We had a chat with Mary Jennings about her immersive and vibrant new EP Pyrotechnicolor and her experience and journey as an artist
With the release of her new EP Pyrotechnicolor, a slow-burning, intense collection of tracks that are tied together by themes of catharsis, hardship, and perseverance, US singer-songwriter Mary Jennings continues to establish herself as an ever-evolving artist with a hard-hitting and resonating sound that was forged in the fires of her experiences and journeys.
Following the release of the EP, we figured that we would have a chat with the artist and find out about the wealth of stories and these experiences that she has had that have shaped her sound and her style as an artist. The singer, songwriter and producer has spent over two decades honing her craft, and we found out about everything from her beginnings, to her vision as an artist, to the fascinating story behind how the excellent new EP came together.
Who TF is Mary Jennings?
Well, as soon as I fully find out I will let you know because I am still figuring that out daily haha! In a quick sentence I would say that I am a whimsical songwriting, keys playing, folkelectronica weirdo that spends every non-musical moment momming, thrifting, bolo tie making, or watching horror movies. Every neurodivergent interest I have plays a role in my music and or live performance and always has.
How long have you been making music?
I started writing music in my teen years while and played the local coffee shop like any good angsty 90s kid, but my real surge in music happened during my freshman year of college after the sudden loss of my mom. Music went from being something I enjoyed to something I needed. It has been that way ever since and will probably be that way until I am old and gray…or older and grayer. My musical journey has changed a lot over the years oscillating between periods of heavy touring and writing every day to playing as a synth player in other bands to producing. The one part that hasn’t changed is the constant evolution in what I am creating.
Why do you make music?
I make music because I genuinely love it and it is my most honest form of expression. I put it out in the world because music was such a powerful influence on me as I was growing that I hope my music can be that for others. Music has been a shepherd and companion to me through some of the darkest and loneliest times in my life. Sometimes its the lyrics, sometimes its the swells in the melodies, and sometimes it’s the combination of the two. If there is any world in which my music can do for others what some songs have done for me, then it is a win.
What are your biggest influences?
The biggest influences for my music are the very real conversations I have with people. More often than not I get the start of a song from a random one liner that someone has said during a deep conversation. That’s the spark that starts the chaos. So basically, if you don’t want it to end up in one of my songs, don’t say it to me! Just kidding! I’m a great secret keeper. I am just inspired by real life. That said, I have been know to write songs inspired by horror movie characters every now and then.
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
I know you are asking what has been my best moment (in music) so far, but my answer is still the same. Having Eliza, my incredible daughter, has been my best moment so far. She has inspired me in ways I would have never expected. Being a woman in the music industry is hard enough but add the extra layer of being a mother and it is a completely different territory. Eliza pushed me to break down those barriers, learn how to produce my own music during the lockdowns of Covid, and show the world that being a mother only makes you MORE powerful as a musician and a human. There’s no telling where my life would have gone if I hadn’t had her but she has kept my life full of magic and whimsy and thus my music has maintained that as well.
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
Not too long ago I stumbled across the term “folktronica” and I think that kind of nails it. I have an emotive and honest lyrical style put to a more electronic and theatrical production centered around keys and synth. I have a big voice and often darker melodies even on the brighter of my songs. I am often compared to Florence and the Machine, Imogen Heap, and Sia.
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
You know…I don’t know that I have a dream “I’ve made it” moment. Would I love to tour the world, have millions of fans, win a grammy? Sure! But, for me, that doesn’t mean I have “made it.” There are so many moments for which I am so grateful in my career already. I have had some great tv/film sync placements, toured with some amazing people, and put out so many records. But the closest “I’ve made it” moment happened years ago when I played a live show and had a stranger come up to me in tears thanking me because my song put to words what they had felt for so long. In that moment I realized I had achieved what I set out to do. Everything else after that is a bonus.
We love your new EP Pyrotechnicolor, what more can you tell us about it?
Pyrotechnicolor is an EP of fiery misfits in a way. The songs were all written over the span of tens years and never quite made it on the albums of those years but also never felt like they should be released as one-offs. I could go on for hours with stories of these songs but ultimately, their connective tissue is fire. I was feeling a lot of discontent both personally and with the polarization of our country and these songs reflected that burning. Ryan Youmans (my co-producer) and I finished up production in 2024 and prepared everything for release starting with “Take a Number” in September of ’24, then “Drown in the Desert” in at the top of 2025, and the release of the full Pyrotechnicolor EP by October 2025.
There was also an unexpected turn of events that aligned with the release of “Pyrotechnicolor.” As a songwriter, I have found that I am often a soothsayer for my own life. I can write a song at a certain time in my life that doesn’t fit a particular project but it will somehow transcend space and time to make all the sense in the world ten years later on another project and take on all new meanings. As the singles were released in 2025, they paralleled the rather sudden end marriage. That wasn’t planned, it just lined up that way. As I was struggling through some of the deepest grief in my life, these songs that were written so long ago where guiding me through the darkness. This coincidence turned into a catharsis that I wouldn’t have found anywhere else.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
The only thing I have “planned” is survival haha! I hope for a wonderful balance of creative work and a happy home life with my kiddo. I will play shows, keep writing, and hopefully get weirder and wilder with every project, not letting things like AI or the state of the world keep me from what I love so much.
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
My biggest fan is DEFINITELY my daughter, Eliza, and I am hers as well. She is 9 and I know there will be a time when I am totally uncool to her but right now, she makes me feel like I hung the moon. She supports my music, my wild ways of dressing and all of my strange art ideas…well accept for the scary, horror movie inspired ones. She is more of a whimsical faerie type that has no time for the spooky, goth stuff.
