Tonight Alive just released their latest album Underworld on Friday, January 12th (our review here) and followed it up with a pretty memorable performance at UNIFY 2018 to celebrate, so you can say things are going exceptionally well for the Sydney-siders who have just kicked off an American Tour in support of their new material. But what does the future hold for the band and it's members, or more directly, frontwoman Jenna McDougall, who has now been the face (and voice) of the group for a decade?
Wall of Sound Owner/Podcast Host Browny sat down with Jenna for an in-depth chat backstage at UNIFY and the conversation of going solo was brought up when the pair discussed Gwen Stefani of No Doubt's solo venture and acting debut following her lengthy years in the band. Whilst acting wasn't something on the Tonight Alive singer's radar, the thought of releasing a solo album was and had been something of interest she revealed gleefully:
"I'd like to make a solo record, yeah definitely"
Seeing how keen and eager she was on the subject, the pair talked more about what kind of record she'd release and how it would differentiate from anything she's done in the past; "It wouldn't have any borders or boundaries" she added. "It wouldn't have a genre [or] be limited to members that can play certain instruments. I want to make music with everybody and friends and just branch out and muck around."
"It'd be the first time I really feel like I could really just experiment, truly, without knowing that you're making a record for a band that has a genre, that has a following, that belongs to a scene. Even though you can still do whatever the hell you want, there's still those kinds of borders."
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH-tSXVrjKs&w=640&h=360]
In the past, Jenna has appeared as a guest vocalist on songs for Illy, ParkwayDrive and The Bride as well as performing with the likes of All Time Low, Simple Plan, Pierce The Veil and Papa Roach to name a few, but she's never released a song on her own away from the band. Considering Tonight Alive have come a very long way since their debut album What Are You So Scared Of? there is plenty of potential for this album to reflect the hardships, topics and personal growth Jenna has encountered and overcome throughout her years as a successful musician. The solo album would also serve as a new beginning she added:
"...I think it'd be great to make a first record again, [because] making our first record I was 18 and I didn't know what I wanted... I'm 25 now, I want to start writing this record and just really curate it and take my time with it too, I think there's a lot of potential and possibility."
I don't know about you, but the idea of Jenna McDougall having creative control over her own music and style sounds like a fantastic way for her to show more of her true self, without the input from labels or expectations to sound a certain way.
You can hear the full interview now on our Wall of Sound: Up Against The Wall 'Crashing UNIFY 2018' podcast right here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xf0jQSP83I&w=853&h=480]
