Interview: Jenna Leigh-Raine (Written – 2025)
Jenna Leigh-Raine is back with a brand new album with a cinematic, futuristic and industrial sound. ‘Svren’ was released on January 31st, 2025, and is an 11-track album, inspired by women playing a central character away from total control and bat against men and women’s pleasure. It’s about using time against their lifelines. The album was recorded over the course of 2024 and were first heard in Jenna’s gigs which she performed last year. In this interview we learn a little more about the album and what Jenna has been up to since we last spoke.
1. Hello! Welcome back. It’s been a little while, so first things first, how are you and have there been any significant changes since we last spoke?
Well I was invited to be a support act on UK theater tour last summer. The rooms were big and the temperature was hot to say the least. I wore as best I could a mini dress and spiked knee boots. I meant business as it had been two to three years since I last played live. I was accompanied on stage by a great musician Porl Young both producer and performer.
Most evidently was the fact we mainly showcased tracks from my brand new album I produced and mastered myself as well and usual wrote and played all instruments along engineered it. This fact I never normally talk about as it’s normal’ for me to do all those jobs from conception to artwork and the final shrink wrapped product on shop shelves..
SVREN is the title of this album a climax around the themes of failed humanity religion earth apocalypse and war. Heavy ha yes but presented this time is a fat more cinematic sound both dark heavy and both guitar possibly industrial rock. Eleven tracks recorded in London mainly. SVREN (She) a central character about surviving outside of a new’ hybrid dark army order. She will escape her role as a pleasure skin’. In return for human male ‘Time against work.
Normally around there months or so after an album has been mastered I’m already onto a new project. This time No’. SVREN feels like such a significant record and though I’ve written new notes ‘ and one song. I feel I may move on in a new direction next.
2. So, what’s new? What’s keeping you busy this time around? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?
My only and first E.P was recently released titled “OUTTER LIMITED”. Featuring four of the prominent moments and anthems taken from the album. I was clear I did not want to over record or have lots of extra tracks. I have created as well the main album in digital form an instrumental cinematic version was made, with only one minor alternative version.
I created two DIY videos for the album with both a Brutalist and futuristic aesthetic. The title track and Single has just been released ready for the actual album available from January 31st ironically my birthday in both deluxe CD pack and later vinyl. I did have made a few very limited copies of the E.P and Single on Clear Polyvinyl cut directly on an actual RCA lathe in glorious ‘Mono. A fun unique gift for collectors and fan along with some selected album shoot/artwork set of prints etc.
I do hope to play live this summer or sooner but which we are currently looking at.
3. Describe what fans/listeners can expect.
The album is really one for fans of a darker richer rock electronic industrial possibility sci fi cinematic experience. Nineteen months in the making with perfectly matched images and look locking in this moment in my forty years in recording, by 2026.
4. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you to see it come to fruition?
I hear new upcoming bands and artists almost tremble at the thought of even making a whole album let alone one each year and a half on average. It’s just normal’ for my I’ve always been an album artist liking to step forward in sound looks theme production on each.
This new album the original title was OUTTER LIMITED then Capital Brutalist to get across the stamp of global unions at fault leaving humanity always a step from apocalypse.
If I remember rightly I started recording casually just an instrumental which was Capital Brutalist around two or three months from completing the previous album BLOODSAND.
Eventually ideas and sounds started to form. Though one strong factor was that I kept each track to the same sound 1-3 sound fonts’. It created such a strong sound. But noted a more sparse wide cinematic sound. Dark rich deep synth drones and haunting top synths lines against very regimented rock punk metal guitar parts.
I used some Arpodessy’s and as mentioned sound designs and maybe four guitars, deciding to program all rhythms and once the albums final mix was done, mastered it myself. Spending a good four to six weeks teaching myself mastering, which given is a real art in itself.
5. Sum up what this latest development says about you and where you find yourself at this moment in time?
Satisfied I’ve created a pivotal album good enough to go up against others such as Poppy, Gary Numan, etc.
6. Has the time since we last spoke been a mostly positive period and has there been any one thing that stands out as being good?
Yes I seem to in part notice acknowledgement from contemporaries in my genre of alternative industrial rock.
7. How about something that has challenged you since we last spoke? Has there been any particular thing that tested you, and if so, how did you overcome it?
Yes touring again was fun but I’m never carrying any gear myself we will go in style in a nice darker out van like Michael Jackson did ha. Things can go wrong playing live. It used to a lot as we use a lot of electronics on stage, too guitars and monitors mics can give out. Most prominently this time was the world of “In Ear” monitors. Oh my supposedly you are meant to hear a clear balance of the music being played though on one show in a huge hall I could not hear my self singing as my band mates guitars were crunching so loud I lost my cues. Haha it’s fine I handled it like a vet.
8.What is a realistic goal you’d like to achieve over the next 12 months?
Play a full tour in the UK and festival and abroad. I took would like to realize my work in film.
