Introducing Colorado Indie Artist Bekka Jean

Born in San Diego and now based in Greeley, Colorado, Bekka Jean is a queer indie musician who is working hard to create a platform and connect with her listeners.

The rising artist was first introduced to the idea of writing music when she was a teenager.

“My mom was a poet, so I was writing a lot of poetry just like her,” Jean explains. “She wrote a book of poetry mostly surrounding her faith and her walk with God, but I didn’t share the same faith as my mom. I wrote more about the teenage angst that we feel. Crushes and things like that. My older sister Heather moved back home with us when she was 22, and she brought this upright piano with her. She later joined the Navy, and after she left, I just stared at it. Like, maybe I should play it or something. So, I taught myself piano. I don’t read music; I play by ear, and I wrote a lot of songs from ages 15 to 23.”

Jean grew up in a deeply religious household, which she says made a significant impact on her upbringing.

“There is a beauty in somebody walking with God and displaying it in a loving, compassionate way, but my entire childhood was surrounded with, ‘You’re going to go to church; you’re going to believe in God, and you’re going to share his word,’” she says. “I was all about it at the time, but it was more for the social aspect than what I was feeling in the pit of my chest. It doesn’t resonate with me at this time in my life, and I would never try to take someone’s faith away from them. If it brings them joy, and they’re not being like, ‘You’re going to Hell’ all the time, cool. In my mind, if there is a God, he doesn’t need us to go and tell everybody about him. He’s going to display himself in his own way.”

In July 2021, Jean officially released her debut single “///Shutdown///Mode///.” It came into shape when she was at her loneliest and felt no sense of belonging with friends or family.

The track struck a chord with many, and according to Jean, she felt like she was finally doing what she was meant to do. 

“With my music, I’ve always been about trying to let people know they’re not alone in their shit,” she says. “I definitely want to reach people with mental health issues because I have depression, and I want to be a positive influence in that regard. We’re not alone in what we’re going through, and it’s so easy to convince ourselves that we are. I hope my listeners feel the message I’m trying to send out, and I think they have because of the messages I receive. You’re not alone in this, and it’s OK to not be OK.”

In terms of Jean’s musical style and aesthetic, she says she doesn’t want to put herself into a specific box because she is experimenting.

“I do want to have a more acoustic feel in my music, like raw vocals, guitar, piano, and strings,” she says. “I love orchestral stuff, and I would love to write for film one day. No lyrics, just symphony stuff. I’ll sometimes watch movies and shows on mute and try to feel the emotion of what I’m seeing. The kind of music that would go to this scene. I want big emotions to be felt, and I love listening to music that makes me cry. 

“Imagine if someone’s listening to something that made you cry,” Jean continues. “They will hopefully feel the same way. With my music, I want to make people feel something great. We passively listen to music all the time, and we’re sometimes more interested in the beat and rhythm than the story. Music is escapism for some people, but for me, it’s laying it all out on the table. Like, this is my shit, and I’m going to talk about it. I want to tell stories that matter and that are going to stick with people.” 

Another purposeful part of Jean’s music career has been collaborating with her husband, Robert.

“Working with Robert is so meaningful,” she says. “He doesn’t contribute a lot lyrically, but that is something we’re working on. Being raised Catholic and being the firstborn, he had a lot of expectations from his parents, so he never vocalized a lot growing up. It was like, ‘This path is set for you.’ He is learning to use his words more, and he did contribute some lyrics to our song ‘Carnival Ride,’ which hasn’t been released yet. He’s also been teaching me to play guitar more.”

Currently, Jean is working on a new single called “Little Do They Know,” which is about letting go of toxic and negative people from her life.

“Again, growing up in a Christian home, we weren’t taught to have boundaries,” she says. “We weren’t taught to say no to people and stick up for ourselves. In my adulthood, I’m learning these lessons that I should have learned as a child. This song is about letting some people go that aren’t good for you. If people don’t believe in what you’re doing, that’s OK, but they can be over there. I’ll be over here shining and doing what I believe is right for me without the influence of others.” 

Jean hopes to release a full-length album soon.

In the future, the up-and-coming musician hopes to expand her horizons and experience tour life. So far, Jean has only performed locally.

“I’ve always had this hermit personality, but I’m trying to break that habit,” she laughs. “A lot of independent musicians think they’re going to post something, go viral, and then the world will know their name. I’m not trying to be like that anymore. I’m going to reach who I am meant to reach, and I want to be more involved in my community. I’m still navigating through what it is to be an indie artist, but I would love to go to other states and meet the people that are listening to my music.”

Jean says she was shocked to learn where some of her listeners are based.

“I have quite a few listeners in London and Africa,” she exclaims. “Like, how is my music reaching you? I’ll get DMs all the time from people all over the world, and I’m amazed at how music has the potential to reach the world.”

No matter what, Jean promises to stay true and authentic through her craft. 

“I just want to keep writing stuff that comforts people,” she says. “I’m going to stay strong and stick to my guns.”

Stay up-to-date and connect with Bekka Jean by following her on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @bekkajeanmusic. Her music is available on Spotify and all other digital streaming platforms. 

Photos courtesy of Bekka Jean