Rising Stars: Meet Jenee Donelson of Denver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenee Donelson.

Hi Jenee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was always very interested in listening to music my grandma would get me CD’s from catalogues most of the music I listened to was not on the radio. Enya, Zap mama, African folklore and Fela Kuti, so I was kinda weird to school kids. Then I started getting into radio and recording radio shows on cassette tapes. I didnt really start making music until 2011, the first song I wrote was about Iron Man. My first band started on 8th and Santa Fe called Poor Bodhi, we were a soulful punk band with Dustin Adams, Ebeneezer Ingelgbe, and David Bailey. We still play together but my main project is Machete Mouth with David Bailey.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the hardest things we have encountered is the new way of getting music out there. Feels like much of what we have to do is social media videos and keeping up with the trends of streaming networks. There is so much more than just developing and sharing your sound. We really shine when we are just playing together and thats hard to do when making videos to sell tickets is required. But we are growing to accommodate for the newness of this industry.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We dont try to sound like anyone but ourselves and we dont pigeon hole ourselves into any specific genre. As a Black Queer women I feel like I am allowed to make whatever I want. The foundation of American music came from us so I create with that in mind.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
My Grandma was the first Black woman in her Opera Troupe in college, this was before desegregation her strength and voice stays with me. So when you hear our sound you are hearing her too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://IamMacheteMouth.com
• Instagram: MacheteMouth

Image Credits
KT Langly
Slow Pokes Studios