JD (aka Jayde Delano)
A native of Minnesota, and oldest of her four siblings; Jayde grew up in a small town area that was primarily farming and rural community in a family of musicians. She began playing piano young, listening to songs and figuring things out on their old upright piano. When asked by her Grandmother what she wanted to be when she grew up, she promptly replied “I want to play in a band like my dad.” That was in the second grade.
A short time later she was enrolled in lessons for classical piano, where she would compete in competitions with technique and recitals. School music lessons became a part of her daily routine as well, starting with the clarinet instead of drums at the bidding of her father.
Through junior high, she also began to play guitar and saxophone as well as participating in choir and pop group performances, and as the piano accompanist for the senior choir during state competition. She made her first live television appearance as a solo performer for the fund raiser Jingle Bells, fueling the fire to be a performing musician.
In her sophomore year, Jayde joined her first band as a keyboardist, and had to make some tough choices about walking away from school performances to perform in a working band. At this time, she began penning lyrics under her current name, and performed with that band until dissolved a year later.
Some life altering events, including a car accident, caused her to take a break from performing for a time do to physical injuries that would plague her performance abilities. She continued to work with bands as the sound and light tech, taking photos but ultimately became frustrated at not being able to perform. She pursued art classes while finishing out high school, exploring various mediums to work with including pottery.
After graduation, she pursued Art School, learning many techniques and printing processes as well as classes in theatre for production. She continued to play music, but struggled with live performance, finally joining the Army for three years to walk away from it and reassess her world. During her active duty tour, she pursued college classes in journalism and creative writing in pursuit of continuing her education.
Upon returning to Minnesota at the end of her enlistment, Jayde began working and going to school, still struggling with her love of music and unable to get the momentum of it moving with a stable group.
While attending college, Jayde was introduced to Brandon Pies and Brandon Soderlund by mutual friends. They quickly became fast friends, and starting working on a concept band, taking their signature sound into the studio. Brandon Pies and Jayde continued to work on various projects together while Brandon Soderlund pursued interests around the states.
The three worked together on and off for a while over the years, pursuing several different interests. In 2008, they got together and decided to put a private studio together and pursue what they really loved most; creating music. During this time, Jayde was also doing some work with some Indie Film makers. She also appeared in different shorts and Indie Film projects, as well as doing a few paid advertising pieces as an actor/model.
In 2010, they made their leap into producing a film for The 50 Fifty Reel Challenge debut, where Jayde was Executive Producer, Brandon Pies wrote and directed, and Brandon Soderlund was Director of Music and Sound Design. As first time film makers, they faced many challenges, but much to the surprise of their colleagues, they set no limits for themselves. They brought together a crew that included 50 crew members, 8 featured actors, and 62 extras; treating them all to their concept of VIP treatment that included catering for breakfast and lunch for the entire group as a way of saying thanks for all the volunteer participation during the fast-paced 12 hour shoot they did with three camera crews.
JD got an opportunity presented to her to start and internet radio show, with the subject of paranormal being at the heart of it. With a love of the strange and unusual, it seemed a natural fit and she pursued it. Already well into the processes of getting the group’s studio up and running, it seemed like a fun way to blow off a little creative steam, and still entertain. With Brandon Pies (known as Crow), thus began the show “Of Myth & Magick” in October 2010. In a few short months, they acquired a regular group of listeners while doing interviews with different paranormal investigative groups, highlighting creative projects and writers in the field, and doing what they did best: entertaining, laughing with their listeners, and poking fun at each other and themselves.
In January 2011, a few events turned their plans upside down, and they had to suspend regular broadcasts for the shows. Vowing that they would be back, they bid their friends and listeners a farewell as they took a hiatus to deal with some real life demands, maintaining a web presence and vowing to return soon to the show. In that time, Jayde has continued to record for others and herself, producing projects and getting ready to announce their latest music project. There are CD release parties planned for the various projects they have been working on as well.
Fall 2011 … Of Myth and Magick makes a comeback.