In this day and time, relationships and love are harder and harder to come by. Relationships have turned into situationships and love has turned into manipulation. Singer-songwriter, Jai’Len Josey, identifies with the new age romance problems and channeled those emotions into her latest project, “Conversations with a Payphone.” The project dives into the reality of being led on and all the things she wishes she could’ve said when she had the chance.
Now that she has put it all on the table and said all that she needs to say, it is time for the world to go along with her on this journey. Available on October 20th, “Conversations with a Payphone” is a double single with a two part story. The release includes songs, “Playground” and “Mixed Signals” (feat. Matt McGhee).
At 24-years-old, Josey has already accomplished more than some can even dream of but she is not stopping. Her creative juices continue to flow as she hones in on the next phase of her career. Josey gets candid with MEFeater Magazine as she speaks to her transition from theater to a full time music career, her personal relationships and getting back to the things that she loves.
New York City Beginnings
Josey spent the beginning of her adulthood in New York City starring in theater productions like the Spongebob Squarepants Musical (Pearl Krabs) and The Secret Life of Bees. She is grateful for the experience and all that she was able to gain from performing other people's creations but now it's time for her to satisfy her own creative desires.
The Atlanta native has returned home to Georgia and to her musical vices. She has always had a love and affinity for music and creating it but she was waiting for the right time to pursue music full time.
After spending a few years performing in plays, Josey noticed that her mental health was taking a hit. New York City theaters just so happen to be underground, which leaves little possibility for windows or outside light to reach her. Having to spend days in the theater and in dark dressing rooms caused her to feel like she was missing life. As a true southern girl, she was missing home cooked meals and desperately needed Vitamin D.
Even though it’s what she wanted to do, it wasn’t exactly easy to make the transition. While she was creating music during her time on Broadway, mentally she had to prepare herself.
“Moving back to Georgia to put out my own music, mentally was kind of like a test because putting out your music for people who are just expecting you to go on stage and sing is kind of hard and it’s kind of unsettling,” she revealed.
Luckily Josey had a team that knew from the beginning that she would eventually want to transition into a full time music career and they supported her every step of the way.
Conversations with a Payphone
In the age of technology, payphones are obsolete but Josey stated that the payphone represents the past and the present.
She tells MEFeater, “I see the payphone as being a way to the past, like a teleportation device of some sort. What I could’ve said, who I would’ve been able to talk to, what experience did I miss out on?”
Josey also makes it clear that she infuses a storyline into her projects. This double single release will be a continuation to her last project, “Southern Delicacy.” It doesn’t stop there though. The R&B singer provides a small look into her future projects and reveals that “Conversations with a Payphone” is not the end of this storyline. It will be continued on an album that is to come in the future.
Playground
Being led on and manipulated is something that most people are familiar with and Josey let out her frustrations in the record. She stated that it is important for listeners to really take a look at the lyrics of the song in order to truly feel the emotion she felt when creating it. She hopes that listeners can identify with the emotional roller coaster that relationships can take you on and maybe even join her on the ride.
“I want them to be sonically taken on the same ride that I went on,” she stated. I want them to sonically be at Jai’Len’s Six Flags. I want them to feel every bump and curve that I went through.”
Josey wants her listeners to know that what she writes and sings are experiences that she has gone through and survived. She hopes that her having these experiences allows for other to learn from her. By listening to this song, it is her desire that people begin to heal and know that they are not alone.
Mixed Signals (feat. Matt McGhee)
There were so many emotions that Josey was feeling at the time of writing “Mixed Signals” that when she received the beat, she was able to write the entire song that same day. Drawing from her personal experiences again, she felt that she couldn’t get a clear understanding of how someone felt about her. The lyrics represent what she wanted to say to him but didn’t.
Recording the song proved to be cathartic for her as she felt a sense of relief while in the booth. Relief is what listeners are meant to feel as they listen to the song and begin to relate with Josey’s experiences. Many people leave conversations and wish they had said more or something different, “Mixed Signals” says all the things that were lost or that fear got in the way of.
The Future is Bright
The budding R&B star knows that “Conversations with a Payphone” is just the beginning of this new phase in her life. As mentioned before, there is more to this story to come in the future. Not only that, she hopes to add more than just songs to the industry.
“I’m trying to genre-bend R&B. I’m trying to bring different sounds into R&B with my music. Storylines, how things connect, little tid-bits here and there,” she revealed. “I feel like a body of work comes with experiences and things we feel day-to-day.”
Conversations with a Payphone is available October 20th on all streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. You can keep up with all things Jai’Len Josey by following her on Instagram @jailenjosey.