A newcomer to the music scene, Canadian actress Jordy Benattar has a distinct sound hard to compare to anything else you’ve heard before. Described as “enchanting”, “delightful”, “soothing”, and “carefree”, Jordy Benattar is a breath of fresh air.
Storytelling through art has always been part of Jordy’s journey. As an actress in film and television, Jordy’s performances have earned her a CAMIE Award, a Young Artist Award Nomination, and a Gemini (Canadian Screen Award) Nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Drama or Mini-Series. Musically inclined and eager to write her own ‘script’, Jordy started writing songs where she gets to play the character she knows best: herself.
Influenced by nature, journals of the past, and growing pains of the present, Jordy has a unique way of pouring universal feelings into mellow, magnetic music.
Getting to know Jordy Benattar
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
Small but Mighty. If you ever meet me, you’ll notice the shocking discrepancy between my petite stature and big personality.
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Probably me. I love and miss being in movies!
What’s your favourite board game?
My top picks are Splendor and Rummikub. COVID lockdowns have made me a board game nerd (and winner)!
Do you shout out the answers at the TV whilst watching quiz shows?
Yes! My fiancé is a Jeopardy wizard, and his competitive call-outs have rubbed off on me. I also watched this past season of The Bachelor and found myself guessing aloud who would not receive a rose at every ceremony! I never thought I would reference those two shows in the same sentence.
Secret talent?
I can do almost any accent, voice or impersonation.
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
Continue to dream big. You’re doing great.
What first got you into music?
I’ve always been a performer. My background is in acting in film & television. Since I was three years old, I would jump at any opportunity I had to sing: musicals at summer camp, choir in my elementary school, plays I would script and perform for my family, and radio sing-alongs in my mom’s car.
I started writing songs when I was nine years old. I was sick, returning to health, and found solace in songwriting. It was my own way of healing and still is.
What is your creative process like?
Sometimes the melody comes first; sometimes the lyrics.
Reflecting on my experiences leads me to think of images, feelings, lessons, analogies and epiphanies, which I then turn into words and sounds. Usually I know how I want the song to sound (from the general mood, to the specific instruments) as soon as the idea comes to me. My new single “Antarctica” is a great example of that.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
This question isn’t fair – too many names come to mind! For the sake of dreaming, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. For the sake of short-term goal-setting, I’m interested in collaborating with and writing for talented producers and up-and-coming indie artists. I have a soft spot for working with Canadian creatives.
Are you finding the isolation of the pandemic conducive to your writing or is it hindering the experiences you can write about?
Conducive 100%. One silver lining of the pandemic has been learning more about myself, the people around me, and what life is all about. The solitude and pause on normal life have also given me space to think, digest, and create.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Two things:
1. Trust and lean into yourself. Stay true to that. Being authentically you will get you much further than trying to mimic or adopt someone else’s sound.
2. Surround yourself with people who are wildly different from you musically. While it’s tempting and natural to gravitate toward people who are similar to us, fusing different expertise, styles, and genres is a better recipe for creating something magical and truly novel.