Long Bio:

Brooklyn-born and driven by soul, Janie May writes songs about what happens after you survive, when you choose yourself and don’t look back.

Rooted in pop soul with R&B, alternative, and country storytelling influences, Janie crafts lyrically incisive anthems that explore identity, resilience, and emotional freedom. Her stage name is an homage to the fierce protagonist of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, which is a reflection of Janie’s own artistic journey toward voice, agency, and self-definition.

Janie’s music lives at the intersection of Gloria Gaynor’s unapologetic strength and Amy Winehouse’s emotional depth. Drawing inspiration from artists like Fiona Apple, Adele, Eric Clapton, Lauryn Hill, and Kaleo, her sound feels both deeply personal and immediately relatable. 

A classically trained ballet dancer, Janie approaches music as a full-body art form. Movement plays a central role in her performances and visuals, informed by her belief that music and motion are inseparable. This philosophy extends to her music videos, which she treats as an essential part of the storytelling. It’s a modern pursuit of the “total work of art.”

Based in NYC, Janie has performed at venues including Sid Gold’s Request Room, Sanger Hall, Brooklyn Music Kitchen, Fox & Locke, and the Bowery Vault, and has earned features in Fault Magazine and Songwriting Magazine UK. Since releasing her first single in 2019, she has evolved through a debut EP to her first full-length album in 2025, with her sophomore record arriving in February 2026.

Her latest album, Not Going Back, captures a pivotal emotional threshold: the moment you let go, move forward, and choose yourself. Janie’s music is for those who know what it’s like to take the leap, just as much as it is for those standing at the edge.

Short Bio:

Brooklyn-born and driven by soul, Janie May writes songs about what happens after you survive, when you choose yourself and don’t look back. Rooted in pop soul with influences from R&B, alternative, and country storytelling, her music explores identity, resilience, and emotional freedom. Drawing comparisons to the emotional depth of Amy Winehouse and the strength of Gloria Gaynor, Janie pairs incisive lyricism with raw vocal power. A classically trained ballet dancer, she treats music as a full-body art form, weaving movement and visual storytelling into her work. Her sophomore album, Not Going Back, arrived February 2026.