10. Jeni Magana
JENI MAGANA EXUDES ART.
I feel so glad to call this lady my dear pal. She’s another friend I gained from my collaborations with Jeff Fettig who has kindly let me infiltrate his circle of artistic Brooklyn buds (for which I am so grateful!!!) I first got to know Jeni as Jeff’s roommate in 2012 when I was coming to their apartment to record my first EP in his basement studio. I later felt like I hit the lottery when Jeni was available to play bass in my band. She took photos for my album cover and recorded bass and background vocals on the album as well. Through all these opportunities to creatively collaborate, we became good friends and regularly discuss our goals, creativity, and life. One time, we even won tequila shots at bar trivia in Bushwick because the random round was ‘Gilmore Girls’ themed. Get to know the many ways this rad lady creates art below.
Illustration by Emily Ohlrich (Ink+Oil)
This interview has been edited and condensed.
What do you do?
I’m a musician and a photographer.
How long have you done it for?
I have been doing music ever since I was a child. I started getting paid for music when I was in high school. I started photography as a hobby in college. My friend Jeff taught me how to take photos.
Where did you grow up and how does that influence your work?
I grew up in Bakersfield which is a very country town. For a long time everything I did sounded like country music. I think it influenced my work because it’s a desert, and there’s something visually that really appeals to me about minimalism and space. I get a lot of inspiration from going back and taking photos there. A lot of my personal music work is written about my times there so that’s an influence as well.
What project are you working on now or will be working on that you are most excited about?
I have a lot going on. I am excited to be playing electric bass right now for Mitski and upright bass for Laura Cortese. I just finished a solo record and got the masters back recently. Figuring that out will be great. I have started a photography project where I am transcribing my dreams when I wake up in the morning. Eventually I’m gonna listen to them and put photos to the dreams and put music to that. So far I just have a lot of memos in my phone that are like, “Dream about spiders...”
How did we meet?
We met through my friend Jeff who taught me how to take photos! I think you guys made a record together so you came over to my house quite a bit.
If you could listen to only one song for the rest of the year, what would it be?
Mitski just asked what song I would take on a desert island. It took me a while but weirdly, what I would choose for that would be “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys. Within that year you really don’t know what your mental state is going to be like, how depressed or happy you’re going to be, and a song that is simple and classic like that, will cover all the bases. You won’t get sick of it very quickly. Plus there’s a lot of harmonies you can really work out in that year.
Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
Paul McCartney. I think he would have wonderful stories and interesting advice, and takes on the music industry which is relevant to me. I met him one time, and he is the most charming human I’ve ever seen, and I would just love to be in the company of someone that pleasant for an evening. I think I would feel good at the end of that dinner.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I think it’s food. Most things I do it the cheapest way possible, but I go out to eat a lot more than the average person. It makes me so happy. It’s worth it.
What is your most treasured possession?
I think it’s my engagement ring. I just got it, and it means a lot. It was passed down from my fiance's grandmother, and I love stories like that. I’m trying to get my dad’s wedding band to be melted down to become my wedding band, so then I’ll have two treasured possessions. Basically I love the things that connect me to somebody else.
Who is your hero of fiction?
I recently read a book called Reamde and fell in love with all of the characters. I'm going to choose the main protagonist, Zula, because she exhibits so many character traits that I admire in people. She's smart and she's kind but other than that she is a totally average human being. Which makes it so much more powerful when a whole bunch of crazy nonsense happens to her and she just has to think on her feet and figure out what to do. She makes some mistakes and regrets them but is ultimately just trying to do the right thing and it all makes her heroism feel so much more attainable.
What is it that you most dislike?
I dislike entitlement. Nobody really is put on this earth deserving anything over anyone else. It makes people think it’s okay to treat other people badly because they think they deserve better treatment for some reason.
If you could fix one thing in the world, what would you fix?
I would fix racial inequality. It’s shitty, and it’s so unnecessarily shitty.
Who is living woman do you most admire, and why?
My mom taught me to be who I am. She’s been through so much and has been so tough. Watching her learn about the world and just face it when she had to has been so inspiring to me. After my dad passed away, she had never done anything with the air conditioner before because that was my dad’s job, and she realized she was going to have to do that. She went up there and was like, okay, I remember talking to him and then he did this. This is probably how this works. She figured it out. Made it work. Everything was cool in the house. From then on, she was like, I can just figure out whatever I need to figure out. And she did. She taught herself how to weld.
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
Earlier today, I was ruminating on how crazy it is that the people in my life not only want me to succeed but actively take part in helping me do so, like setting up interviews for me, or giving me rides when I need them, carrying gear down for me when I’m by myself. I would probably be nowhere without the people who help me.
Jeni Magana is an LA based musician and photographer. After graduating Berklee College of Music, Magana moved to New York and spent several years as a session and touring bassist. Her first solo EP was released on Audio Antihero records in 2016. She now lives in Los Angeles and hopes to soon be able to adopt a dog.
Jeni also hangs out here: Instagram | Music | Photography