About

Rich with poetic imagery and earthy wisdom, Jennifer Crook’s classic songwriting is both timeless and right on time.

A songwriter and performer who has consistently carved her own path through the worlds of Folk, Roots and Americana, Jennifer’s 5th critically acclaimed album THE BROKEN ROAD BACK HOME with its universal themes and catchy radio-friendly chorus hooks, draws from a deep well of personal experience.

“It was that moment the world stopped that I was able to re-discover songs I’d forgotten I’d written and by digging deeper into my own stories I followed the thread of an album… to find it resonated with the times we are living through now.” In fact, some of the songs were inspired as far back as ten years ago, waiting to find a home on the right album. “The past few years have given me a gold mine of grist for the songwriting mill. Forever fumbling for that glimmer of light in the dark and some hope to hold on to, writing songs helps me to navigate a way through and try and make some meaning and beauty from it all.”

Jennifer’s early influences are reflected by the recent press (a certain folksier Fleetwood Mac, vaguely reminiscent of Kirsty MacColl, echoes of Sandy Denny, a young Eddi Reader or Mitchell), but as Folk Radio UK once said “Jennifer is very much herself.” Lyrically full of big metaphors - cathedrals, mountains, storms, floods – the songs on the record deal with feelings and experiences of mythological proportions and needed a musical landscape with a wide range of dynamics, both epic and intimate.

The album was co-produced with multi-platinum award-winning recording engineer Stuart Bruce (Band Aid, Yes, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, Art Garfunkel, to name a few) who also plays acoustic and electric bass on the record. The stellar line-up includes AMAUK nominee Joe Coombs on electric and slide guitars (Yola, Annie Keating, Robert Vincent) and Dan Moore on Hammond and Wurlitzer (Percy Sledge, Anna Calvi and Beth Orton). Dan Temmink, a film and TV composer also plays keys on the album and Grammy award-winning musician Robert Brian (Goldfrapp, Loreena McKennitt, Siouxie Sioux) plays drums.
Recorded in Box and Bath, UK, the majority of the album was tracked live in the studio. Making the record itself involved many challenges including lockdowns and studio closures. In spite of this, the strong synergy between the musicians which encouraged the live nature of the recordings was captured every time they came together and you can feel the warmth and soul at the heart of every performance.

A child of the ’70s, Jennifer’s first forays into music included learning the songs of the classic singer-songwriters. “I didn’t know it though, because I was playing songs from a book I found in the dining room. I just liked the songs”, she says. They turned out to be Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell et al. Jennifer also learned by listening to old records and taught herself every song from Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’. Writing songs on guitar or piano, she recorded ideas onto a cassette machine and put together bands at school. With a wise-beyond-her-years take on the human condition, a reverence for nature and a call for world peace and universal love, those early songs contained the seeds of where we find Jennifer as a writer today. “In many ways I feel the new material and my sound now is closer to my original aims as a young songwriter.”

 

A UK singer- songwriter and musician, Jennifer’s solo albums have received critical acclaim from BBC Radio 2, the folk and national press. Jennifer’s atmospheric 2020 single ‘Sea Glass’ was described as ‘deeply poignant’ by Fatea Magazine and received national airplay. “I absolutely love that”, Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2. The song, written for Miranda Sykes, was included on the album 'Now We Are Four' by Show of Hands. 

Collaborations include Eddi Reader and Nashville’s Darrell Scott who duetted on Jennifer’s second album. Produced by Boo Hewerdine, the album received national airplay and led to a live session for Bob Harris. “I am really, really loving the new album Merry-Go-Round. It’s beautiful”. Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Jennifer recorded her next album at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios with producer Stephen W Tayler (Kate Bush). ’Carnforth Station’ received stunning reviews and was included in The Telegraphs’ ‘Best Folk Albums’. Also that year Jennifer was asked to contribute to the BBC Radio 2 programme ‘Girl with Guitar’ about the legendary Joni Mitchell. 

Jennifer ’s self-produced musical almanac released in 2017 features a family of musical friends and collaborators including Eliza Carthy, Miranda Sykes (Show of Hands), Beth Porter (Spell Songs) and Charlie Jones (Robert Plant). She has toured with Snow Patrol, Boo Hewerdine, Declan O’Rourke and Andy Davis (The Korgis) amongst many others, and performed at numerous festivals and venues across the UK and Ireland wth her own bands. 

 

“I urge you to give this a listen. This is contemporary songwriting and performing at it’s best” Maverick***** 

"... although her voice is nothing like Mitchell’s, she has a core strength that brings Blue to mind”  Folk Radio UK 

“I have no idea why this girl isn’t absolutely huge ‘cos she writes so many great songs”  Dublin FM  

“Heart-wrenchingly gorgeous music”  Roots and Fusion  

“I see the depth in Jennifer’s songwriting. I see hope and experience - it's very strong in both” Darrell Scott 

“A vocalist of sublime power, luring the listener into a web of disarming surrender” John O Regan, fRoots 

"Crook’s beautiful voice is immediately heard at it’s soaring, aching best..." R2 (Rock'n'Reel) ****  

“In a changing and contentious world it’s reassuring to know that there are wonderfully talented artists like Jennifer Crook” Fatea

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free download : Live at Real World EP