Women Who Rock Columbus: Jenelle
The next bad mama jama highlighted here is one I’ve covered for years. It all started at King Ave 5 in 2017 and has just kept going throughout the years. In the spring of 2024 when I started planning a show that was centered around kick ass women musicians in Columbus, she was the first person I reached out to because I feel she is one of the most underrated lead singers around. It has always boggled my mind as to why Morning Theft isn’t more popular around town as they are veterans of the Columbus scene and a can’t miss at Comfest in the summer. She is their lead singer and musical force to be reckoned with.
Allow me to introduce you to Jenelle!
With a personality as fiery as her hair, Jenelle is one of the few women I know who could do a whole cover set of System Of A Down songs and pull it off, which is something Morning Theft actually did for their 2024 Halloween show at Spacebar.
Her vocal range, ability to scream, growl, and stupefy people when they hear her for the first time is worth the price of admission alone. I’ve literally witnessed people come up to her after a show, tell her how amazing her voice is and ask how she screams the way she does. Although she is known for being a hard core rebel, her talent of being able to jump from songs like Aerials by System of A Down, to Miss Murder by AFI to belting out Skeleton Twins, a Morning Theft original, has also gained her comparisons to the ska, punk/pop-punk girly that is Gwen Stefani. (I think her style and stage energy factors into that one too.)
Shall we find out more about Jenelle and her role in the Columbus scene? I think we shall.
1. What got you into music?
"A lot of memories are tied to music in some form or another. Growing up around car shows, there was always either live music or some kind of big music event happening. At home, we always had music going in the garage while working on cars or projects. There was a record player with a stack of 45s I loved to mess with which is probably my earliest memory of music. I naturally ended up in musical spaces where people were like, ‘Hey, you should try singing for a band, join this choir, do an Idol-type contest, etc.’ Once I found the right environment, I finally got the chance to really have fun exploring and growing."
2. How long have you been performing?
"I joined a local audition-entry chorus around third grade. Everything back then was really rehearsed and scholastic, nothing like our MT jams now. This kind of performance has been about lucky 13 years."
3. Talk about Morning Theft, your journey through the Columbus music scene, and your role in the band.
"Morning Theft started when Nick and I realized our musical interests were eerily similar after winning an acoustic competition The Newport hosted. That pushed us to branch off from the project where we’d first met. MT stayed acoustic for a while, and during that time we ran the Bossy open mic while shaping our sound and adding JD and Cody. We hit the ground running playing at Comfest our first year together. We've been known for our energy ever since. We like to joke that we’ve bled on pretty much every stage we’ve graced."
4. What’s been your favorite performance so far?
"That’s tough to pick. A few moments stand out: our At the Drive In cover set at Tree Bar where I threw painted boxes (“amps”) into the crowd; the King Ave set where I realized I could hit whistle tones; or even the first show back after covid at Buzzbin which was pure catharsis, followed by dancing the night away at a local gay club."
5. What keeps you in music?
"There’s a euphoric sensation in sound that just takes over. When you’re part of it, when it vibrates your whole being from the inside out, and you know you’re the one creating it, there’s nothing like it. It’s a hell of a drug."
6. What’s on your playlist right now?
"My ‘recently played’ includes Coheed, Hrvrd, King Gizzard, Charli XCX, Fall of Troy, and Fiona."
7. What do you feel has been the biggest challenge for you as a female lead singer?
"The biggest? Wooof...self-confidence in a male-dominated everything. A lot of the genres we cover are fronted by male singers, and stepping into that space confidently takes some serious mental work. Nail it, and the collision of their response with your own buzz makes it unforgettable and addictive."
8. Any advice you’d like to share with aspiring female musicians?
"One quote I’ve been loving is: “Not shrinking oneself to be easy to swallow... Let them choke.” Essentially be yourself, and fuck the rest."
I don’t usually end the series with a photo but after reading her answer for the final question, I figured this photo above was the most appropriate way to end Jenelle’s edition. The story goes like this, it was taken the day of the Be A Legend show at A & R Music bar and she said to me “hey, let’s go sneak into the Basement and do our photoshoot!!” I laughed and agreed because I knew it would be a true testament of showing off her larger than life personality that shines out at every single Morning Theft show. She, and the band have an energy and charisma that is hard to capture in print and if you haven't caught them live yet, make sure you put it on your musical to-do list.
As I stated earlier, I've covered Jenelle and Morning Theft for a long time. Almost 9 years now, I believe, and I'm 100% convinced that they are one of Columbus’ greatest bands you’re not paying attention to.
So help me change that…. Go check them out.
To do so, you can listen, find out more, and keep up to date with all things MT by clicking the links below!
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3KbdUp7t2JMI0nCuyo4KoT
https://www.instagram.com/morningtheftmusic/
https://www.facebohok.com/morningtheftmusic/
https://www.morningtheftmusic.com/
I have to send a massive amount of thanks, love, and much appreciation out to Jenelle, not only for being Ms. October in this series but for also being a friend and pillar for yours truly throughout my journey in the 614 scene.
That’s going to do it for this edition of WWRC, thanks for reading, and until next time:
Peace, Love, and Who Run The World, Girls!
