Doing It Scared: Jada Lee On Faith, Vulnerability, And ‘Love Lives Here’

From her early days singing in church in Salisbury, Maryland, to leading performances in school and eventually stepping out on her own as an artist, Jada Lee’s growth hasn’t come from avoiding fear, but learning how to work through it. 

Last month, following the release of her new EP Love Lives Here, Jada stepped onto one of her biggest stages yet, opening for Samm Henshaw at The Foundry. We talked about what it means to create through fear, and how for Jada Lee, courage isn’t about having it all figured out — it’s about showing up anyway.

Abdur Rahman: What comes to mind when you hear “JMP Rock & Roll Revival?”

Jada Lee: Mmmhhmm! Honestly those were some of the best years of my life! It was so much fun, each year you had to audition to be a part of it. I was on stage a lot for each of the shows because I was a lead for probably three songs and did background vocals for 10. It was so fun! 

AR: *Laughs* As much as you loved the arts, your initial path aimed for a career as an OB/GYN, but in 2013 you made a choice to take a leap of faith to pursue music. 

JL: That was the scariest decision of my life and I was so scared to tell my dad! *Laughs* I knew it was not guaranteed and being in medicine was also a big goal of mine too. I continued doing music on the side, but then I thought about if I was going to be able to do that in the capacity that I want to, especially with how rigorous being in medicine was. But I was also thinking I could go back to school to be a doctor and at that time music felt like a shorter window to me. 

AR: What was your first album?

JL: I think it was the Love Lust EP.

AR: So where does Unholy Trinity land when it comes to your projects?

JL: I think that was my third EP.

AR: I enjoyed this post you wrote on Facebook introducing your new EP. I love the two last parts because I think it’s a reminder how sometimes we can’t see how really blessed we are. Do you think the negative outcomes that can come from being vulnerable make it hard to see that love is everywhere?

JL: For sure, and when I wrote that I was speaking to myself. Sometimes I focus so much on what I don’t have that I forget that I have so many different things of love around me and I’m not being grateful to what God has given me because I am lacking this specific type of love. I also had to learn to be vulnerable in all relationships. I didn’t like people being in my business and then I’m like “Girl how can they be there for you if you don’t tell them what’s going on?” 

AR: Was there a song off Love Lives Here where you felt the most vulnerable writing and recording?

JL: Oh! It’s hard because there were two! “Memories,” was one of the songs that was so different from anything else I had released. When I finished recording it I felt like something was missing and I realized I still had voicemails from my grandmother that I decided to add to at the end. Grief is the highest form of love, it’s love that has nowhere to go. The second was “Don’t Stress Me Out.” I feel like one of the hardest places to be in a relationship with someone is in a place of not having any clarity. I know the connection is there, but do you want the responsibility to consider me? Is this something you can genuinely do?

AR: “Grief is the highest form of love, it’s love that has nowhere to go,” that’s real. But on a lighter note, I love “The Way.” I also saw that it’s getting love out in the UK too. Is that the song currently getting the most love from the EP?

JL: I love that song! Yeah it’s definitely that one by a long shot! First of all I wrote that song because I love Jill Scott so much and the one song that I’d always sing at open mics is her song “The Way.” I wanted to make a love song that feels good where the words show how much you’re in love with that person. 

AR: How did that feel to step out of your comfort zone and make a love song?

JL: It was a challenge at first, I’m not gonna lie. Writing a song about heartbreak is easy because that’s all I have ever experienced, but with love songs I have to tap into my imagination and creativity a little bit! If the height of something stayed I would feel like “I’m sitting thinking about the way you make me feel, like diamonds in the sky swinging from chandeliers!” 

AR: Speak the love you want into existence! I noticed you’re always performing from Philly to Maryland and recently opened up for Samm Henshaw at the Foundry. How was that show? 

JL: I was so scared because when they reached out to me looking for support for him, the show was in a month. I forced myself to do it and when I got there I brought a four piece band and could only bring one person on stage with me. It was a good show and they really loved me and Samm even came out to see me perform my last song. He said he loved how I transitioned from Jill Scott’s “The Way” to my song “The Way!”