Howard decided to make a change in 2018.
“I had topped out at my job,” she said. “I was like, ‘Why am I working for everybody else’s creative dreams?’ The band thing never really took off, but I realized I was going to be 80 and still playing music so I might as well go for it. I devised a plan to quit my job and take time off to figure out how to do this musician thing properly and professionally.
“Then, COVID hit,” Howard continued. “Touring wasn’t an option, so I decided to go to school. I’ve been attending Diablo Valley College in San Francisco for the last two years. I’m graduating in May of next year, so I have one more semester to finish. I’ll graduate as a music major and then I’ll go back out on the road again and just keep at it.”
Howard launched her tour on May 24.
“It’s about 140 dates,” she said. “It’s a six-month tour and I made it all the way around the United States almost twice. There’s kind of a fantasy idea of going on the road and touring but it’s a lot of work. It is not easy. The shows, the people I’ve met and the places I’ve (been) are what make everything worth it. It has been such an incredible journey.”
Howard released her debut EP, “Motion,” in 2019. A new album, “Still,” was slated for release last month but has shifted to March.
“We decided it made more sense to wait until next year,” she said. “I’ll put out singles in January and February and then drop the album in March. Then I start touring again on May 29 and do it all again.”
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
Who: Jen Howard
Where: Waynesville Music, 198 S. Main St., Waynesville
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1
Cost: $20
More info: 513-897-0602
Artist info: www.jenhowardlive.com
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