Kickacts interviews “Jayne Ava”!

Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and where you can be found online.


Why hello there! I am Jayne Ava. Just a singer-songwriter gal from a small city in Canada tryin to live the dream in good ol LA! I just actually released a new single and music video! The song is called “Something There”. All those good thangs can be found on Youtube.

Twitter @jayneaye

Instagram jayneava

Facebook.com/jayneava

annnnd my website www.JayneAva.com

Who are your musical heroes and influences? Why?


Well I grew up listening to tons and tons of Queen and Prince. My parents always had music on and so I absorbed whatever they put in my ears and that became what I loved. Good thing they had incredible music taste. Like Queen and Prince?!! The best. I die for Pink. She is just such a powerful, incredible, talented Woman. She has a sound of her own and has just stuck to being exactly who she wants to be for her whole career no matter what anyone said. She has been successful for so many years and still is humble and grateful and continues to inspire people. She just seems like such a caring beautiful genuine soul!!

Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in the music business?

As cliché as it is just stay true to yourself. No. Matter. What. It’s your life and your passion so how can you let some other idiot who is trying to change you to their liking tell you what you can and can’t do. Stay strong!! That way no matter what happens you can always respect what you are doing and know you carved your path exactly how you wanted to and that is an amazing thing. Being happy with you is the most important thing in the world

What piece of advice did you ignore that you wish you hadn’t?

That advice that I just gave to other people above haha I had some moments where I was like welllll maybe they do know best and I should completely change everything about what I’m doing because I mean they are higher up in the industry than I am….well that never worked out that great and I ended up in a place being like who am I this is stupid I’m not happy. It felt like when you wear that one outfit out and you never were very comfortable in it and you couldn’t sit down the whole night without the whole dress just like exploding off your body but that one friend told you that you look “fierce” …well in the end you just have a horrible night and would have had so much more fun had you just worn that onesie you love! That is honestly the best way I can explain that.

Do you have a greatest gig story or worst gig horror story you’d like to share?

You know to some this may seem like a worst gig, but to me it was the best. When I first moved here, I performed at this singer showcase, which ended up being at a strip club. At first I was like, “this is horrible how did this happen?” “Am I a stripper now?” But my dancers and I decided to just roll with it and there actually was a lot of other talent there, the venue just happened to be a place where hot chicks danced on poles for dollah dollah bills. It ended up being super fun and I even got a couple dollars thrown at me while I was singing and I mean who doesn’t want to strut down a glass catwalk for one of their first gigs. Those dollars were probably the most money I made from a gig that whole first year I lived in LA haha!

Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of peckers or boobs? Make sock puppets? Sit in the dark and eat Cheetos?

What would you say if I was like “ you know what?! Drawing peckers is how I spend my free moments”…..I wish I had a hilarious hobby. I should work on that. My hobby is eating. eating and reading and watching tv. Mostly eating. Oh I love my crock pot. Like…I like it so much I’m going to call it a hobby. You can make anything in that thing…and I do.

What do you think about the current music scene or lack of? Care to address that?

There are a lot of things wrong with the music industry like the whole greedy, superficial side but never before has music been so accessible to everyone. That is pretty amazing. Like if you want to put your music out there you can. It is that simple. I mean you may not get a billion fans, but you still can release into the world/interweb something you’re really proud of and want to share with people and that is a really great thing.

Do you think reality shows like American Idol, X Factor and The Voice have helped or hurt the music industry as a whole?

That is a whole other side of the music industry. I wouldn’t say it has hurt the industry. It is not my favorite way to try and achieve your dream, but it gets the masses listening to great talent so what is wrong with that. If you have the patience to wait in an a million hour lineup why not give it a whirl. It is a great way to hear some incredible live performing (and also some comical performances) from people of any age.

What is your opinion of unauthorized music downloads?

As an artist it obviously kind of sucks because you do want to get paid sometimes, but the way I see it is, and as I stated above, it gets a whole bunch of people listening to your music. It is like, wellll you can’t pay 99 cents for my song, that’s SO CHEAP. Come on!! That’s literal pocket change what else that is so satisfying can you get for 99 cents (besides a couple of things from McDonalds)? I mean we all have to get money, but that’s the world we live in and you just have to go with it. I am just happy anyone besides my mom and my wacky aunt are listening to my songs. I do feel like a lot of people forget that that is a way to make money as a singer. They see all the glamour side and it’s like no! People like me who aren’t selling out stadiums have to get paid (even the tiniest bit) from something so we can continue making this music you like to bump at your partayyyyys.

Tell us something about you that we wouldn’t expect to hear.

I don’t drink when I perform. No before show shots for luck, no on stage casual beer. I get too self-conscious. I am not hating on anyone who wants to get a lil loose before performing. Performing is terrifying and good for you as long as you keep it in check, but I just get too scared I’m going to mess up. After the show is another story I will drink with the best of them, but absolutely no way can I have that classic shot of liquid courage before I hit the stage. I am a pretty boring rock star when it comes to pre show rituals! Haha.

Hypothetical situation. You’re on Gilligan’s Island and you get to hook up with only one of the survivors… Which one and why?

When I first read over these questions I was going to try and be super smooth and have an answer for this, but I can’t lie to you I have no idea about anything that is Gilligan’s Island. I mean I am well aware of its existence and no lie I got the whollllle box set in my stocking one year from my mom. It was foreshadowing. She knew I would be asked this one day. She is such a good mom­ager. I should have known. I’m going to say I probably wouldn’t hook up with anyone because after being stranded the last thing on my mind would be gettin it on, it would be cheeeseburgers…

Do you know what a vinyl album is and have your ever purchased one? If so, what was it?

Are there actually people who don’t know what vinyl is…. I get its not really the way to play music anymore, but seriously? There are people who don’t even know what it is? That makes me sad. (Probably as sad and some people reading this got when I said I didn’t know about Gilligan’s Island) The latest vinyl I bought was Mates of States. Their album, Mountaintops is amazing.

You’re marooned on an island with Justin Bieber. Do you choke him out the first night in his sleep or what?

Nah I don’t think I’m down with murder…. I would probably shave his head…like how sad would he be?! And then I’m hoping we would bond over being Canadian and international sex symbols……

What is your opinion of Miley Cyrus?

I LOVE MILEY. I just think it is so funny that people are so mad and think she needs help and all that, but that is exactly what she wants. She is home laughing at allll these people being outraged by her. She is having so much fun being her weird self. Her life is just this one big colorful game that the general public doesn’t get. The best part is girl can saaaaaang! And she is super intelligent. She has a lot of great things to say having grown up in the industry AND her godmother is Dolly Parton!! Like come on that’s amazing. I wish I could just slide onto stage from a huuuuge picture of my face down my tongue in a bear suit. That is living my friend.

Which would you rather hear in concert? Lip­synching or real vocals?

Real Vocals, obviously. You are a singer…SING or kick rocks. I mean unless you absolutely have to like you lost your voice ala Little Mermaid or like the venue forces you to lip­synch….those are the only reasons why you should lip synch.

Who, or what, is the next big thing?

Jayne Ava…duh…

One artist you can’t get enough of and can’t live without is… Why?

Kings of Leon and P!nk. They’ve gotten me through some things man. Kings of Leon is my favorite band. It’s just one of those things. I heard their album, Aha Shake Heartbreak and just couldn’t get enough. It spoke to me and at that time it’s like I needed this album. It existed just for me, haha. Sounds lame, but I stand by it. The storytelling in their songs is what gets me. I love artists who tell full stories. Although sometimes you need to listen to a full 5 minute song about shots…how amazing is it when after a song you feel like you learned something about someone or found someone you completely relate to and nailed exactly how you are feeling. The power of amazing music. And P!nk because well…I mean I think I’ve said enough about her. Oh and that was two you asked for one….I guess I’m feeling rebellious.

Confession time. Share a secret about yourself.

I HATE DOLPHINS. I think they are really gross giant worms of the sea and I have absolutely no time for them. You can tell me i have no soul or heart or whatever but throw me in a pool with one of those suckers and I’m out. That is where my life ends. Do research people. they aren’t cute slippery little magical wonders of the world. They drag people into caves and have their way with them. for real. ugh gross slippery jerks

Favorite movie of all time and why?

Vanilla Sky, Party Monster, Mean Girls, Spice World, and American Beauty. I can’t name just one. I watched all these movies at such a specific time in my life. Such turning moments and remember literally every detail about where I was in life when I watched each one of these. To avoid the longest explanation ever, they just all have a really personal meaning to me and relate to specific people I love or times I will never forget. How cool am I getting all-emotional about Spice World.

Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s where you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!

Dear Citizens of Los Angeles,

It has come to my attention that even when there is the slightest bit of rain, no let’s not call it rain. Mist. You lose your shit and don’t know how to drive. I am from Canada where you literally can not see the road in front of you, there is snow blowing everywhere, black ice on the ground, and like your car physically can not get warm enough for your window to defrost and you’re still like “ yep getting that burrito 30 minutes away is worth this death” I know I sound like everyone’s grandma (“in my day you had to walk to school 90 miles uphill in the dead of winter you youngin”) but seriously. Figure. It. Out. It’s like the world is ending every time moisture touches the surface of these streets. There are like car crashes everywhere, venues closing (for real once I was so excited for an event. I got dressed for like 6 hours and it was just like the most incredible thing I could ever be invited to, and it ended up getting cancelled because the bar shut due to extreme weather, I kid you not. I was waiting outside for a cab when I got the email. It’s like if I’m waiting outside after spending 4 hours putting my weave in it is NOT EXTREME WEATHER.) It’s the end of days. And with this drought and everything people are all like ohhhhh why won’t it rain more and then we get blessed with mild precipitation and everyone curses it and dies in the streets. It is rain guys, not lava. Grow up. *Mic Drop*

xxxx