Exclusive Interview with the duo 'JANA & JORGE'

The pair was founded in 2019 after Izquierdo discovered Jana’s songs on the internet. Izquierdo, a lyricist since childhood, was looking for a performer to bring his emotional lyrics to life. Jana’s expressive voice and diverse musical catalog drew Izquierdo in right on. Despite the thousands of miles between Jana’s house in New York City and Izquierdo’s home in Peru, the pair collaborates flawlessly using contemporary technology.

Jana is a talented musician and songwriter whose songs have been on major television shows such as “Empire” and “Dance Moms.” While Izquierdo is the primary songwriter and producer for JANA & JORGE, Jana uses her knowledge to fine-tune the songs so that she can offer a genuine and emotive vocal performance.

“Run Away,” “Come Back Around,” “You Make Me A Mess,” “Live Forever,” and “Time Goes Fast” are among their musical offerings. “Run Away” is an introspective composition about someone seeking freedom, whereas “Come Back Around” is about reunion with a loved person. These singles demonstrate the breadth of talent that the two musicians possess, engaging a wide spectrum of listeners.
The duo’s future objectives include creating new alternative pop-country music, jazz, and soul that will appeal to a wide range of audiences.

Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?

JANA & JORGE: I come from Lima, Peru and Ashley is from United States located in NY City. I got started when I was a kid because I am a natural musician, it´s like music owns me and I started needing to make music. I started recording my own songs myself and trying female vocals because I always felt that a female singer would fit perfectly for the type of songs I write but it was very difficult to find a singer who fits my music. Many years later by chance, I found Ashley Jana by internet, and she gave me a sample of a piece of a song and I was amazed and decided to produce some songs with her seeing that her vocals match perfectly and also helps me to make adjustments to the songs.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

JANA & JORGE: I am a self-taught, and I dream some songs also. I like to learn new things all the time also. Ashley is a professional musician.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘JANA & JORGE’?

JANA & JORGE: My first musical influences were first classical Music, and then Michael Jackson, I was very fan of him when I was a little kid, then I started to love hard rock music and glam metal.

“Jana and Jorge” was Ashley’s idea, at the beginning I was to put another name but when Ashley told me that, I accepted.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

JANA & JORGE: I am not sure really, despite that I have many different types of influences, I lean a lot towards Country Music, I think it is the baseline of all the music I write, then it’s a mix with some rock and pop. I am not sure exactly what style I have but the most important to me is to make music as beautiful as possible.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as POP?

**JANA & JORGE**: I just do the music I love, and it makes me feel good, I can learn from others but in the end I will always want to do something original and new no matter the style it ends up being. I want to be successful doing what I love.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?

JANA & JORGE: I am interested more in music as an expression of entertainment and pleasure and of course, making art.

Nevertheless, I am convinced that music influences very powerfully in our lives, cultures, way of fashion, behavior, and a huge etcetera. Music is a strong power that moves masses for better or for worse.

I don’t like politics but always try to give constructive and encouraging things. I have spiritual songs too. I not only want people to enjoy our music but also that their lives change for the better through the power of music.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

JANA & JORGE: Yes of course, I enjoy it all the time, my first fulfillment for me is that I enjoy the result of the production of the song, the rest comes by itself. I just expect 2 important things in the future, the first is to keep writing songs, and the second, that our music be listened to all over the planet.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

JANA & JORGE: I always start with a tune in my head at any moment or while I am playing guitar, that tune makes my heart feel a special magic, if I feel that special magic is because I need to complete it, then I start to search the other pieces of the puzzle to convert that tune into a complete song. I have a large repertoire of songs accumulated and saved.

For the songs I am releasing, I choose a song, and send to Ashley a reference recording with my vocals, she gives me her key, then I send her 2 tracks, an instrumental track and a track with vocals so she can learn it and know what I am looking for, and of course the lyrics, she then corrects some of my lyrics or make adjustments in some cases and put her vocals with some of her style too. Then we mix it.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

JANA & JORGE: In my life the most difficult thing was to find the correct people. Music marketing is also a hard thing!, lol!

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

JANA & JORGE: Doing what I love and not losing the creativity and music magic. Making and producing songs with a great singer like Ashley and great musicians.