Meet Vesper (Janie) White

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vesper (Janie) White.

Hi Vesper, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I just got started a few months ago. I didn’t move to Nashville for music, and I work in marketing. I have been singing my entire life. Playing music has always been something that brought me a lot of comforts, so I always said that I wouldn’t pursue music unless there was a smack in the face from the universe. Sure, I would post covers online, but the thought of putting something that was a safe place out in the open for people to pick apart terrified me. Everyone kept saying “well you won’t get that smack in the face or crazy sign if all you do is covers, you should really give it a shot”, but I kept brushing it off.

Then it happened. I got the smack in the face I had secretly been hoping for. My buddy Joe Copeland (AKA JOCO) had seen my covers on instagram after we had been following each other for a bit. I remember this day very well. I was at a Motion City Soundtrack show back in June at Marathon Music Works. The craziest part is, I almost didn’t go because I was so exhausted that day. This was only my 2nd or 3rd time meeting Joe. He came up to me and asked me if I wanted to perform at Emo Night Nashville in November. I was in shock. I said “but I’m not an artist” and he said, “I don’t care, you’ve got a great voice so are you in?”

That’s where it all started. I never thought my covers would be the thing that made something happen for me. I decided that day that it was finally time I started my career in music.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not. It’s been really tough. Despite all the good things that have come from starting my music career, I still struggle with that fear that kept me from starting in the first place.

It’s also hard being in a place where 8/10 of the people you know are also musicians. It doesn’t feel like a competition, but you definitely feel drowned out by the saturation of musicians in town.

It’s discouraging that I’m currently not able to book gigs, because my music isn’t ready, and it won’t be for at least 2 more months. I’ve been working really hard to get stuff ready so I can at least open for people, but it’s been tough. I work a full-time job, living is expensive, and music is expensive.

I could go on and on about how hard pursuing music is but to me it’s all worth it. When I performed at Emo Night Nashville, it was one of the best feelings in the entire world. It was crazy too because I was so nervous, but as soon as I got up there I was fine. It felt like “this is what I’m meant to do”. At Emo Night, you perform covers, so I got to have a taste of what it felt like to be a well-known artist on stage. I probably won’t get to experience that for a long time, but regardless of how long it takes for people to know my music, I still just love performing. That’s what keeps me going.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m so new to the scene that I don’t know if I’d say that I specialize in anything.

I’m still finding my sound. It’s insane how different my current sound is from the first single I released, “Pulling Teeth”. I always had an idea of what I wanted my music to sound like, and I feel like I just found people to work with that align with the vision I have. I’m super proud of my first single, and one day I’d like to reimagine it, but it doesn’t give listeners an accurate idea of what kind of music I’m making. I love the song but definitely, be prepared for the rest of my music to sound nothing like it.

What were you like growing up?
As I said, I’ve been singing my entire life. Besides music, I’ve always been a creative person. Art class was my favorite growing up and I studied graphic design in college.

My personality has been pretty consistent my entire life. I definitely used to try to fit in growing up, but the core of my personality always remained and now I’m very unapologetically myself. I’m very much a what you see is what you get type of person and if you don’t like it you don’t have to stick around. I spent a lot of time trying to change myself so others would like me, and it’s not a fun way to live so I stopped.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisvesper/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisvesper111
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5BMIPe0BgytBpNOhZtvY7I?si=sRLYYmDrRxWaQE2S36A1dw 

Image Credits
Ashley Reyes, Dillon Jordan, and Miranda Jenson