Jennifer Knapp Speaks

Jennifer Knapp Speaks
by C. E. Moore

The return of Jennifer Knapp to the music scene will likely be one of most memorable comebacks since Whitney Houston. But, much of the attention will likely have less to do with her music and more to do with the recent revelation that Jen is a lesbian…and a professing Christian.

TCM Founder C. E. Moore recently caught up with the music artist to ask her about her hiatus from music, her new music, and coming out of the closet under the scrutiny of evangelical Christianity.

Enjoy.

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TCM: First, thanks so much for taking the time to answer some of our questions.

Jennifer Knapp (JK): My pleasure.

TCM: Okay. Right off the bat. Where the heck have you been for the last 7 years?

Jennifer Knapp: Many places. I had to get a new passport as I filled the last one up with stamps! However, I’ve spent a good bulk of my time living in Australia.

TCM: Walking away from it all like that took a lot of courage. Were there any hard feelings between you and the people at Gotee Records?

JK: I don’t know if I’d call it courage as much as I would necessity. I can’t speak for the folks at Gotee, but for me, I can say that with little hesitation they allowed me to take the time I needed to properly evaluate why and if I would continue sharing my music. That was a huge risk for them, to which I am profoundly grateful.

TCM: Back in “The Gotee Days,” you were considered a “Christian artist,” yet you got to play on such stages as Lilith Fair, something I believe you will be doing again soon. Would you still consider yourself a “Christian artist,” a “Christian who is an artist,” or is the question altogether a missing of the point?

JK: Ah, that question, an oldie but a goodie! I wouldn’t necessarily say that the question ‘misses the point’, it’s clear that it arises out of a particular need of many to make the distinction. However, very few debate the point of what qualifies one as an artist, but the many debate what qualifies one as a Christian.

TCM: In what ways has the time away from the limelight, the Christian subculture, and the like served to shape your new music?

JK: I’m not sure what you mean…Life experiences, questions that arise in my own faith, people I meet, they all shape the music I write today, as well as what I’ve written in the past.

TCM: Ok. Let’s talk about your new album. It’s called “Letting Go.” What’s in a name? What are you letting go of?

JK: The title of the record is borrowed from a song on the album. If anything is to be read into the title as a stand alone statement, it’s simply after years of not recording and singing, I am now. And fully blessed to be doing so.

TCM: Your first three albums, though beautifully poetic, the songs aren’t very open to interpretation. It’s pretty easy to discern the meaning of most of the songs. The pieces on Letting Go seem to be a departure from that approach. Was there a reason for that?

JK: It’s funny that one might not think that the songs on my previous record aren’t open to interpretation. I’ve always approached song writing with a hope to leave a little room for the mysteries of others interpretations…and I’ve heard some pretty crazy ones over the years! While it’s pretty obvious that Kansas, for example, was a record celebrating and grinding out my new-found faith as I was experiencing it, I’ve always hoped that it saved room for others to find their own space. For me, Letting Go is not that different. Yes, I’ve purposed to keep the language of the Christian sub-culture to a minimum, as this is not a record written with intent for church use.

TCM: What was it like working with producer Paul Moak on this project? (Question Tweeted in by @charlespeters)

JK: Paul is a top guy. He’s brought a palpable energy to this record that I can only describe as beautiful. I enjoyed working with a man that is not only skilled in his craft as a musician and producer, but also invests in each song as a listener. As a songwriter, I found that attitude incredibly valuable and freeing.  At every turn, Paul found ways of connecting with the music as his own, seemingly cherishing the full opportunity of how music brings people together.  Having not been in the studio for a long while, he ushered me into a place of great joy, for which I am thankful.

TCM: Okay, like it or not, people have been clamoring for more music from you for some time. Meanwhile, we’ve had nearly 12 years to chew on the 3 studio albums, b-sides album, and live album left as a testament of your existence in the music world. As such, is there any fear the new material will not be accepted by your fans (due to years of loving “the old stuff”)?

JK: No matter the time between records, there’s always the fear of rejection at exposing yet another part of one’s personal artistic evolution. Still, it’s part of the journey isn’t it? For me, while each song that I write can stand alone, it does find it’s way into a record with others. It often takes time for me to distinguish what the connectivity to the past writings to those of today. It’s part of the joy and challenge of creating art that you hope will move people, as well as the process of self-discovery lived by an artist over a period of time.

TCM: What are some of the new songs you are most excited for people to hear?

JK: All of them! But to be helpful, I’m excited about the high energy of ‘Dive In’ all the way to the plaintive ‘Better Off’. They’re broadly different songs, but are great places to start on the journey into Letting Go.

TCM: There are a few swear words on the new album. Fear any backlash from your more conservative fanbase?

JK: I suspect the language on this record will be one of the lesser discussed issues…

TCM: You’re currently on tour with Derek Webb and Amy Courts, both amazing independent artists in their own right. Has your “reputation preceding you” served to overshadow them in any way?

JK: I hope not, they are talented individual artists in their own right. Touring with them has been a privilege. Each artist has their own unique way of writing and delivering their songs, and no doubt, I have learned from sharing the stage with both. I think we all share some shrewdly discerning fans who have lasted past propaganda and image and are there because they have found something in the music to connect to.

TCM: Have you noticed a stark difference between being a “signed” artist and an independent artist? Or are doors open to you because you’re “Jennifer Knapp”?

JK: There’s little denying that name recognition helps after having not worked in so long, but it’s not a guarantee that people will sell the record, buy it, or come to a show.  In the end, whether signed or indie, each artist rests of the merits of their work. Great marketing and massive distribution might get a record in someone’s hands, but you can’t market into a listener’s ears. It’s the old ‘you can lead a horse to water’ thing…I don’t think most listeners flip a record over to see where it came from or who paid to make it, in the long run I suspect they put it in their iPods and keep it on play only if it speaks to them.

TCM: What has been the crowd response to your return, especially alongside other indie artists?

JK: Overwhelming, especially out at shows. It’s been a reciprocating celebration, really, the audiences have been more than happy to express their gratitude at my return, as well as my joy at their kindness in waiting so long. It’s a rare night when this isn’t the most prevalent feeling.

TCM: So, you’re back. What now? Are you going to return to relentless touring and recording? Or do you feel you have more control over being able to take a breather when needed?

JK: Ugh, relentless…what an exhausting sounding word, eh? There’s absolutely no doubt about it, whenever I step out, the road ahead looks long and daunting. I’m a hermit and regenerate in the shadows, alone and in quiet. Where some people are fueled by social interaction, I know, now, that it’s alright for me to gear up for going out. I want to give every ounce of what I’ve got when I’m sharing so understanding where I best gain my recovery is a great relief. Building a team of people around me that understand and defend those parameters will also hopefully be valuable.

TCM: Alright, let’s switch gears. We’ve talked about “Jennifer Knapp the Music Artist.” Let’s talk about “Jennifer Knapp the Human Being.” What do you like to do for fun? What are some films you’ve taken in lately? Who are some music artists you’ve got in your iPod right now? What’re some books you’re reading?

JK: I do love movies, watching is practically a hobby. So I’ve seen most to the top bills as of late. Then there’s the constant streaming of Netflix. I rarely open my computer without having a portion of something to watch. I’m not a notorious listener, but the last records I bought were Strange Fire (Indigo Girls) and Gossip in the Grain (Ray LaMontange). Derek Webb gave me a copy of In Feast or Fallow (Sandra McCracken) which is an astonishingly beautiful work that has been quite timely for me. Reading: “Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, some Rilke as well as a few non-fiction pieces by Ian Guthridge.

TCM: Dream big for a second. If you, as a fan, could see any concert, what would be the dream ticket?

JK: 50’s Elvis, Pasty Cline, Johnny Cash, 70’s Rolling Stones and 60’s Beatles (preferably in the UK)…just to name a few. Might be a bit of a trick though!

TCM: Not to blow smoke up your tailpipe, but for me, you are one of the artists I have always dreamed of meeting. So, if you ever swing through Michigan, let’s get coffee. (Or you can Tweet that we did, even if we didn’t.) Anyhow…have you caught any of the many YouTube videos of people covering your songs? If so, which one is your favorite one? (We’re personally fond of Haley & Delany’s cover of “Faithful to Me (Prelude).” <http://www.youtube.com/user/thehaleyshaw#p/u/1/1PfrUtJP56E> )

JK: Yeah, crazy huh? I mean, I’ve always thought that covering a song meant that the person who wrote it was somewhat famous and not someone like me. That people connect enough with a song enough to want to play them is, to me, one of the quintessential marks of connectivity. With the advent of YouTube, people just sit down and record what they’re learning, playing and what they are moved by. It’s a humbling experience to find that it’s something that I’ve written has made such an impact that people can’t help but share.

TCM: Besides your music, what are you passionate about in this life? Is God revealing anything lately that you want to share? Is there a cause you truly support? Any social issues you think are important to be addressed as an artist (or just an ordinary person)?

JK: Right now I feel like a walking social issue.

TCM: Yeah…we should talk about that. So…here we go. You’ve recently opened up to the world that you are, in fact, a lesbian. What has it been like dealing with the notion of publicly coming out given the role you’ve played musically in the lives of those in the evangelical faith community–people who will more than likely regard your lifestyle choice as sinful?

JK: Within your question lies the troubling language that every person must contend with in regards to their very personal journey of self-identity in terms of his/her sexuality. Words like ‘choice’ and ‘sin’ are immediate and un-negotiable to many people of faith who may have never had the experience of being at odds with the very terms by which their own communities have accepted them. It is excruciatingly difficult for me to describe the horrors of rejection I knowingly enter into when being honest about one of my most intimate truths.

TCM: In a recent article, you described going through a crisis of faith where you re-examined your beliefs as well as your own sexuality. Can you talk a little bit about that crisis and what conclusions you came to?

JK: Does faith have a conclusion in this lifetime?…All I can say is that it is a reality that many practicing Christians must go through, to discover themselves spiritually and include all parts of their person which seem troubling to the Gospel. There are many issues where I have disagreed with the teachings of my church, failed to understand the Bible, or struggled to comprehend how or why I should even bother to seek a life pleasing to God. Each time felt like a crisis, do I throw out my spiritual life in moments of doubt, as a baby with the bath water? For the moments when I fail to see the hope that my faith offers, it is a crisis of belief. My sexuality is but one portion of my whole being, my desire to answer my calling as a creative being is another, both greatly describe me, neither fully defines me. At each moment where I discover something new about my life in perspective to my rounded spiritual being is just that, a discovery, often without conclusion, but often with comfort that the journey is only but beginning.

TCM: Let’s be honest for a moment. This news is going be explosive, drawing all sorts of different opinions. Without trying to be a spokesperson for “gay people everywhere,” can you talk about whether you still consider yourself a born-again Christian? If so, how do you go about reconciling your sexuality with Scripture? If not, where does this leave you in relation to what you used to sing about?

JK: I have had a conversion experience that continues to be of great significance to me. If one needs to find comfort through Scripture in justifying one’s sexuality, gay, straight or celibate, it can be found. There are many scriptural interpretations on offer to that support both extremes and are dexterously wielded by many better than myself.  The Bible as sacred text is as edifying as it is terrifying, and remains to me one of the mysteries of my faith. As for the music I have written, and still carry with me today, I am the same person from which those songs were born. They express parts of me in ways that I cannot hope to express without them.

TCM: What do you wish more people realized about you?

JK: That I am real person.

TCM: You’ve been so gracious in spending some time with us. Just one more question, though. If Jesus were to comment on your life, what would you want him to say about you?

JK: I love her.

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Disclaimer: This interview and our upcoming review of “Letting Go” in no way serve as an endorsement of Ms. Knapp’s lifestyle choice/sexual orientation. However, other sites have pulled advertising and refused to even speak with the artist for fear of “death by association” or being seen as a tacit endorsement of sin. We operate with the philosophy that Christ hates sin without ostracizing the sinner. Christ came not for the healthy, but for the sick. While there are varied opinions on the matter of homosexuality—and we believe the act of homosexuality is, in fact, a sin—we do not believe in insulating ourselves from people we believe need Jesus most. If a majority of Christians view Ms. Knapp as sinful, then this is a time to draw close, not draw away. Each will be convicted differently as to what degree that is. Blessings.

C. E. Moore
Founder, TheChristianManifesto.com