Boulder’s soothing songstress Jenn Cleary releases sleepytime album for kids.
Boulder-based songstress Jenn Cleary is set to release her third children’s album, “Dreamland: Relax & Imagine,” on Aug. 9, 2024.
By ELLA COBB | Daily Camera
If you need someone to make you feel better, Jenn Cleary is your lady.
Armed with a guitar and a gentle voice that sounds like bottled sunshine, the Boulder-based songstress has a unique gift for soothing and softening frayed nerves, and lulling listeners to sleep into a sonic cocoon.
With more than 20 years of experience in writing and performing songs, Cleary’s music spans a wide range of genres, from blues to rock to folk. In 2021, she released her first family-oriented album geared toward children, and her second album in 2022 received international acclaim.
Cleary’s 2022 hit single, “It’s Time to Go to Sleep,” has garnered hundreds of thousands of plays on Spotify from listeners around the world. When you listen to the song, it’s easy to see why: Cleary’s voice cuts through the noise and static of everyday life, greeting you like a warm hug on a chilly day.
(As someone who suffers from restless leg syndrome, this writer can confidently say that Cleary’s music has more than once quelled a sudden attack of flailing limbs.)
With everything going on in the world — raging wildfires, conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine, the fact that the new “Twisters” movie wasn’t very good — it is perhaps a miracle that Cleary is set to release her third family album, “Dreamland: Relax & Imagine,” on Friday to all streaming platforms.
“Dreamland: Relax & Imagine” features nine tranquil tracks designed to help children (or, ya know, full-blown adults, too) unwind and find peace.
“Dreamland: Relax & Imagine,” is a soothing collection of nine serene songs designed to help children unwind and find peace, complemented by a special guided relaxation exercise.
Standout tracks include “Celtic Dream,” a fiddle-laden tune that takes listeners on a journey through an Irish forest; “Rocking Chair to the Stars,” which captures the joy of star-gazing, with descriptions of well-known constellations, encouraging children to dream big about adventures in space; and “Slow Blues Wind Down,” a soothing, soulful piece with smooth melodies and gentle rhythms and a nod to Cleary’s blues roots.
We caught up with Cleary to talk about her creative process for the new album, the inspiration behind her calming compositions, and her dedication to creating music that brings joy and relaxation to families.
Q: What inspired you to create this album?
A: This is my sixth album, and my previous album was called “Happy Day.” The final track on that album was a guided relaxation lullaby, which became my No. 1 song on streaming services. It was being listened to by hundreds of kids every night as they went to sleep around the world. That really struck me as an important thing, seeing that happen and feeling like I was making a difference for these hundreds of kids every night.
Since that was the number one song, I thought, well, people really need ways to relax. I started to think about all the things going on in our world at that time — between climate change, COVID, politics, mask mandates and all these difficult subjects for adults, as well as for kids — I decided to create an entire concept album around how to relax and deal with our anxiety in a way that would be calming and relaxing.
Jenn Cleary and her band has performed all around the Front Range for years. (Seth A. McConnell / The Denver Post)
Q: This album features tracks that are calming while also educational. Can you walk us through your songwriting process for this album?
A: I thought of different topics that I found relaxing myself. For example, watching clouds — I went back to my own childhood experiences that were, in many ways, simpler times. Times when I would lay on my back for hours with my friends, watching clouds pass by and change shape — times when time itself seemed to slow down.
In writing the song about clouds, I made it educational by adding the names of different cloud types.
Similarly, I remembered how much I used to love looking at the stars at night. I then created a song about sitting in a rocking chair on my back porch, looking up at the constellations, and included some scientific names of the stars. The idea is to help people drift away and become relaxed or, if they’re actively listening, to learn a little something along the way. That way, my music can be enjoyed both actively and passively.
Q: A lot of times, people have the misconception that just because a song is written with children in mind, it cannot be considered “deep.” What song has the most meaning to you on this album?
A: One of my favorite songs, called “Celtic Dream,” was written for my mom, who passed away this year. She attended all my shows in the Boulder area, and I miss her terribly. I wanted to write a song that would honor her heritage — she was proud of being 100 percent Irish, so I wrote a Celtic lullaby for her while she was going through hospice and treatment. It was a calming, beautiful thing to do, and she was so proud and loved that song. That one really goes out to her and, in my opinion, is one of the best songs on the album.
Q: Tell us a bit about why you chose to end the album with the guided meditation.
A: With this album, I ordered it so that people can listen to it chronologically — the more energetic songs are at the beginning, and then the entire album winds down to this meditation. Hopefully, by the end of it, you’ll either be asleep or relaxed.
How did you get into children’s music?
A: When I was really getting into music as an adult, I enjoyed the bluesy, rock ‘n’ roll band sound. But at the same time, I was raising my children, and they inspired some of my songs. I always tried to incorporate songs that would be fun for kids.
I wanted my children’s songs to sound similar to my adult ones — just happy, rockin’ songs with fun lyrics.
During COVID, I had the opportunity to lean into a full-on children’s album and wrote my first album called “All Together Now,” where I invited friends and family to sing with me.
I wrote “Dreamland: Relax & Imagine” as a concept album, from beginning to end, and was very intentional about the themes and messages throughout.
Q: What do you hope listeners — either adults or kids — get out of listening to “Dreamland: Relax & Imagine”?
A: I hope it imparts calm and brings uplifting joy to both children and parents, especially during this chaotic time. It’s important to remember to sit back, breathe and watch the clouds sometimes.