Janine – Pain and Paradise
“Everything had been flipped upside down, my heart ripped out of my chest, and I didn’t know how I could keep living.” New Zealand singer/songwriter Janine is no stranger to grief. A few years ago, the kiwi-born, LA-based songstress unexpectedly lost her hero, her father, while visiting back home and opted to stay in her native homeland to take care of her mum. Since then, Janine has been deeply immersed in writing this album, aptly titled Pain and Paradise, which is out today, Friday, August 22nd, on Little Mixtape Records. From soulful ballads to airy house-influenced anthems, Janine wrote and produced much of the album herself and on the focus track “Happy,” she captures the tension between hope and vulnerability over a classic piano-led melody and hypnotic percussion.
Melding R&B soundscapes with pop sensibilities, the record’s 16 tracks explore the juxtaposition of life’s beauty and its most painful moments. Standing in the stillness of New Zealand’s rugged beauty, Janine experienced heartache in solace. “I knew I was so lucky to be in such a beautiful place and most importantly, lucky to have loved so deeply that the weight of loss could be so heavy. I stood there and thought, wow this is the most unbearable Pain and Paradise. I decided that the album would be named ‘Pain and Paradise’ because I believe that they always coexist.”
Written in the wake of unexpectedly losing her father, Pain and Paradise is an album that explores the deep pain she felt after his passing. Written while being surrounded by New Zealand’s restorative and natural beauty, she came to realize that ‘pain’ and ‘paradise’ do often coexist. Soulful ballads and R&B inspired house-influenced anthems are sprinkled across the album’s 16 tracks and it’s a really special listen from start to finish.
Blending indie R&B with soulful melodies, alternative pop and intricate soundscapes, Janine is a singer /songwriter that evokes heartfelt visuals with complex narratives. Her voice floats effortlessly between airy whistle notes and soulful belts, and holds the rare ability to both break your heart and heal it in the same breath.
Born in New Zealand, Janine dedicated herself to music almost as soon as she could walk. At five years old, she was recording herself on a double cassette player singing her favourite tunes. By the age of fourteen, she began performing her original songs with a guitar at open mics, mostly held at bars she wasn’t technically allowed into using her older sister’s ID.
A self-sufficient artist in every sense, Janine writes, produces, and engineers her own music, often opting to record in her closet rather than in big studios. Her creativity extends beyond music, often designing her own artwork and merch, as well as directing and editing her own videos.
Under the moniker Janine and The Mixtape she first made waves after moving to New York and releasing her breakout EP Dark Mind. Following placements on VH1’s Black Ink Crew and Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta, the project soared to #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and #2 on the iTunes Top R&B/Soul Albums Chart. The single “Hold Me” reached the Top 10 on Spotify’s Global Viral Charts and #1 on iTunes New Zealand, earning her a Critics’ Choice nomination at the New Zealand Music Awards. Tastemakers including Complex, VIBE, Billboard, and MTV praised her sound. In 2015, her follow-up XXEP won Best R&B Album at the New Zealand Music Awards. That same year, she toured the US for the first time, opening for the reunion of the world-renowned duo, Floetry. In 2018, she completed her first headlining US tour Before It’s Too Late and released her debut album 99.
Janine’s upcoming album Pain and Paradise is her most personal project yet. Written in the wake of her father’s unexpected passing, the album explores grief, healing, love, and joy, often within the same breath. “I believe that Pain and Paradise always coexist,” Janine says and her work embraces both in equal measure. From heart-wrenching ballads like “Make You Proud” to vibrant, uptempo, house-influenced bangers like “Fit,” the album reflects someone who has walked through fire and returned softer, stronger, and grateful to share it with the world.
Whether performing in sold-out venues or recording vocals from her wardrobe, Janine continues to lead with honesty and soul. Creating a world, close to her fans, where everyone and their feelings are welcome.
Janine will kick off her North American headline tour next month! Starting in Ferndale, Michigan at The Magic Bag the tour will make notable stops in New York with a show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, D.C, Los Angeles at Terragram Ballroom on October 22nd and close out with a final show in Oakland at Crybaby on October 24.
Tour Dates
9/28 – The Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI
9/29 – Subterranean – Chicago, IL
10/1 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
10/3 – Howard Theatre – Washington, DC
10/6 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
10/10 – The Social – Orlando, FL
10/12 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
10/14 – The Studio at The Factory – Dallas, TX
10/16 – Last Exit Live – Phoenix, AZ
10/21 – Constellation Room – Santa Ana, CA
10/22 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA
10/24 – Crybaby – Oakland, CA
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