f: Hi Jenny, it’s a pleasure to chat with you today, how are you?
Jenny: Likewise – although it’s my pleasure to be speaking with you! I’m really good, thank you. The sun is shining and that always makes me smile.
f: Please tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from and how you started making dance music?
Jenny: I’m Manchester-based but Bolton born and bred – the land of Peter Kay! I started DJing back in 2000 and over the years began producing tracks that I wanted to play in my own sets. I think my first production was around 2004 with Nick Hussey – a house remix of Lionel Richie’s ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’! I might still have a copy somewhere… although it’s probably best left gathering dust! What I love most about making music is creating something from absolute silence. Walking into the studio with nothing and leaving with a track is an incredible feeling. The studio is genuinely my happy place.
f: Who did you listen to growing up and do they influence your music career at all today?
Jenny: Culture Club, George Michael, Wham!, Alison Moyet, Erasure, Bronski Beat, Curiosity Killed The Cat… I could go on! My bedroom walls and even the ceiling were covered in Culture Club posters – I was completely obsessed. One of those surreal full-circle moments came years later when I ended up DJing alongside Boy George during a tour of Indonesia. We played a huge shopping mall in Jakarta and I’ll never forget that experience.
Another crazy memory was how my career actually started. Back in 2000, after only teaching myself to DJ for a couple of months, I spotted a DJ competition in the Daily Star clubbing pages run by Andros Georgiou. There was no Google or social media back then! I sent in a demo CD and thought nothing more about it… then I won! That led to some incredible opportunities including Ministry of Sound gigs and eventually a Friday night dance show on Key 103 Manchester, while Graeme Park hosted Saturdays. Looking back, it still feels surreal.
f: How would you describe your sound?
Jenny: I love big-room house music that’s powerful, uplifting and driven by a chunky bassline. I also love deep, rolling grooves, huge synths and lots of subtle background textures that add movement and atmosphere. I want people to feel something when they hear my tracks.
f: What was your first release?
Jenny: I made quite a few tracks before officially releasing anything. YouTube was only just finding its feet back then, so I’m not even sure anyone was uploading music like they do now! (That makes me sound ancient!) Over the last few years I collaborated with Atari Safari and also released music on Cleveland City. One of those releases was my ‘Criticize’ Remix, which is probably a little lighter than what I’m producing today. Most of my current productions are now being released on Muscle Funk.
f: Which of your own tracks was the biggest labour of love to create / personal favourite?
Jenny: Definitely ‘Sunday In The Room’. I couldn’t get ‘Sunday Shouting’ and ‘Wrong’ by Everything But The Girl out of my head, so I decided to fuse those influences together into something that felt fresh. It works brilliantly when I play it out and always gets an amazing reaction on the dancefloor.
f: What has been your most successful release?
Jenny: Ask me again in a few months! I’ve got five new tracks being released over the coming months and I’m actually having to slow myself down because my head is overflowing with ideas. I’m slightly obsessed with making music at the moment, so I’m excited to see which release resonates most with people.
f: You’ve just released your new ‘Going Crazy’ single on Muscle Funk, what can we expect to hear?
Jenny: I wanted something powerful with a huge female vocal and almost a preacher-style message. I came across an incredible preacher whose life story really struck me. Before finding God she’d experienced drink, drugs and some incredibly difficult times, and she would sing during her sermons. Amazingly, I found her within seconds of searching for inspiration. It genuinely felt like the universe had handed me something special. I built the track around the most powerful parts of her message and created a journey with moments that pull everything right back before exploding into huge hands-in-the-air drops. It’s about everything spiralling out of control, feeling like you’re going crazy… while somehow feeling completely alive at the same time. I absolutely love playing it.
f: What inspired the single?
Jenny: I wanted to create something people could relate to. You’ll hear lyrics like “overworked”, “over-taxed”, “under stress”, “helpless” and, for some people, “hopeless”. They’re emotions so many of us experience. But that’s what music does. It takes you somewhere else. Even for a few minutes, dance music lets you forget everything and just lose yourself.
f: The release also features a remix from Lenny Fontana, what did he bring to the table?
Jenny: Firstly… WOW! Having an absolute icon of house music and one of New York’s true pioneers remix one of my tracks is a real privilege. Lenny completely transformed it. He took it on a different journey with a disco-infused, jazzy groove that’s impossible not to dance to. It’s uplifting, feel-good and an incredible dancefloor record. I couldn’t be happier with what he created.
f: How do you typically go about putting a track together?
Jenny: My phone is full of ideas! My Notes app is packed with little snippets and my voice recorder is full of me singing melodies or talking ideas to myself. Hopefully nobody ever hears those recordings because I’ll definitely stick to DJing and producing rather than singing! Normally I know exactly how I want a track to feel before I even start producing it. Everything comes down to emotion. If a sound gives me goosebumps in my headphones or on a big sound system, then I know I’m onto something. I’m inspired by old records, new records and sometimes just by experimenting and accidentally creating something special.
f: What’s your favourite piece of studio kit?
Jenny: Keyboards. Every single day of the week.
f: What’s been your favourite gig of the year and where are you most looking forward to performing soon?
Jenny: Playing Café Mambo Festival at Coombe Abbey in Coventry for Miss Moneypenny’s in May was incredible. It was sold out with around 8,000 people, loads of friends were there, the atmosphere was amazing and the weather was glorious. Have I mentioned I love sunshine? I’m also really excited about Ibiza this summer, where I’ve got several gigs lined up along with meetings with promoters and clubs. It feels like another exciting chapter.
f: You’ve also had a long career working in radio, please tell us a bit about that.
Jenny: As I mentioned earlier, it all started after winning that Daily Star DJ competition. The day the results were published loads of my friends were ringing me saying Darren Proctor from Key 103 was asking me to call the station. I didn’t believe them at first! Eventually I rang, went in to meet them and was offered my own Friday night dance show. I absolutely loved every minute of it. It became one of the station’s biggest dance shows and I had so much freedom to play the music I genuinely loved.
Back then record labels would send out exclusive vinyl promos before release. I remember receiving the original instrumental version of The Shapeshifters before anyone else had heard it. The first time I played it in a club the place went absolutely crazy and every DJ wanted to know what it was. Moments like that were priceless. My first guest was Axwell and from there the guests just kept coming. I also met some huge names while working at the station including Justin Timberlake and Robbie Williams. A few years later I even toured Sweden with Howard Donald as DJs… travelling around in an A-Team van! There have definitely been some unforgettable moments along the way.
f: What has been your biggest triumph in your musical career so far?
Jenny: Simply having the opportunity to travel the world doing something I love. I’ve toured Indonesia several times and played in Singapore, Brazil, Dubai, Italy and many other incredible places. I’ve met some amazing people and I’m still friends with my Italian agent from years ago. Like most DJs I’ve spent plenty of time in Ibiza, but I’ve also been lucky enough to play private parties for Manchester United players, England internationals and, probably my favourite memory of all, DJing for George Michael. I even managed to persuade him to sing ‘Last Christmas’ to me… despite the fact it wasn’t Christmas!
f: And your biggest challenge?
Jenny: Without question, becoming a mum while working as a touring DJ. I realised I couldn’t be half a mum. Constant travelling, late nights and being away just wasn’t the life I wanted for my son. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I chose to slow the DJing right down and build another career – quite literally building houses rather than playing house music! My son is now 11 years old, and as he’s grown older I’ve been able to throw myself back into music. It feels like I’ve come full circle and I’m loving every second of it.
f: Which dance track holds the most precious memories for you?
Jenny: Chicane ‘Offshore’. Nothing will ever change that answer. I first heard it at The Temple in Bolton and immediately ran over to the DJ asking what it was. It hadn’t even been released yet and I had to put my name down to pre-order it. The day it finally arrived I rushed home, put my headphones on and honestly got goosebumps. I must have listened to it a thousand times. The icing on the cake was sharing a line-up with Chicane at Mambo Festival this year. That was a real full-circle moment.
f: Who are your top 3 current producers?
Jenny: That’s such a difficult question because I admire so many producers for different reasons!
Rue Jay – powerful, punchy and uplifting productions, Kolter – quirky grooves with loads of personality, and L.P. Rhythm – a brilliant modern take on the sounds I grew up listening to.
f: What else are you working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
Jenny: I’m spending as much time in the studio as possible. I’ve already finished my next four tracks and I’m working on another two. My head is constantly full of ideas and I genuinely don’t want to slow down. For me, a great track gives you goosebumps and makes you feel something. When it’s one you’ve created yourself, that feeling is even more special. I’ve also just secured a few gigs in Ibiza and have meetings lined up with promoters and clubs while I’m there in August. I’m really enjoying where this journey is taking me. Life is a journey… Enjoy every minute of it.
‘Going Crazy’ (Incl. Lenny Fontana Remix) will be released on Beatport Promo July 31st / Full release August 14th 2026 on Muscle Funk.