Jonny Glenn is an alternative singer and songwriter who puts the POP in pop music. In November 2017, he released his debut single “Sa il Away,” which immediately charted on iTunes' Pop Chart.
But Glenn doesn’t let his success go to his head. With a childhood anchored in music – playing piano, singing in chorus in middle school, and learning drums in high school – his work has always come from the heart.
Glenn moved to Boston from South Carolina in 2013; he did some club-hopping around Allston and Cambridge during his freshman year at Boston University, but his first big show was Steve Aoki at the House of Blues. “EDM wasn't really my thing, but a few friends wanted to go so I did,” he says. “I was pleasantly surprised.”
Since then, Glenn himself has performed at the venue, and ahead of national acts like Passenger, and Young the Giant. But that kind of opportunity doesn’t come without hard work and perseverance. In the beginning he was playing anywhere he could; open mics, fundraisers, school-backed functions. And with repetition came his determination to move in to bigger spaces. “I would just walk in—no invitation—and basically demand to play,” he says. Glenn’s confidence paid off, he’s since added venues like Brighton Music Hall and The Middle East to the list.
The 'Boston sound' is very eclectic – pockets of hip hop, indie, rock, and metal. I would say finding a traditional 'pop' artist in Boston is harder than maybe in L.A. I think the other genres are more predominant.
When it comes to producing music, Glenn’s experience has been all over the map. “At first I was kind of just over excited to release, I wasn't concerned with quality or strategy or any of that.” he says. “Now there's more of a structure; I write, and play the instruments.” And it didn’t take him long to realize that he also enjoyed co-writing and sharing the creative process. “I've found that letting go of some of the power actually creates better songs,” he says. “And a really cool bond gets created while hearing other people's writing styles and skill sets.”
Glenn has been recording vocals with local music producer Ryan Hinkle, who’s pop credits also include Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block, and Justin Bieber. But for his upcoming EP he’s turned his eyes to New York, promising to unleash something very different from his current style. “I've been taking trips down almost every week for the past 3 months and recording vocals,” Glenn tells us. “My new EP is going to be truer and darker than anything else so far.”
And he can't wait to put it out into the world.
The Boston Music Awards recently selected Jonny Glenn to be a part of the 617Sessions, a program that recognizes Boston-based artists who are making great contributions to the local scene, and rewards them with a day of studio recording.
Visit 617Sessions.com to learn more.
