6 minute read

The Joy of Music

from 85086 Magazine March 2020

by Times Media Group

from 85086 Magazine March 2020, page 46

Back to Health of Anthem

Joy of Music The

Local singer/songwriter Janelle Loes shares her life through song By Laura Latzko

For North Phoenix-based singer/songwriter Janelle Loes, the joy of music starts with crafting a song, lyric by lyric and note by note. Being able to speak with audiences about her experiences and connect with them on a more personal level drives her to keep writing and performing. She will return to Anthem to perform on Saturday, March 14, at the Anthem Community Council’s Java and Jammin’, a Second Saturday music series, and on Saturday, March 28, at Amped Coffee Company.

Loes won the 2010 Chicks with Picks female songwriter competition and the 2016 Tucson Folk Festival songwriting competition; was a finalist in Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding competition; and was in the top 10 in the 2017 Rocky Mountain Music Festival’s songwriting competition.

She was featured at the 2010 Anthem Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.

Loes performs at venues throughout the Valley, including the Queen Creek Olive Mill, Garage-East, Fuego Bistro, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, the Desert Botanical Garden, Orpheum Theatre, Crescent Ballroom, Grapeables Wine Bar and Last Exit Live.

Playing in different spaces has allowed her to build a following in and get her music out to different crowds. She started playing open mic nights at age 12 and formal shows at age 16.

A Scottsdale native, the local musician spans different genres, performing jazz, pop and adult contemporary music.

She was interested in music from the time she was a child, starting with the piano and Janelle Loes started performing for the public at age 12. (Photo by Kaelyn Loes)

then guitar and violin in elementary school. She says the guitar has always been her favorite instrument because of her passion for songwriting.

“I love guitar because it is such a great vessel for songwriting,” Loes says.

She comes from a musical family. Her two sisters, Jaspar Lepak and Gina Loes, are also musicians. She is self-taught, but she was inspired by and learned from her sisters.

“It was amazing having sisters that played, too, and could help,” Loes says.

Growing up, she listened to ’70s artists such as Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, as well as contemporary artists such as Anna Nalick, Regina Spektor and Fiona Apple. Ani DiFranco and Rachael Yamagata inspired her to play guitar and write, respectively.

“That kind of songwriting that’s really just super vulnerable, I love songwriters like that. It just made me want to write music,” Loes says.

During live performances, she often plays a mixture of covers and original music. She performs cover songs from a range of bands and artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Allen Stone, James Bay, The Beatles, The Outfield, The Beach Boys and Adele.

“It’s fun to pl ay s ongs t hat people recognize and surprise people by playing songs from different decades. There are so many great songwriters out there. It’s fun to play a little bit of everything,” Loes says.

Through her own music, she is able to express herself in a more personal way.

“I love getting to be vulnerable, and I think the special thing about songwriting is you get to say exactly what you want to say, even if you don’t get to say it in the moment. With songwriting, it’s really amazing to be able to share really personal experiences and then have somebody hear that song and connect it to their own life,” Loes says.

Janelle Loes When: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 14 Where: Anthem Civil Building Terrace, 3701 W. Anthem Way, Anthem Info: 623-742-6050, onlineatanthem.com/events

When: 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 28 Where: Amped Coffee Company, 3434 W. Anthem Way, Anthem Info: 480-462-6733, ampedcoffeeco.com

Loes has always loved songwriting, but it is a skill that she has honed over the years.

“The more you write, the more you learn and develop your own craft,” Loes says. “For me, it’s a very therapeutic thing. I feel like I’m pretty introspective. As a person, I love to look back and analyze.”

Her music has made an impact on listeners, including bringing a mother and daughter closer after a divorce.

“You never know what your songs can mean to somebody else. It’s really special when you can write a song and share your personal experience, and that can take on a new life for somebody else and hopefully bring something positive,” Loes says.

Over the years, writing songs has begun to take longer because she is more critical of her music.

She often finds herself up late at night, writing in a fit of inspiration.

She released her debut album, “Here and Now,” in 2011. Part of her prize from her Chicks with Picks win was recording a demo.

She still plays songs from that album, such as “You,” but she views them in a different way now.

“That’s always been fun to take songs I wrote almost a decade ago and be able to apply them to things that are going on right now,” Loes says.

She is working on a new album, which she plans to release in the fall. She had hoped to put the album out last year but was delayed due to becoming a new mother. Motherhood hasn’t slowed her down, though. She played shows up until two weeks before having her son and was back on stage a month afterward.

“It’s almost been more motivating for me to really focus on my music, get my music out there and not slow down,” Loes says. The album will have an eclectic mix of music, including pop songs and ballads. One song was inspired by dark TV dramas and was written from the perspective of a blackmailer.

The album uses electric, acoustic and pedal steel guitars; drums; synthesizers; organs; an electric bass and a cello.

Many of the songs on the recording are about overcoming hardship and staying strong during hard times.

She will release her first single from the album, “Criminal,” in March.

For the new album, she has been working with producers Andy Thompson in Minneapolis and Sean Cooney in Phoenix. She also collaborated with drummer Elliot Jacobson and singer Kevin Steinman.

She says the new album has been a different experience from her first because of how much she has grown and because of the ideas her collaborators are bringing to the project.

“It’s incredible to hear your song come to life from the place from where you wrote it and hear all the different textures and different directions your song can go,” Loes says.

To learn more about the singer, go to janelleloes.com.