Page 11 - Black Velvet Issue 97

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own personal struggles, in particular with anxi- “It does feel like I’ve had to overcome my-
ety, something few who have seen her perform, self and step up to be here. In my teen years I
either with Skillet or now spearheading Ledger, never thought I could do this, but there was al-
would think could be possible. Not only is it the ways a dream in my heart as a little girl who al-
case, but much of her debut EP’ is written about ways loved music and saw how important it is.”
her own private hurdles and she says her music
has not only become a powerful tool in her own eenage years are important for every-
personal struggles, but she hopes it can help Tone. These days, there is so much
and inspire anyone else who is going through a pressure due to social media to look a certain
similar situation. way and be a certain way. Teenagers spend a
A shining example of this is the song ‘Bold’, large proportion of their lives online, as do us
one which contains many thought-provoking all. There are more and more apps or programs
lyrics. And some very simple and to the point that alter our appearances, whether it be to air-
ones too, none more so than ‘I’m gonna be brush our wrinkles, squash in waists or en-
bold’ - so we begin by asking the multi-talented largen lips. Jen tells us, “One of the things
Ms. Ledger if she indeed considers herself to which makes me incredibly passionate to be in-
be a bold person and whether the step to cre- volved in music is just being able to inspire peo-
ating Ledger, which she insists will be alongside ple. I think the media has done a terrible job,
Skillet and not instead of, is a bold one or if it is screaming at people that you have to be this
something she believes always lay in her des- beautiful and this rich and then you will have fi-
tiny. nally made it. We’ve got magazines tearing the
Explaining more about the song and the most beautiful women down, because they
lyric in question she tells us, “The song ‘Bold’ have a tiny bit of cellulite or whatever; it’s just
and the lyric ‘I’m gonna be bold’ is actually more unreal, isn’t it? It’s incredibly harmful, I think,
about stepping into being bold. I struggle with and that’s what actually makes me feel excited
stage fright and nerves quite a lot and they to be involved in music and to be an influence
make me want to give up, actually, and they can at all. I’m so tired of seeing reality stars that are
make me not want to do this because it’s too hollow, dysfunctional and broken having the
stretching, it’s too big and it’s too scary. But I re- loudest voices and being the most influential to
ally believe I’m meant to do this with my life. I our culture. It’s wrong, it’s broken, it is going to
feel like I’ve got this platform before me where create hurt people who always feel like they are
I’ve got young girls looking to me. They want to one step behind. Our young people aren’t lis-
know what I have to say and I’m not going to let tening to politicians or teachers, these are the
these things like fear or anxiety or stage fright biggest influence they have and I’m like ‘Oh my
hold me back from what I feel like I’m meant to gosh.’ It makes sense that we’re in the place
do with my life, which is music and to impact we’re in.
people through music. “So the idea that I can be a platform of peo-
“So you will find that a lot of my EP is all ple looking to me and seeing someone who is
about choosing to be bold and I will be bold not broken, not addicted to drugs, not a Disney
even if there is stuff in me that wants me not to star that went wrong and went wild, hopefully I
be and wants me to hold back and makes me can be an example and someone whose music
want to give up. No, I won’t! I’m going to break you would let your daughter listen to and you
out and I’m going to fight my own self and over- wouldn’t be afraid if she copied me in my
come my own self in many ways and I will lifestyle too. I do feel incredibly passionate
choose to be bold and do things that maybe about that now, because I was someone who
scare me.” thought I never would be good enough and
So, with music being what Jen was meant those things have crippled me. By learning to
to do with her life, did she always feel that break through I have stepped into a destiny I
launching her own band under her own name never imagined I could have had. But it meant
was a part of her future? “You know, when I was I had to overcome those things and to be em-
a little girl I did feel that way. I used to watch any powering to other people like that is an incredi-
music video and think ‘Wow, I want to do that ble honour and it makes me so feel excited to
with my life.’ And then I became a teenager and, be doing music.”
like all teenagers, I became incredibly self-
aware and also compared myself to everyone earning about Jen’s insecurities and
around me and thought ‘I’m not the best at this Lanxieties casts new light on many of the
and there are a million people around me who lyrics contained in her debut EP and this is es-
can do it better and there are a million people pecially the case in ‘Bold’ where she sings ‘all
who don’t seem to be afraid at all’. this time I have believed the lie that I wasn’t
“I was very aware of all my limitations and I made to fly, my wings are bound, stuck to the
was aware of the fact that there are so many ground’. Coming from an artist who has spent
more talented people and there are people who so many years playing behind a drum kit and is
just live to be on stage, whereas I get shaky now looking to forge her own path, it would be
knees and get really intimidated, so I kinda easy to presume these lines could be about her
gave up on it in my teenage years and thought past in music, but in fact that is far from the
I’m gonna be a hairdresser, so that became my case.
goal in life! Her bandmates in Skillet, in particular hus-
“When Skillet asked me to audition, I’d band and wife John and Korey Cooper, who are
given up music altogether because I thought it’s the lead vocalist and guitarist in the band, have
obviously not for me. I was praying about it and played a titanic role in supporting her solo proj-
I really felt like I was just supposed to do it, I just ect, not only mentoring her work but also per-
felt like it was something I was meant to do with forming on her record. John supplies guest
my life, even though it terrified me. So I tried out vocals on ‘Warrior’ while Korey plays guitars on
for Skillet and a couple of months later I was the songs and during her maiden tour as
playing my first ever show with them in a sold Ledger where her act has opened for Skillet
out arena in front of 15,000 people! It went from across the States. They too have been pulling
playing in church on a Sunday in front of 200 double duty and fulfilling these respective roles
people and I’m terrified, to playing with a freak- in her songs to kick-start the evenings.
ing platinum-selling rock band! When asked about the aforementioned lyric
LEDGER