Bio
Jen Clapp grew up in Rochester, NY, and started singing and playing folk songs at age 10. She still has the jumbo body Harmony Sovereign guitar given to her by her dad, and it is still too big for her.
She began playing in clubs in 1990, with acoustic trio Native Tongue in NYC’s East Village music scene. The band performed every Sunday night at Café Sin-e on St. Mark’s Place during its heyday, with Jeff Buckley, Rebecca Martin, Susan McKeown and John Doyle playing regularly, and visitors Sinead O’Connor, members of U2, Little Steven, Luka Bloom and many others dropping in after hours to play along with the locals. Jen left this scene after falling in love with Mommyheads drummer Dan Fisherman, and moving to San Francisco.
She started writing songs while living in California, becoming a midwife and then mother to two children. Returning to the East Coast, Jen continued to write, releasing a 10-song CD titled Lonesome Sunbeam, in 2009.
Jen co-wrote two songs with Chris Difford, released on his CD Songs from the Weald (2008), a fundraiser for hospice. She co-wrote and sang “Longest Day of the Year” with Adam Levy, released on his CD Washing Day. She appears as a guest vocalist on numerous recordings by artists in the Hudson Valley, where she now lives.
Jen works with the non-profit organization SageArts, which pairs songwriters with elders in the community to create songs which reflect the lives of each elder.
She is currently working on another recording of original songs.
photo credit: David Thornquist
all other artist photos by Ava Fisherman