JANA POCHOP

“A singer-songwriter with the articulation of a street poet.” – Terri Hendrix

Jana Pochop (the ‘h’ is silent):

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"Since I have been a full-on freelancer for over a decade, I think I have reached a point of success in that I get to dictate my days and no two days are alike." says Jana Pochop, a self-proclaimed nerd with a penchant for pop songs, wandering and slow drip coffee. Joining the ranks of fellow do-it-yourself Texan Troubadours such as Susan Gibson, Jeff Plankenhorn and Terri Hendrix, Jana has long since mastered the art of creating your own destiny and teaching other songwriters the importance of the pivot. Case in point, the completion of her newest record, 'The Astronaut', during a worldwide pandemic that sent us all to our knees.

 

A project born in 2019, shelved due to the hectic (pre-covid) life of a traveling musician, waiting to truly start then finish the album turned out to be serendipitous. As the world shut down, the creators opened up - both indelible acts of survival. New ways to collaborate were placed on the proverbial table and Jana, along with Producer Daniel Barrett, took this opportunity, masked up and ran - straight to Congress House Studio in Austin. With Mark Hallman now on board to engineer the rolling process, Pochop recorded her vocals and guitar parts in just two days, which speaks to the creative, resilient force that she aims to keep well-fed.

 

Jana hails from the culturally rich Albuquerque, NM, where she earned a degree in History from the University of New Mexico, all the while cutting her teeth at coffeeshops, street corners, and folk festivals. She says it was at the University where she learned how to learn…a skill that she uses constantly while maneuvering the ever-changing music business. Jana honed her performance chops at gigging and opening slots, and in 2006, moved to Austin to close the gap in her pursuit of a career in music. Jana immersed herself in the Texas music scene, playing clubs, house concerts, and anywhere that would have her. In 2019, the opportunity to have a residency at the legendary Threadgill's presented itself, and Jana shared the stage with a new guest each Wednesday for her Midweek Modern Troubadours Series. She also joined Kiya Heartwood’s band on electric guitar and toured Ireland, the U.K.,

playing Fringe Festivals in Edinburgh and The Isle of Wight.

 

Jana has released 3 solo EPs as well as several singles, most recently 2020’s “Oh My Heart,” which was an experiment born in quarantine. She set out to learn home recording while traveling less, and this single was the first result. It combines her folky writer side with her pop production penchant, and she recorded and played every instrument on the track. From cultivating a following on Patreon to teaching online classes for organizations such as Girl Guitar and OYOU, Jana's musical footprint is well respected, long, wide and growing.

 

The brilliant yet endlessly humble Pochop felt it was the pandemic that allowed her the opportunity to collab with key heroes such as Sean Hutchinson of Bleachers, Lloyd Maines, Eliza Gilkyson and Don Dixon, whom Jana knew as the bassist for Mary Chapin Carpenter but also boasts producing credits for bands like REM and Gin Blossoms. 'The Astronaut' is as diverse as it is poetic and as grounded as it is inquisitive. From a stunning co-write and harmonious duet with Shawnee Kilgore (The Hard Part) to an accidental precursor to 2020 full of just plain good advice (Exit Plan), the record is arriving just when the world needs it most.

 

Regarding her tune, 'Solar System', Jana says, "We’ve all been the brave one, sending our heart out into unknown territory and hoping it is received with open arms. Sometimes, that’s not what happens, and there you sit...in big empty darkness trying to find your way back home, hoping your systems don’t shut down before you do." Pochop is finding that even in darkness, there is light to be found. And into the great unknown, true to her nature, she wanders.

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(Bio written by Kara Riojas)

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DISCOGRAPHY:

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• The Astronaut - album (2022)

• Oh My Heart – Single (2020)

• Help Is On the Way – single – onetwothreescream (2019)

• Lit – onetwothreescream (2018)

• Money & Heart – Single (2017)

• Lightning – Single (2017)

• Throats Are Quarries (2014)

• For & Against (2010)

• The Early Year (2008)​

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AWARDS AND HONORS

 

2022 Texas Music Magazine's 22 Best Albums

2022 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Finalist

2022 ECU Film Festival Performing Artist, Paris, France

2021 SWRFA Official Showcase Artist

2020 Corpus Christi Songwriters’ Festival: Best of Fest Award

2019 Hollywood Songwriting Contest – Best Pop Song (You Lit Me – onetwothreescream)

2018 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Contest Alternate

2018, 2017, & 2014 SongDoor International Song Contest Honorable Mention

2010 Texas Songwriters Serenade Contest Finalist

2009 Kerrville Folk Festival Ballad Tree Selected Regional Performer

2009 Texas Songwriters Serenade Contest Semi-Finalist

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"Pochop weaves words and melodies together with a dextrous intelligence that seems outright supernatural." - Texas Music Magazine

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Jana Pochop presents her songs with on-point sly and sweet vocals, there is a fascinating intimate portrayal of a singer-songwriter who evokes folk in its purest form. While many a ’70s artist might come to mind when listening to Pochop’s acoustic joys, modern artists like Lucy Dacus and Snail Mail also are also fair comparisons.”
- Glide Magazine

"Pochop’s delivery is like a lighter, breezier Edie Brickell and every sound you hear on this song is pretty. But there is a dimension of absolute authenticity to it all."
- Americana Highways 

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“Jana Pochop is a dynamic writer, singer and guitar player….With a uniquely original voice and a driving right hand rhythm style, she delivers a powerful solo show. With a totally honest approach, Jana writes lyrics that she had to have lived through.” – Lloyd Maines

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“Jana is absolutely crushing this insightfully fresh combination of folk, indie, hip-hop, pop with the sweetened & bright melodies that keep the hooks in the music just as sharp the lyrics and her songwriting instincts.” – Sleeping Bag Studios Review

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“Money & Heart is a gorgeous song, breathtakingly honest and compelling with every word, the sudden switch to rap surprises at first but by the time the second verse hits you’re completely entranced by the journey.” – Stereo Stickman Review

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“Jana’s new record is full of lines & melodies that only Jana Pochop can come up with.  Her writing voice & singing are among my most favorites.  The words & melodies seem to come straight right from her sweet heart and really sweet, wise brain, and the production is inventive & sublime. Now I wait impatiently for the next group of songs to come down the line.” – Walt Wilkins

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“Jana Pochop writes intelligent pop songs with melodic hooks that keep the interest of the listener. She’s a singer songwriter with the articulation of a street poet. Her guitar chops keep the depth of her writing buoyant and positive regardless of the subject matter.” – Terri Hendrix

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