Jann Arden On Her Nostalgic New Album And What She Loves About Canada

With 16 studio albums and countless tours under her belt, there’s no denying that Jann Arden loves making music. But at 63, she also has no problem admitting it’s not the centre of her world. 

“It’s a really, really cool way to make a living, but music is something that I do—it’s not who I am,” the singer-songwriter tells Hello! Canada, adding that there are “a lot of other things” that bring value to her life, including close-knit friendships and her adoring dog, Poppy. 

“Maybe it’s an age thing,” she ponders. “But I’ve done it for such a long time now, I think if someone said to me, ‘You’re never going to perform again,’ it wouldn’t be the end of me.”'

Still, as the Alberta native gets ready to hit the road for her latest Canadian tour, she couldn’t be more excited. “It’s going to be a blast!” she promises of her upcoming shows, which will see Jann perform songs from her new ’90s cover album, Mixtape (think nostalgic hits like “Waterfalls” by TLC, “Crazy” by Seal and Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer”). “It’s going to remind people of how freaking great the ’90s were.”

When she’s not busy travelling for work, the multi-talented artist—who starred in her own sitcom (Jann) for three seasons and has written six books (including her 2012 memoir, Falling Backwards)—enjoys the fruits of her labour at her peaceful country oasis just outside of Calgary. “I’ve always been kind of a homebody, but I think as you get older, you get more rooted in home,” she tells us, before listing off a few of the things she misses when she’s away—like feeding the birds and deer and sleeping in her own bed.

Mostly, though, she just misses the unfolding of the day. “I have a real routine. I write all the time, go for hikes and have friends over for dinner.” And with her very own vegetable garden and a fruit tree in her backyard, the affable host is likely never short on food for her guests.

“It’s not for everybody,” Jann says of her laid-back country lifestyle. “A lot of people don’t want to live alone in the trees in the pitch-black night, but it’s for me.”

Here, the lovable star talks Canadian pride, the power of friendship and the decade that kick-started her career.

What inspired you to record an album entirely of ’90s cover songs?

I just wanted to do something! I hadn’t recorded anything since Descendant, which came out, like, three years ago now. But I mean, my career grew up in the ’90s. My first record, Time for Mercy, came out in 1993. At the time, I was touring the world and running into all these people—I opened some shows for Chris Isaak, and I remember standing there watching him sing “Wicked Game” in a disco-ball suit. So it’s my memories from the ’90s that left a lasting impression on me. I also love the music. And I think it’s nice for people to reminisce about an easier time.

You’ll be taking the tour on the road starting in May. Are there any Canadian cities you’re especially excited to visit?

I love them all! Honestly, there’s not a bad city in Canada. From the East Coast to the West Coast, it’s such a diverse country. I think everyone’s feeling particularly Canadian right now. And it’s certainly a win-win—as a musician—to be out there in this climate, making people happy and reminding them what we love about our country. Music is pretty damn magical that way. 

You’re always very vocal about your national pride. What are some things that make you feel grateful to be Canadian?

I think—for anyone who’s travelled extensively—it is a very stark, almost shocking comparison when you come back [after] and realize what’s available to us. Whether it’s the Bahamas or Africa or the United States, all the places I’ve been in my life, I get back here and I’m just like, man, the contrast is so visceral. And the sense of community that we have—it’s just an incredible place to live. 

You speak very highly of your friends. How do they continue to fill your bucket?

I have really good friends in my life. I know a lot of people, I have a lot of acquaintances and I have a lot of people that I think the world of. But I have a very, very small core group of people that are in my inner circle. 

I remember my dad saying to me when I was a teenager, “If you have one friend, you’re lucky. And if you have two friends, you’re a fool.” I know what that means now because friendships require a lot of time and attention. I mean, I have friends that I might only see three or four times a year in person, but we’re communicating every day—whether it’s texting, phoning or a FaceTime call. But it requires reciprocity. And I know there’s that handful of people that I could call if I was in jail and I needed to be bailed out. I just think my life would be very devoid of joy and happiness if I didn’t have my friends.

The last time we chatted in 2024, you had just released your first novel, The Bittlemores. How is the second one coming along?

I have three weeks off in May [before] and, come hell or high water, I’m gonna hand the damn thing in! You heard it here first.

Will there be a third?

Oh yeah! I’m going to keep writing until I’m dead. 

Finally, if you could travel back to the ’90s and give your younger self a message, what would it be?

I’d say don’t smoke any cigarettes and don’t drink any more alcohol! Get exercising. Take a yoga class. Go vegan. Stop eating pork chops, for the love of God. But I think, more than anything, I’d say to just be easy on yourself. I was reading an op-ed about this girl whose father was a neuroscientist and one of the lessons he tried to drill into her head was to really be careful of how you think about yourself. Even if you don’t say it out loud, when you’re hard on your body—you know, when you think you’re fat, you think you’re stupid, you’re not pretty enough, this outfit is bad, etc.—your brain doesn’t know if you’re kidding or if it’s real. So he said the most important thing human beings can do is to have blind faith in themselves. It’s that whole idea of self-affirmation, and it really does sink in. That’s what I’d be telling myself.

Love Jann? Us too. Check out her stunning Toronto condo and read about her empowering take on aging.

This article originally appeared in Hello! Canada. Want more great Hello! Canada content? We have a special offer for you.