Basic Folk 231 – Jenny Owen Youngs

Podcaster, #1 hit songwriter, human and dog mother, gay icon Jenny Owen Youngs returns with her first full length album since 2012! In the last decade plus, Jenny has experienced a wild ride of changes like divorce, extreme grief, moving across the country, remarrying, etc. Her main project while not writing, recording and tour, she hosts podcasts like the very successful Buffering The Vampire Slayer alongside her ex-wife, Kristin Russo (“A Buffy The Vampire Slayer” rewatch pod, which is now an X-Files rewatch show called The Ex-Files). She also has songwriting credits for Panic! At the Disco, Pitbull, Ingrid Michaelson, and Brett Dennen thanks to her deal with Dan Wilson (Semisonic and epic co-writer) and his publishing company.

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JOY’s new album Avalanche covers a lot of hard topics (see earlier: divorce, grief, moving, remarrying) and was produced by angel human Josh Kaufman (Taylor Swift, The National, The Hold Steady, Josh Ritter, and so on…). Jenny has always been an artist who is not afraid to show her whole self: good and the bad. Case in point: She described the inspiration for her very first break-through song “Fuck Was I” as “horrible, horrible, horrible decision making,” adding it was “just your classic love gone wrong hell.” Never one to back down from a fight, Jenny’s approaching these songs with honesty, bravery and her biting sense of humor. It’s cliche to say that talking to Jenny is a JOY, but it’s a cliche for a reason. Thanks Jenny!