Leah Stargazing
Jennifer Yakes of Leah Stargazing
By Alex Teitz
| Leah Stargazing is not a person but a band from an unlikely place. This five-piece band consists of Jordan Fielding on vocals and guitar, Jennifer Yakes on drums, Thomas Keokane on synthesizer and piano, Brandon Fielding on bass,and Timothy Aubin on guitar and vocals. All of the members are under 21. Although Jordan does the songwriting, the drummer, Jennifer Yakes is being credited with giving them their motivation. Leah Stargazing was not formed in one of the meccas of the music world but comes from Rhode Island. Leah Stargazing’s CD is called Leave It All Behind and was produced by John Jacobson. It is already creating a buzz with a catchy pop and punk sound. FEMMUSIC was able to speak with Jennifer Yakes via e-mail. |
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FEMMUSIC: How does a song form within the group?
JY: Jordan is the songwriter of the group. When we have a practice, he’ll come in with a new song that he’s written and play his part for us. After hearing it a couple of times, the rest of us will start writing our own parts for it and play it over and over until we memorize it.
FEMMUSIC: What was the biggest challenge making LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND? What was the best experience making LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND?
JY: The biggest challenge for making our album LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND was that it was done all on our own. We did not have a record company backing us, so everything was out-of-pocket and do-it-yourself. Even though this was the hardest part of making the album, it was also the best part. We learned so much by being so hands-on and having the main say in how the production of the album went. It’s a great feeling knowing that we accomplished all this on our own.
FEMMUSIC: How was it working with John Jacobson?
JY: I’m glad we had the opportunity to work with John Jacobson on our first album. He understood that we did not have much experience recording and producing an album, so he helped us through it. I think John had some great ideas that, when mixed with ours, made the album better than we imagined it could be.
FEMMUSIC: Rhode Island is typically not seen as a launching point for new music. What is your opinion of the local music scene and what would you like to change about it?
JY: I remember when Rhode Island had an amazing music scene. There were clubs that had great bands playing almost every night. Many of those venues closed down, so the scene isn’t what it used to be. I’m excited to know that I’m part of the effort to bring the Rhode Island music scene back to how I remember it.
FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you change about the music industry?
JY: To me it seems that the music industry has always been about who you know, and not how good your band is. I’ve been in bands that haven’t gotten very far because of the lack of connections. I would put more of an emphasis on talent, rather than relying on who you know.
FEMMUSIC: As a woman in the music industry, have you been discriminated against?
JY: I think that being a woman in the music industry has actually helped me more than it has hurt me. There are occasional people telling me, “drums aren’t a girl’s instrument,” but the majority of people tell me its great to see a girl behind a drum set. So many of our female fans have told us that I’m the reason for them starting a band or learning an instrument. Its great that I influenced them to break away from thinking they have no place in the music industry just because they’re girls.
FEMMUSIC: What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
JY: Make sure that you’re whole heart is in it, and make sure you’re willing to put in a lot of time and hard work. It can get tough at times, but its all worth it.