Jordyn Marlys, an independent female artist, was born in Alexandria, MN on August 13th, 2000, and spent her formative years in Green Bay, WI. Her musical odyssey began at the tender age of 8, singing in various church and school choirs. However, her path was dramatically altered when a fractured back in 2016 abruptly ended her promising career in competitive gymnastics and water skiing. The subsequent emotional toll led to a severe eating disorder that necessitated intensive inpatient treatment in 2019.
Amidst these challenges, music emerged as Jordyn’s saving grace—a therapeutic outlet that not only facilitated her recovery but also ignited her passion for artistic expression. Adding to her journey, she was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes in 2013, a condition she courageously addresses and champions through her music and advocacy. In 2019, Jordyn authored “Type One Diabetes Doesn’t Stop Me,” further demonstrating her resilience and determination to inspire others through her personal story.
Academically driven, Jordyn pursued her love for music at Columbia College Chicago, graduating with a Bachelors of Music and a minor in Music Business in 2022. Undeterred, she continued her educational journey at Columbia, obtaining a Masters of Entrepreneurship in 2023.
Her musical prowess extends beyond singing; Jordyn Marlys is a multifaceted artist who writes, produces, and engineers the majority of her music. In December 2022, she marked a significant milestone by signing a distribution deal with I Swim With Sharks Inc. and Equity Distribution, leading to the release of her debut project, “Project 22: Not Yours,” on September 25th, 2023. This project, deeply rooted in her personal experiences and emotional journey as a young woman navigating independence, love, and self-discovery, showcases Jordyn’s evolution as both an artist and a storyteller.
Interview with Jordyn Marlys: Unveiling the Artistic Journey
Can you share with us the inspiration behind your latest project, “Project 22: Not Yours”, and how it reflects your personal journey as an artist?
“Project 22 is inspired from all my experiences as a 22 year old woman living alone, coming out of a long term relationship, going through different situation-ships, finding my independence, being selfish and focusing on myself, feeling played, feeling loved, and feeling used, while also learning not to settle for less than I deserve. Along with writing the entire project, I also co-produced and engineered tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, & 10. I think this project was just the beginning of what is to come for my journey as a developing artist. I learn from every song I make. It has almost been a year since releasing it and I can see how my engineering, producing, writing, and even singing has improved.”
“Recents” has garnered significant attention for its raw emotion and relatability. Can you dive deeper into the backstory behind this song and what message you hope listeners take away from it?
“‘Recents’ is my favorite song from the project because I remember the natural high that I got from writing it. This song just showed me how expressing my feelings into music is my therapy. I think the takeaway from this song is that whether someone did you wrong or not, it can be hard to let go of them and see them leave your life, but if they aren’t giving you the commitment to love or to you that you deserve, then you have to let them go.”
Your journey as an artist has been marked by resilience and self-discovery. How have your personal experiences, such as overcoming a fractured back and battling an eating disorder, influenced your music and artistic expression?
“I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I did competitive sports growing up and wanted to continue collegiately, however my fractured back stopped me from doing that. It changed my whole life, I felt lost, and this is when my eating disorder was at its worst. Senior year of high school I had to go inpatient to a treatment facility and that’s when I started music therapy. After I got back I decided to change my college plans from studying Biomedical Engineering to studying Music at Columbia. I knew that I needed to pursue the thing that saved me and brought me into recovery. Going through so much at a young age while also living with a chronic illness has made me motivated, determined, hardworking and inspired to reach my goals! Challenges stop some people, but it is what motivates me. This is what made me decide to teach myself how to produce and become a certified avid pro tools specialist for engineering.”
With “Project 22: Not Yours” being your debut project, what was the most challenging aspect of bringing your vision to life, and how did you overcome it?
“I had a really hard time giving my project over to other people to co-produce and mix because I had such a strong vision for what I wanted it to be, and I felt they were taking parts of me out of it by adjusting things or changing the production. In the end, it’s why I just taught myself along the way how to do it. I guess I learned that if I want something a certain way, I cannot rely on other people to do everything the way that I would and that I need to stand my ground how I want my songs mixed and produced if I am not the one doing it!”
As someone who wears multiple hats in the music industry, from singing to producing and engineering, can you walk us through your creative process and how you balance these different roles?
“Honestly it can be overwhelming doing it all on my own, but at the same time it is freedom. I am at a point now where I can wake up and move to my desk, make a beat, write some lyrics, record the song and do a quick mix and master and have a completed song in an hour if I want. I don’t have to wait or rely on anyone but myself, and that to me is creative freedom.”
“Recents” stands out as one of the most honest and heartfelt songs on your project. Can you share a bit about the moment of inspiration behind the lyrics and the emotions you experienced while recording it?
“I often have lyrics come to me at random points in the day, and I’ll write it down in a note on my phone and come back to it later in the studio. I remember I stopped talking to someone and their name wasn’t in my recents anymore for calls, facetimes, or texts and that feeling sucked. This feeling came to me when I was at the gym on the treadmill one day, I am not sure why but at the gym is where some of my best lyrics come to me hahaha. So I wrote ‘your name keeps going further down the recents on my phone, no longer pinned to the top.’ From there I took the idea and painted the whole picture of what happened in that specific situation. After I had ideas for the story I took those ideas to the studio, found a beat, recorded some vocal melody ideas and fit the words I had written down into the song. It was a magical feeling being able to express an exact situation into lyrics, and create a beautiful song.”
How do you see your music evolving in the future, and are there any themes or topics you’re particularly interested in exploring in your upcoming projects?
“As I mentioned before, I have seen my own production and engineering become better and better in the past few months. I am experimenting with new styles of music and trying to be more versatile. Future projects will continue to reflect real situations and themes in my life. Project 23 will likely be about the struggles of getting out of grad school and finding my way in life, learning how to stand my ground, not lowering my standards for anyone that enters my life, and not being afraid to cut people out of my life that don’t deserve to be in it.”
Your academic journey has been intertwined with your pursuit of music. How have your studies in Music and Entrepreneurship influenced your approach to songwriting and navigating the music industry?
“I am thankful to have my educational background and degrees because I noticed that it makes industry professionals take me more seriously. Women are often taken advantage of in the industry but when you are able to correct someone powerful, they know they can not do that to you. One of the most important things I learned was how to read every type of music contract and how to leverage it in the artist’s favor. Beyond this, learning orchestral arrangement, taking vocal lessons, diving deep into music theory, reading music history, and studying formal songwriting techniques, I was able to find myself as an artist. From 2019, when I started music, to 2023 when I graduated with my masters, I found my voice, and who I am. Starting out I was more of a reflection of my influences, but now I am paving my own path to be ME.”
“Project 22: Not Yours” showcases a diverse range of sounds and emotions. Can you discuss your decision-making process when selecting the songs for this project and how you curated the overall vibe?
“I continued to change the lineup of songs up until the day before I submitted them to be released. Out of my first original set of songs, only 3 of those made it to the final list. I was trying to showcase different styles, different themes and paint a full picture of what all happened in my life that year when I turned 22. At the same time I was recording new songs, growing as a producer and engineer so I began to fall in love with the new songs I was making rather than the original ones I had created for the project. It felt like each song went through a hundred different versions, and finally I had a list that felt right.”
Looking back at your musical journey thus far, what advice would you give to your younger self, and what lessons have you learned along the way that you wish to share with aspiring artists?
“I would go back and tell myself to keep learning and teaching myself every day, because one day I would be able to do everything myself exactly the way I wanted to. I would tell myself to stay true to me, trust my intuition and not conform to the style of others. It’s important to carve your own path and be authentic in your artistry.”
For more of Jordyn Marlys’s music and updates, check out her debut project “Project 22: Not Yours” on Spotify and follow her journey on Instagram @jordynmarlys.