Ten Questions With Singer/Songwriter April Jai
U.K based singer/songwriter April Jai has released her new female empowerment single “Stop Fighting It”. With dark, sultry tones and lyrics that explore the desire for more than just friendship, we can’t get enough!
After her success with her viral hit “It Ends With Us” based on the internationally bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, April Jai has gone from strength to strength, bringing in a large audience from around the world and selling out her headline show last year in London. She’s been dubbed “the Queen of Sad Songs” with her previous single “Not Like The Movies” exploring the romanticised and idealised relationships in movies and books and the contrast with real life.
Luckily, we managed to catch April Jai for a quick Q&A about dream collabs, favourite TV shows and what’s on the horizon for this Scottish singer.
Juniper: You just released your new single “Stop Fighting It” - massive congrats! We love it! It’s giving us all the female empowerment vibes. What inspired the song?
April Jai: Ah thanks so much, that’s exactly what I set out to portray so I’d say that’s a win. The song was born out of that feeling where you know for a fact that you’re more than just friends with someone but there’s a hesitation in pursuing anything in case you both ruin the friendship you have. This song is my way of saying that us girls can also be the ones that take charge and make the first move. Think of “Stop Fighting It” as your spicy friends-to-lovers female empowerment anthem.
“Think of “Stop Fighting It” as your spicy friends-to-lovers female empowerment anthem.”
- APRIL JAI
J: You started off in a different genre to what you’ve ended up with now, did you find the change natural or was there a reason why you left behind the country sound?
AJ: The change from country to pop happened really organically and I think you can tell that from some of the last few songs I made in the country genre (they definitely sound like a blend of country and pop). I grew up listening to a lot of country music, so it was a natural place for me to start when it came to releasing my own original music. But as time went on, I started listening to more and more pop music and fell a little bit out of love with the music I was making. I still like to think that the bare bones of my songwriting is rooted in the honest, conversational style of songwriting that we see in country music though.
J: You’re very social savvy, how do you find navigating social spaces like TikTok as an indie artist?
AJ: Thanks so much, I really appreciate you noticing that because it definitely does not come naturally to me. I used to fight social media with my entire being as it didn’t always make me feel the best. In the last year I’ve definitely learned to embrace it and show up in a way that feels authentic to me. Social media is a necessity for indie artists, but luckily I actually am able to have fun on there now, especially with TikTok which is a little more unfiltered which I like.
Photographed by Elizabeth Motley
J: Would you say your upbringing has shaped your music, both sonically and lyrically?
AJ: I grew up with really bad mental health and in an environment where I had to grow up very quickly. I think lyrically this means that I can communicate what I’m feeling in a really honest and raw way which seems to resonate with my listeners.
J: Do you have a movie or TV show you’d love to hear “Stop Fighting It” feature in?
AJ: Hearing my music on a TV show or movie is definitely on my bucket list, so honestly any would be a huge honour but I’d love to hear it in a female empowerment/spicy scene. I’ve also always said I’d love to hear my music in “Grey’s Anatomy” before it finishes so who knows maybe they’d fit this into a story line somewhere.
J: Who would be your dream collab?
AJ: I have a HUGE amount of dream collabs! Writing wise I would love to get into a room with Julia Michaels, UPSAHL or Lori McKenna (who’s one of my favourite songwriters) but I’d also love to do a song with a male artist like Hunter Hayes and as out of left field as it sounds NF, who I’ve been obsessed with lately.
J: What is your creative process like with your songwriting?
AJ: It’s changed a lot over the years as I’ve grown as a writer. I used to just sit down with my guitar and write whatever came to me in the moment. Now I actually tend to write my lyrics first mostly. I’m constantly writing in my notes app and usually bring the lyrics to my producer and then the song is born from there.
J: What’s your go-to cover when you’re performing?
AJ: I released an acoustic cover of Van Halen’s “Why Can’t This Be Love” in 2022, so I love performing that one because it almost feels like my own now, but as a band we also love playing “How To Save A Life” by The Fray.
J: What’s next for April Jai? Can we expect to see you doing some live shows, getting on the festival circuit perhaps?
AJ: In 2023 you can expect a lot more new music and shows which I’m super excited to announce when I can.
“Social media is a necessity for indie artists.”
- APRIL JAI
J: And lastly, we want to know what's on April Jai’s playlist right now? Who are you vibing to? Who’s on repeat?
AJ: I actually have a playlist over on Spotify of all my current obsessions right now which you can find on my artist profile. If you like artists like Tate McRae, Gracie Abrams, Fletcher and Sabrina Carpenter then you’ll definitely vibe with the playlist!
April Jai is one to keep an eye on this year, “Stop Fighting It” has been on repeat for us so far and we love it! You can listen to April Jai on Spotify.