Kalistani Major History

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Yeardly: "I will not be travelling to FOMAT"
Stepanov is selected by Listeners to Represent Kalistan in FOMAT
Dulnerstaad, Ananto
August 15, 4904


Kalistani listeners select Jennifer Stepanov following Joanie Yeardly's withdraw from Contest

Dulnerstaad Keyboardist and singer-songwriter Jennifer Stepanov has been selected by listeners of Radio 1's FOMAT poll to represent the Republic. The remarkably soft spoken pianist was at a loss for words when she was informed. "I have no idea how I will represent the musical heritage of this Republic," said Stapanov. "Personally, I voted to send Red Tone back there. It's more their kind of contest." Her single, "How Can I?" easily cruised past other entries to take top honors in the Radio 1 FOMAT Poll.

The vote for Stepanov solidified after presumed favorite Joanie Yeardly, who has led the Alt-Folk movement in Kalistan immediately declined to participate in the contest. "I can say this about FOMAT," said Yeardly. "It's pop music, and I am not going to do pop music. It's fine for everyone else, but I am trying to keep my feet here in the Republic and it really doesn't make much difference to me what international audiences think of my music." As she continued, she also informed audiences that Donnie Jorgenson wasn't interested in participating or being nominated either. "I will not be travelling to FOMAT. Jorgenson and I will be on tour in Vrassa somewhere when FOMAT happens, you can count on it." Yeardly then enthusiastically endorsed Stapanov. "If you REALLY want the best, you gotta send Jennie (Stepanov). I honestly have never met a funner, funnier, more talented musician in my life, and I know Jorgenson. People should send her, because she will make this Republic proud."

To this end, Radio 1 began testing Stepanov's VDR single "How Can I?". The song got an overwhelmingly positive response from audiences, who praised Stepanov's vocals, and her use of nonstandard instrumentation. "Its something like anti-pop," said Stepanov of the song last April when it was released to very limited fanfare. "We have tried to completely deconstruct the normal verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus format of the pop song, as well as building the strength and the force of the music throughout. Jorgenson himself was very helpful in the arrangement of the strings, and I gave him co-writing credits on this song. It was a lot of fun to make and takes stuff that artists like Joanie and Jorgenson have been doing and kinda carries it forward a little bit."

During the FOMAT nomination Poll, Stepanov's single "How Can I?" came in an easy first in votes. "Her song is very pretty and also interesting," said one fan, while another praised its production "It certainly will not sound anything like the other entries. And her voice is so pleading and so longing, it speaks right to my soul..." Stepanov's voice has been described as a staccato violin by some, and as "soft and smooth." She beat out 15 hip hop, hard rock, ska and reggae acts, but no other artists who perform Alt-Folk competed against Stepanov. "I think the fix was in," said DJ Chuck Ignacio. "I think the Folksters decided who they wanted to win, and all jumped completely out of the competition, so she would be the only one even remotely associated with Alt-Folk competing. She was, I suppose, the last artists to say 'Not it'. And so, she is it, and she made her victory look easy."

Stepanov now prepares to travel to Vascania for FOMAT XV in a little more than a year and a half. "Meanwhile," said Stepanov, "I don't even have an album out. I get so freaked out about recording a whole record, because I believe that an album should make sense... It's not just a collection of songs. It is supposed to say something, and to this date, the four singles I've given to VDR and the collection of my own music is not in a singular and focused direction... They're just songs, and if I just put a bunch of music together, that would be the same as me giving you a box full of like a hair brush and a piece of candy out of its wrapper and a wishbone and a key to a lock that nobody remembers or uses anymore... that kind of thing. It makes no sense, it is all just junk."

She is proud of the fact that her song has been named to represent the Republic though. "I suppose someone has to do it, and so it might as well be me. I will go there, I will do my best, and I hope we can make some people feel something with this music," said Stepanov. "The song is quite personal. I am not going to say who it is about: That is for me. But I wrote this song a couple years back, and I still don't even think that person knows who they are. But that is fine. I am fine with that. And I will treat this song as something that any person in the world can relate to, not for like a mass media thing, but for a personal reason. Everyone knows what I am talking about. Maybe they will not suffer alone."

You can hear the single "How Can I?" by Jennifer Stepanov here.