennings.mailchimpsites.com/), follow me on socials (@CarrieJenningsMusic), or email me directly (carriejenningsmusic@gmail.com) to connect!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Delilah Lovejoy, Samantha Witt, Kevin O, Lauren Withrow

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