BETTY JANE

“WE ONLY WENT TO CHURCH SO I COULD SING IN THE CHOIR.”

Photo by Shannon Sturgis

One of Betty Jane’s earliest memories is of flipping through her dad’s vinyl collection of Motown and soul records. “We only went to church so I could sing in the choir,” she laughs. “While most normal families stayed for the service, we’d duck out as soon as I was done and head home to spend that sacred day blasting soul music” - a different, but no less powerful, kind of gospel. It’s no wonder that, despite years of classical studies in voice & piano, BJ ended up eschewing the traditional in order to immerse herself in the more familiar genres of jazz, rock, and soul.

Those influences are on clear display in her songs. Featuring NYC’s most illustrious session musicians and highlighting BJ’s harmonic prowess via vibrant background vocals, her songs mix retro soul, vintage girl group, and a pinch of edgy pop rock to create a modern version of the tunes you might’ve found her family enjoying back in the day.

What you won’t find here are 1960s lyrics. Rather than reinforce a sugar-coated version of commitment, Betty Jane relishes writing about love’s raw truth. Real relationships aren’t like the illusion of perfection we see on social media, so why should love songs be? BJ’s music explores emotional authenticity, inviting listeners to question the notion of fairytale romance and instead consider the shared experience of uncertainty - and the heart’s paradoxical capacity for hope.

Photo by Shannon Sturgis