‘Chameleon’, the debut album from Jana Mila (pronounced Yah-nuh Mee-law) will be released by New West Records on 30 August 2024. It is an impressive collection that draws from an array of influences, including Nashville country, Laurel Canyon folk and 70’s rock. The songcraft is particularly notable and prompted her inclusion in the Who Are Ya? section.
Who are you?
I am a Dutch singer songwriter from Amsterdam, I’ve been writing songs ever since I was 15 and had a guitar in my hands. I’ve been raised in a very free and artistic environment with my entire family (mom dad and brother) being musicians. I have always known I wanted to pursuit a creative career, but it took me some time to know I wanted it to be a music career.
Who else is in your band and what do they play?
On this promo trip I’m bringing Matthijs van Duijvenbode (keyboards, percussion and backing vocals), and Gerben van der Mooren (guitar and backing vocals), two musicians and friends from Amsterdam who I also write with a lot. Matthijs is also my manager, so it’s great to have him around for some extra help.
How long have you been doing what you’re doing now?
I started playing guitar in my teens, and my music teacher at my high school was very encouraging from the moment I first started sharing one of the pieces I wrote. He was the one who signed me up for a music contest that I ended up winning. That was the first time I’d performed a song of my own on stage, and after that I felt like I was coming out of my shell. So I consider being 15 was the age I started music, but It wasn’t until I was 18 that I actually started performing. At age 18 I found a great team that I still work with ever since.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your musical career so far?
The best advice I was given is that as long as you stay true to yourself and you play your music authentically, the people who will like that will find you eventually. There’s no point in trying to please the average person with your music, it will wear you out as an artist and keep you from finding your personal audience. In the beginning I felt like there was a certain way an artist should behave on stage or a certain thing you should or should not say, and I saw performing almost like doing exams. But there is nobody out there checking your work like that (aside from the occasional review but that’s different). If you do what feels like you and you try to be better at what it is you like, that’s enough.
Tell us about the writing and recording of your latest album, Chameleon.
The songs featured on my album Chameleon take me on a trip down memory lane. About half of it I wrote on my own, some of them years ago even. And then the other half was written in Nashville during my first ever writing trip there, a few years ago. The thread running through this album is my development as a girl becoming a woman, and the phases in life I went through to become who I am today. The title Chameleon refers to my struggle with finding my true identity, always trying to adapt to my environment and other people and how I’ve been trying to set myself free from that.
We recorded my songs in two weeks in a Todd Lombardo’s studio in East Nashville and most arrangements were made up the same day they were recorded. There was basically no pre-production, we wanted everything to be open for ideas and for arrangements to happen organically in the studio room.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a musician?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned as a musician is that everything is out of your control and could change anytime. You need to see it as a good thing instead of a burden, if you hold on too much on your expectations you’re just standing in your own way. Anything can happen and you should let it happen. It’s still a challenge for me being a control freak, but I’m getting used to it now.
Is being a musician your full-time job, if not, how easy/tricky is it to juggle work and band life?
Not always easy, especially since a career in music is very unpredictable and not always planned way ahead, In Holland I’m a guitar and vocal teacher. I studied music and now I help others develop their skills in music, I enjoy that very much though I would love to be a performing artist full time. I think it would create a lot of headspace and better concentration for me to get better in what I’m doing, though I would still be open for teaching here and there even if I was a fulltime performing artist!
Do you think there are any obvious influences in your music?
Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile.
Are there any not so obvious influences in your music that might not be apparent to your listeners?
I am a big fan of Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, CMAT and Taylor Swift.
Apart from yourself of course, which other band/artist would you recommend our readers check out?
There’s this band called Flyte I really love, I’ve listened to their album Flyte from 2023 and was absolutely mesmerised. Also, if you don’t know her already, go listen to LP. Another artist I just discovered is Tristen, you should definitely check her out!
Tell us about the defining moment where you thought ‘Yes, I want to be a musician’.
I knew I wanted to be a musician as soon as I came off the stage after performing for the first time and people told me what they found in my songs. I thought it was amazing how one idea or story comes to life through my world and transfers into someone else’s. How people gave meaning to a song I wrote, making it not only my story but also theirs. There is so much power in sharing your thoughts and revelations on certain topics with other people, it felt incredible to gain a connection through something I wrote. It made me, and hopefully others feel less alone. Even though I found it hard to put myself out there at first, and it gave me a lot of anxiety, it’s also felt like a powerful force that made me conquer those fears.
What’s your favourite gig venue as a gig goer?
My favourite venue would be Paradiso in Amsterdam, my hometown. I’ve seen a lot of shows in this beautiful, converted church.
Is there a big country music scene in the Netherlands?
The country scene in Holland is not that big, although we do have a couple of big country stars. I don’t think my music would be labelled country music in Holland.
Who, in your wildest dreams would you like to collaborate with/be produced by and why?
In my wildest dreams I would love to one day write a song with Madison Cunningham, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift or Sheryl Crow! Oh and I’d love to do a duet with Stevie Nicks on stage, or do a collab with Phoebe Bridgers or Boygenius.
Have you got any immediate plans for further recording and touring?
After a couple weeks I’ll go back to Amsterdam for a month, then I’ll be back in Nashville in September to play Americana fest. I feel like a lot of things are happening in America for me right now. I’m really starting to feel connected to this place and will be there a lot!
