Loneliness, Music, and Cara Jean
ROCK IN DETROIT: So, tell us what you do? We want to know all about you . . . .
CARA: So I write music, I am a mom of four, and I also do hair, that’s the way I make money – I’m a hairstylist. With music, I do cover shows as often as I can. I’ll do like a 3-4 hours of cover set, and then I do original shows as well. Like as often as possible.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Now, is this solo acoustic guitar?
CARA: Yeah.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Which venues have you played recently?
CARA: I’ve played a lot in Hamtramck, a place called P.L.A.V. Post 10. I have a little residency there.
ROCK IN DETROIT: We were there the other night with the Velvet Snakes.
CARA: Doesn’t it have a good vibe? They have they upstairs with all those bands. The first time I went there I played the downstairs bar and then afterward I went upstairs for the rock show, I was like, this is incredible!
ROCK IN DETROIT: It’s a nice stage up there, a nice wooden floor venue – you can dance and there’s space, and then there’s all these veterans downstairs hanging out.
CARA: I love that one, they are great to me there. I also perform in church about three times a month.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Awesome! Do you consider yourself a Christian artist?
CARA: Yeah. I’d say I’m a spiritual artist.
ROCK IN DETROIT: So, where are you from?
CARA: I’m originally from New Jersey. I’ve been in the Midwest for seven years now.
ROCK IN DETROIT: How did you end up in the Detroit area?
CARA: I was a stay at home mom then – this was before I was performing and then I moved with my family and I was here about a year and then I got divorced and then I started performing a bunch pretty soon after that.
ROCK IN DETROIT: What kind of genre do you play, other than covers?
CARA: I would put myself in the same genre as Gwen Stefani as far as vocals, and Jewel as far as song writing.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Nobody’s doing that. That’s awesome! So do you have any shows coming up?
CARA: Yeah, I have one on January 17th at Reware Vintage. I also have one in March and it’s for Women in Music, so the venue is having all women artists that month. The Reware Vintage is my original show and the one in March is going to be covers.
[Show information can be found here.]
ROCK IN DETROIT: What some examples of covers you like to play – what songs?
CARA: I like to play “Knocking On Heaven’s Door.” I play some Morgan Wage, he’s an Indie-Country artist. Zach Bryan, I also sing some Creedence Clearwater Revival. The Lumineer’s is also a favorite of mine.
ROCK IN DETROIT: It takes a lot of talent to play 3 or 4 hours of covers. But it’s good pay, right?
CARA. Yeah! It’s so much work, and you’re playing other people’s music, but then you’re still getting paid to do what you love so it’s kind of worth the grueling effort of learning all that.
ROCK IN DETROIT: It’s one of the best jobs out there. How long have you been playing guitar?
CARA: Ten years.
ROCK IN DETROIT: When did you pick it up?
CARA: I picked it up when I was 22.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Do you ever play with other artist in a band setting?
CARA: Yes, I’ve been in multiple projects. I was in an emo band before called The 10 Cent Words. Then I was in a country duet for a year.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Did you play lead guitar in that one?
CARA: No I was only vocals – we had a lead guitarist.
ROCK IN DETROIT: What kind of guitar do you have?
CARA: It’s a Luna acoustic-electric. It’s almost a tiger’s eye marble finish.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Do you have your own PA system?
CARA: Yes.
ROCK IN DETROIT: You’re lucky! Some bands don’t.
CARA: I use the Fishman LBX, I think it’s called, and it fills up a room pretty good for just me and guitar.
ROCK IN DETROIT: When you do covers, do you play at restaurants or is there a different sort of venue that you play?
CARA: I play at restaurants, sometimes I play at bars. Usually bars.
ROCK IN DETROIT: How many gigs per month or per year do you do?
CARA: I would say I do about 40 to 50 gigs a year.
ROCK IN DETROIT: What else?
CARA: I would like to talk about how music . . . lets me gather my thoughts. I was a very sensitive child and I loved to sing, but people kind of turned me off from singing because I wasn’t the typical singer, and I find that people that are sensitive creatives really need an outlet and me finding that was life-saving. I had a lot of mental health struggles until I discovered art, and the first time I wrote a song was in a time where I was dealing with a lot emotionally, and I felt like quitting, like suicidal, and God just told me to pick up a notebook and a pen. And I did and I wrote this song . . . . At the time I didn’t know it was a song, but I wrote it all out. Every time I had those overwhelming feelings I would reach for a creative outlet, and I also lift weights, so when I feel out of touch with the world, I’ll find an outlet for that. I just want to highlight that – If anybody feels that way, you are not alone. There are some very creative, sensitive people out there who just have a gift inside that needs to be unlocked, so I hope I inspire somebody to be unafraid of their humanness and pick up some kind of hobby or art, and discover who they are because a lot of our suffering comes from not knowing ourselves and feeling alone.
Cara Jean will be performing
Recent Comments