We Speak Actors
Naomi Jane Talks New Song, Film and Television Appearances, and More
Rising Teen Pop phenomenon Naomi Jane, renowned for her captivating vocals and heartfelt lyrics, continues to captivate audiences with her relatable themes and emotional resonance. With a growing fan base and a passion for empowering others through her music, Naomi Jane continues to make waves in the music industry. Poised to ignite the industry in 2024 with a cascade of new releases, her latest singles have already amassed more than half a million streams. Naomi Jane has over tens of thousands of dedicated TikTok followers, and her song, “Little Miss,” won the 2023 International Songwriting Competition, teen category.
From New York to California, Naomi Jane has graced off-Broadway, regional theaters, and iconic music venues. Committed to philanthropy, she made her Broadway benefit directorial debut with a concert against gun violence. Recently performing as Kathy in the musical, “Singing in the Rain,” Naomi gained international attention for her gender-bending portrayal of Jack Kelly in “Newsies.” Her versatility extends to television and film, including appearances on PBS Kids and “Assisted Living.” Known as the “piano poet,” she masterfully incorporates powerful lyrics into her music, showcasing virtuosity across multiple instruments. Critics commend her vocal range, likening her to luminaries such as Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, and Joni Mitchell.
With her single, “Little Miss,” out now, we took some time to hear more from Naomi Jane. Read below to learn more about Naomi Jane, the story behind her single, and what’s to come.
Hi Naomi Jane! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
My artist name is my birth name minus my last name. I am named after my great grandmothers – Naomi on my mom’s side and Jane on my dad’s. I dropped the “Voigt” and that caused mixed reactions, mostly positive and some negative, but hey, ‘Naomi Jane’ is simpler and it suits me.
What city are you from and where are you based now?
I was born in New York City, and I have moved back and forth from coast to coast like five times – right now, I live in Santa Barbara, California, just north of Los Angeles.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I was lucky enough to be born knowing exactly what I wanted to do. I always wanted to be singing. I started singing and performing when I was very little. For my fourth birthday party, we had a kid’s rock band play, and of course, I stole the mic. The group was ‘Monkey Monkey Music,’ and after the party, they invited me to be in their music videos filmed for PBS television. The rest is history. From there, I went on to do musical theater, television, and film.
Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?
My upbringing has really played a role in shaping who I am and defining my sound today. I am a classically trained singer from the age of seven. My voice teacher is from Juilliard. I have grown up loving and going to Broadway shows and the opera. My aunt, Deborah Voigt, is an opera star. I also have a huge part of my family that is in and from Oklahoma. So, I am country influenced as well. Oklahoma has a rich Country music history – Zach Bryan my favorite. So, I think all of these influences add to my unique sound.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
My sound is vast – I think. I have a strong and dramatic voice. I am told that I have a unique tone. I go from timbre to whistle, and my voice covers three octaves.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Music and writing are certainly my main focuses, but I have recently gotten into sketching. I am surprised that I am pretty good at it, and it uses my creativity in a different way while it also relaxes me. I also enjoy playing softball, working out, running, and being at the beach. I try to keep a pretty normal high school life because that is what fuels my creativity.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Many different genres influence my music as well as different individuals. Adele, the way she uses her dynamics and her phrasing to get an emotion across to her audience is an inspiration to me. As I’ve grown older and have been exposed more to the music industry, I also found my love for storytellers such as Joni Mitchell and Zach Bryan. It takes a good songwriter to create a setting; however, it takes a great one to put the listeners into that setting. That’s what they do. They’re both a masterclass in songwriting and storytelling. They encourage me to explore outside of my comfort zone and create stories through songs with the most specific (and maybe even dumb) details. Comparing my music now to when I was younger, I can see a growth in the craftsmanship of the setting/story. Lastly, I want to mention an artist who inspires me to be my genuine, unique self, Renee Rapp. That girl doesn’t give a you know what about anybody’s judgement or negative opinions towards her art. She thrives on her originality, which many artists do not do. She is a leader, not a follower, which is exactly the kind of artist I aspire to be.
What are some of your future music career goals?
My future music goals are to continue to write, record, and eventually tour. I am recording five additional final tracks in the coming weeks. These songs will be on my EP coming out in early September 2024. My first! Super hyped about that. I am also shooting five music videos this summer. I am in the process of planning live events and ultimately look forward to being able to tour.
Now onto your release, ‘Little Miss.’ What inspired this song?
I used to live in a posh town on the East Coast. It was, let’s say, a competitive place. Both kids and adults put each other down to make themselves feel imperious or overall better. Through their common share of jealousy and greed, other people’s success was a threat to their own ego. I especially struggled with that. I had several guy friends – I always related to the boys easier than the girls. So, at one point, two guys had crushes on me, and even though it was completely out of my control that they liked me, some girls painted me as this ‘man-stealing’ villain. They called me derogatory terms to basically shame me for just existing. Thus…’Little Miss,’ and at the time, it really hurt me – this song is about overcoming that.
What is ‘Little Miss’ about in your own words?
‘Little Miss’ is about reclaiming your self-worth. It’s about self-acceptance and empowerment. I want to inspire fans to take control of their own stories and assert their worth. Don’t accept the stories that others tell about you! ‘Little Miss’ is the second song in my ‘Letterman Trilogy.’
See, in each of my music videos, I use a vintage letterman’s jacket as symbolism of a boy, any boy really.
In ‘Pretty Boys,’ the first of the series, the girl is the victim. She losses the boy that she thought he was – it’s about coming to terms and raging about a love that wasn’t real. From being a victim in that song, we move on to ‘Little Miss’ – in this song, she steals the boy, she gets the jacket, she asserts and claims her self-worth. The final song in the trilogy is ‘Grown Ups’ – you get to see how the story ends. ‘Grown Ups’ releases on July 5th.
What is your favorite lyric in ‘Little Miss’ and why?
Say it to my face, say it to my face
Cause I ain’t gonna change,
I ain’t gonna change
Cause I’m happy to be
Little miss steal you man
Little miss
These are my favorite lyrics because this is when ‘Little Miss’ self-accepts and asserts herself against the catty stereotypes.
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from ‘Little Miss?’
You know what I really hope, I hope girls take away that we should be building each other up and not tearing each other down. But, I also get that that’s likely unrealistic. I hope fans can relate to ‘Little Miss,’ and I hope that they feel validated. I hope ‘Little Miss’ encourages young women to assert themselves and not give into peer pressure.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
One of my proudest moments so far is ‘Little Miss’ winning the International Songwriting Competition in the teen category. It was selected out of 14,000 entrants from 120 countries. It truly validated that I was on the right path and that what I was making was good.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
The greatest lesson that I have learned so far is to surround yourself with great people. Work with positive people that have the same values and share your vision. I am super specific about everything that I do, and I am young, so I make sure that I only work with people who will hear me and do not try to change me.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
With the release of the single, ‘Grown Ups’ (July 5, 2024) followed by its video (July 12, 2024), I conclude my ‘Letterman Trilogy,’ bringing the compelling narrative of youthful love and self-discovery to a close. But, the journey doesn’t end here – fans can look forward to an exciting new chapter with my upcoming EP, set to debut in early September 2024. This new storyline promises a captivating adventure filled with fresh themes and unforgettable melodies! Stay tuned for what’s next as I promise to enchant and inspire with more storytelling and musical prowess.
Where can we follow you on social media?
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@naomijaneofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomijane_official/
Website: https://naomivoigt.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NaomiJaneOfficial/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@naomijane_official/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NaomiJaneOffic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/24e3hF9IcHsGYNWMqwjIZv
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
We Speak Actors
From ‘Westworld’ to ‘Sugar’: Brian Gilleece on Working Opposite Colin Farrell and Hollywood’s Biggest Names
Actor Brian Gilleece has quietly built an impressive career across television, film and commercials, appearing in acclaimed projects including ‘Westworld’, ‘Matlock’, ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Mayans M.C.’. Along the way, he has shared the screen with talents such as Kathy Bates, Aaron Paul, Evan Rachel Wood, Dylan McDermott and Darren Criss, while collaborating with celebrated creatives including Ryan Murphy, Jonathan Nolan, Peter Berg and Derek Cianfrance. Now, Brian recurs as Iain in the newly released second season of Apple TV’s hit drama ‘Sugar’, starring Colin Farrell. We caught up with him to discuss his journey from New England to Hollywood, memorable collaborations and what it was like joining the world of ‘Sugar’.
For readers discovering your work for the first time, could you tell us a little about your acting journey and some of the people you’ve had the opportunity to work with throughout your career? Which collaborations have been particularly memorable or influential for you?
Growing up in New England, acting was never something that seemed like a real, actual job I could pursue. Most of my friends went into the insurance industry or Wall Street or education. I played tons of sports growing up, mostly focusing on hockey and golf, and went to university to study business. College is where my entertainment itch grew more prominent. I hosted a dozen sports and talk radio shows and did play-by-play for a few teams. I would dip away to Boston from time to time to try my hand at stand-up. Pro tip: Boston is not the ideal place to “try your hand” at stand-up comedy… or maybe it is, because they will let you know exactly how you’re doing!
When I moved to LA, I decided to pursue acting professionally. For me, it’s a lifelong pursuit, and something I am drawn to about the craft because being in sports is the opposite and does have that clock.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky to be on some massive sets with some of the most amazing talent in the world to learn from – Kathy Bates, Aaron Paul, Evan Rachel Wood, Dylan McDermott, Darren Criss, Jim Parsons and, of course, most recently Colin Farrell on ‘Sugar’.”
One early collaboration that was particularly influential to me was on a Nike commercial directed by Derek Cianfrance (‘The Place Beyond the Pines’, ‘Blue Valentine’, ‘Roofman’). I was stunt and fitness doubling PGA Tour golfer Rory McIlroy, and the commercial went on to win DGA Commercial of the Year.
I worked very closely with Derek for a few weeks and just watching his quiet command of the set, his collaboration with all the departments and the care he showed to talent was a joy to experience, especially at the beginning of my career. I knew from the callback I was in good hands and part of something special. I’d love to work with him again in the future.
You recur as Iain in ‘Sugar’ Season 2. What attracted you to the project, and what was your experience like working on the series alongside Colin Farrell?
When you have the opportunity to work with someone whose work and choices inspired you, that’s what it’s all about, right? He’s had so much success, taken so many risks and, because of that, made some really great films and now some incredible TV too.
So I don’t know if I would say I was working alongside Colin, but I was certainly trying to learn as much as I could from him (and just trying to keep up)! What I did not expect – and probably should have – was how much collaboration went on between him, the director and Sam Catlin, the showrunner.
“There was a very specific reason for everything, and if Colin had something he felt strongly about, he was advocating for his character and the story itself.”
The set very much felt like the best summer camp. We shot a week of overnights at this mansion up in the hills where you could see the DTLA skyline. Colin and Laura Donnelly were chatting, telling stories, talking fitness, cracking jokes and napping between takes. Just kickin’ it. It was surreal.
Your career has included television, film and commercial work. Looking back, which projects are you most proud of and why?
I’m proud of each project I’ve been part of, including the few I’ve created, because each marks a notch of growth or movement forward, or a chance to observe a great actor or director, or make a new connection. However, one that stands out would have to be a scene I did on ‘Westworld’ with Aaron Paul and Evan Rachel Wood. I played Michael Tritter in Season 3. It was by far the biggest location shoot I had ever experienced.
We shot in DTLA with 300 extras, electric scooters everywhere, multiple cameras on cranes, and I’m standing in position ready to go when I hear, “Hey Brian! Brian, what’s up man?”It turns out it was the building engineer from a sales job I had when I first moved to LA. Suddenly it dawned on him that I was actually in the scene and he hit me with a double thumbs up and said, “You’re doing the thing, man!”
It was such a great reminder to stop and really take in how awesome it was to be working on such a giant worldwide show. I try to do that on every job now.
Is there anything about your role as Iain or your experience on ‘Sugar’ that audiences might find surprising or particularly interesting?
People may be surprised to know that the role was originally listed as recurring with no scripted lines. I think a lot of actors would have turned down the audition immediately. But my team knew I would be up for such a mysterious character, especially for a show I was already genuinely a fan of after watching the first season when it aired. Also, I’m a big suit guy – love a good suit – and it was clear this guy was going to be well dressed.
Moose Khan played my equally mysterious counterpart and we both leaned into the physicality of our characters. These people with all the money in the world who can operate with impunity – how do they sit? Hold a drink? Move through a room? Look at other people without drawing too much attention to themselves?
Looking back on your experience filming ‘Sugar’, what was the most rewarding part of being involved in the series, and what do you hope audiences take away from it?
Having worked on the show on and off for almost five months, this was the longest I’ve been on a project so far. The last day of filming, when Chris Fletcher, the 1st AD, called a season wrap on me in front of that giant cast and crew at this extravagant Hollywood Hills mansion as the sun was coming up at 6:45 in the morning – yah, that was a pretty special moment.
I gave Moose and Laura a big hug and then walked over to Colin, who said, “Well done, man.” It hit home for sure. I have always loved being part of a team, and as a working actor we pop in and pop out, so we don’t always get to be part of those moments.
To get to be part of such a special creative team where everyone’s contribution was valued at every level means a lot. Sam and the team made each of us feel free to collaborate, which for an actor is really all you can ask for.
I also learned so much about what it really means to be number one on the call sheet. Watching Colin’s work ethic around his performance and his leadership when the cameras weren’t rolling was really inspiring. I hope audiences can feel how much every single person on that set cared and gave their all to the project to make it a very exciting season.
Featured photo credit: Paul Smith
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