Bio

Jen Clapp is a singer, songwriter and guitar player living and working in New York’s Hudson Valley. Although she has been singing all of her life, moving to New York City and forming a band there in the early 1990’s proved to be a defining moment for her. Along with Star Drooker and JR Getches she formed the alternative folk-punk-soul band Native Tongue. The band quickly became a fixture in the downtown New York acoustic scene, with a weekly gig at the now-famous Café Sin-e on St. Mark’s Place. There they enjoyed the camaraderie of many talented musicians and songwriters, including Jeff Buckley, Susan McKeown and the Chanting House, and Dorothy Scott. Singing "Black Boys on Mopeds" with Sinead O'Connor during one of her visits and playing a late night set with Bono, the Edge and Little Steven in the crowd were two highlights of their tenure at Sin-e.

Native Tongue split up when Jen fell in love with Mommyheads drummer Dan Fisherman and the two moved out to San Francisco, along with the rest of Dan’s band. Thus began a long hiatus from music for Jen, as she pursued a completely different life-path as a homebirth midwife, followed a few years later by motherhood. It was in this period that she began to rediscover music. Jen began writing her own songs in 1996, and formed another band, Michelle Eats Fire, with husband Dan on drums, Mark Bartlett on guitar and Matt Delaney on bass. A second child was born in the summer of 2001, and the family moved back East, to their home state of New York.

Since then, Jen has been writing and recording music, and performing in and around New York City and the Hudson Valley. She is currently working on recording a full-length cd with a great line-up of band members, including Sara Milonovich on violin, Jason Sarubbi on upright bass, and Dan Fisherman on drums. Much of her inspiration for songwriting comes from her deep relationships with family and friends, and an intense observation of the details of the world around her.

“Writing songs has become, for me, a way of making sense out of what I see and feel. I often have strong reactions to things in the world but can’t always figure out why. Songwriting helps me to do that. I hope that it might be helpful to others, too, and that my music may add something meaningful to the dialogue that goes on in other people.”

Howland Cultural Center, Beacon NY 10/05

In addition to working on her own music, Jen has created a Songwriting Workshop for Teens. The emphasis in the class is on personal expression, both musically and lyrically, with guidance and instruction given on such topics as song structure, melody and rhythm. Those interested in learning more are invited to contact Jen via email.