Behind the Video: Jordan White Dishes on Jane N’ The Jungle’s “Trouble” Music Video

We got some “troublemakers” on our hands today with the members of Jane N’ The Jungle. The Phoenix, Arizona unit released their latest single, “Trouble,” on April 9th, a song meant to exemplify their live rock n’ roll energy that’s big on both passion and excitement. “Trouble” is symbolic of the influence of other people’s perceptions of you, something that often invites trouble that’s based on many false assumptions about your personal traits and past experiences.

Despite their inability to tour, the last year has gone quite well for Jane N’ The Jungle, all things considered. They earned recognition for their two singles “Animal” and “Lucky 7,” which they recorded at the legendary Pearl Sound Studios with the highly regarded Chuck Alkazian (Pop Evil, Soundgarden, Tantric). The band again worked with Alkazian on “Trouble.”

Jane N’ The Jungle is led by the incomparable team of lead singer Jordan White, and guitarist Brian Dellis. Friends since childhood, they began writing songs together in 2013, which paved the way for the official formation of Jane N’ The Jungle. Earlier this month, the band released their official music video for “Trouble.” We recently spoke with White to gain more insight into the shooting of the video, as well as her general views on their importance in today’s music scene.

Any mishaps on set?

Jordan White: “No, there weren’t any mishaps on set. Everything ran very smoothly. We had a great time with everyone on set, and it was a very chill atmosphere.”

Any concepts where you started and, midway through, thought “what the hell are we doing?”

“(laughs) No, we have never thought that. It’s always been about having fun and going with the flow. I think being organic and not putting pressure on ourselves to be perfect helps us not take things too seriously. If I start picking everything apart and judging myself I would for sure have those thoughts, and I think with art you can’t be too hard on yourself and need to stay open-minded.”

If money was no issue what would be in your perfect video?

“Hmm, that’s a tough question. Brian would probably say a sloth. I think overall we all dig the super cinematic look which does cost a lot of money to do.”

If you could have any guest appear in a video who would you have?

“For this particular music video, I would say Dave Grohl because he was a big inspiration for this song. I would love to collaborate with him.”

How does the music inform the video in terms of visuals matching sound?

“I think the music video does a good job of portraying ‘trouble’ in different ways such as, running away from danger, being caught, being trapped, being stuck, being frustrated, and overall showing the emotion the song has.”

Have you ever had such a baller idea for a music video that you’ve written music for it?

“Not really. For us, music videos have always been challenging to produce as an independent band. At times, I’ll have visuals in my mind that help me with writing lyrics but the music has always come first before mapping out a music video.”

What is your favourite childhood music video and have you any secret nods to it in your catalogue?

“Oh gosh, is it bad that I don’t have one? There are no secret nods in our music videos from childhood music videos.”

How important are music videos in terms of increased exposure?

“We just hope that our fans and audience like the video. We make music videos based on art and having fun. We don’t try to make something just for increased exposure.”

How important of a role does social media play in sharing videos and increasing exposure?

“Social media is the biggest way to increase exposure. It is very important to try to connect with our audience on social media, and it’s also a challenge since we aren’t influencers. I struggle with this on a daily basis.”

How much more effective or beneficial is creating a music video now compared to 20 or 30 years ago?

“We have better technology available now to help create videos. We have even been able to create music videos from our iPhones. With social media, it’s important to share visuals like music videos so I think you almost have to make a music video for each single you release now a day.”

Artwork for “Trouble” by Jane N’ The Jungle

Is a well-made DIY video just as good or beneficial as a professionally-made/directed video?

“I think if you can create a video that captures the band and essence of the song, DIY or professionally made it will work. Sure, the more money and production you have might look cooler but you don’t need a super flashy video to have an effective video.”

Does the video have a concept and, if so, can you elaborate on it?

The concept is ‘Trouble’ and showcasing our live performance energy.”

Tell us more about the crew who worked on the video. Who did it include and how did you put together the team?

Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera directed, shot and edited the video. Jim has been taking photography for me and the band for a few years and we were very excited we could work with him on a music video. ‘Trouble’ is the first music video we have done with Jim and Tony and we hope we can create more in the future.”