Jennifer Appelquist

Live Performance

Nominee Independent Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year at the 14th annual LA Music Awards

Upon hearing the hauntingly beautiful sounds of Jennifer Appelquist, it becomes immediately clear why she is in the midst of a breakout year. Defined by a voice that is rich and mesmerizing, she has a warmth and sincerity that few artists possess. Jennifer fills a void in music with her outstanding performances of songs that swirl with sweet melodies and heartfelt lyrics. Eyes half open and soul pouring out, her music evokes intimate conversations about things that truly matter in this world, taking you on a journey to everywhere you’ve been or hope to go.

“I truly love the experience of creating a connection between myself and the audience. I want to arouse memories, and inspire those listening to be present in the moment. Life can be so chaotic at times and I look at it as my job, my passion, to be a part of creating a moment in which you can just embrace, reflect, and breathe.”

Jennifer’s story began when she caught the attention of musician/producer Barry Goldberg and Warner Brothers VP of A&R Geoffrey Weiss, who recognized that her striking presence had an undeniable appeal. She went on to ink a record deal with Warner Brothers, and her debut album “Little Girl” received national radio airplay and several film/ television placements. Her follow up album, BLISS, pushed her into new heights, and she received the LOS ANGELES MUSIC AWARDS Best Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year Award, a title she shares with platinum selling artists Black Eyed Peas, Save Farris and Systems of A Down. With her emotionally driven songs, she has received countless accolades for her work. Named in Music Connection Magazine as one of the top 100 unsigned artists in Los Angeles 2 years in a row, her self-penned song “Beautiful Life” was selected as a finalist in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition and most recently it appears as the title track in the film “Pollution”, debuting in this years International Cannes Film Festival.

She has performed with distinguished acts such as SARA BARIELLES, TRAIN, JASON MRAZ, and TYLER HILTON, creating a buzz throughout the Los Angeles music scene. With performances on both the Main Stage at Hollywood’s HOUSE OF BLUES and the exclusive Parish Room, Hotel Café, The Mint, and Room 5, she has many wondering what is next. Her up coming cross-country tour should give them an idea of that.

Jennifer shows an impressive expansion of natural talent. She has been compared to the likes of Tori Amos and Adele, described as being “cut from the very same cloth”. She is a unique web of eclectic country pop soul. “I write mostly on piano and I’m a girl, so people will often say Tori Amos, or Fiona Apple. But, I loved Dolly Parton and Tanya Tucker growing up,” she says. “That being said, I spent many a nights with Radiohead, Chris Cornell and Pink Floyd dancing around in my head.”

Jennifer has a lot to draw from when digging deep for her newest lyric. “I’ve been writing songs for as long as I can remember. I can’t imagine not being able to write. It’s how I process life around me and in me. Growing up as an ‘army brat’, we spent our childhood moving every few years, so I spent a lot of time alone and a lot of energy on learning to adapt. Music consumed who I was and provided a constant in the midst of all the change. When other girls where practicing their wedding vows, I was rehearsing my Grammy acceptance speech. I sang in high school choirs, church choirs, community musical theatre and I had traveled most of Europe and the entire United States by the age of 17. I was incredibly lucky.”

She is a true artist: one you can connect to. 
Whether with a full band, rocking audiences with high-energy live shows or on stage with just a piano and a microphone showcasing her natural talents, she is simply captivating. One only needs to experience her to understand.

“Appelquist shines with her Fiona Apple meets Jewel meets Vanessa Carlton approach. All of those solo singer/songwriters wear their hearts on their sleeves and put their souls in their songs. Appelquist is cut from the very same cloth as her inspirations. The starkness of the sound gives her songs a haunting and personal feel…deep in emotion, making her tales seem like secrets that she’s sharing just with us. Honest, heartfelt and pure, its simple in its essence and exciting in its revelations. Indeed, any artist who is will to expose herself musically will always have an audience willing to listen.”
Bernard Bauer – Music Connection
“Accompanied only by piano, Ms. Appelquist packs incredible emotional power in her work, crossing any number of musical barriers and doing quite well in all of them……one of Southern California’s greatest undiscovered secrets”
Michael Snyder – Beverly Hills Outlook
“I’ve always thought certain songs had the ability to express feelings I was having or parallel what I was going through in my life at the time. Nothing brought that closer to home than when I popped in a favorite CD and heard “War” by Jennifer Appelquist… Its a song that has really had an impact on me and brought tears to my eyes.”
Tonya Paul – Orovill Mercury Register