We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenna Kohut, known as køhvt, and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenna, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I can’t even count how many nights I’ve spent doubting myself & feeling tempted to give up on my dreams. I will never forget December 4, 2019 — the night I reached my breaking point & called my mom sobbing. I was broke, living in a city 3,000 miles away from everyone I loved, & feeling like my songwriting career was just a pipe dream. I told her I didn’t feel talented enough to deserve my dreams & that I couldn’t keep trying anymore. In that moment, she said, “Don’t ever say that. You can be sad & you can take a break, but I never ever want to hear you say that you are giving up on music. It’s what you are meant to do.” My parents both work in computer science & have always been financially conscious, so to hear my mom telling me to keep chasing a risk instead of falling back on a “plan b” was the blanket of reassurance I needed to keep going. She believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. A few hours later, I sat down & wrote “Space” — a song about wanting to fly up into space, away from heartbreak & troubles; where the world would seem small enough to twirl on my fingertips. That song changed my life & now has millions of streams across platforms. So, to put it simply, whenever I feel lost or like I’m ready to give up, I let go of control & let the universe send me signs. Every comment or message from a fan telling me how much my music means to them, all the comforting words of encouragement from the people that believe in me… the song I wrote on my most vulnerable night launching my career. If those aren’t signs to keep going, then I don’t know what is.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an independent singer & songwriter with degrees in both Songwriting & Performance Poetry from Berklee College of Music. I have written hundreds of songs throughout my life. My passion began at age five when I wrote my first song titled, “Normal.” It was astonishingly bad, but I still remember exactly how the chorus went. Nevertheless, I kept at it, & when my dad gifted me an activity journal that asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my dream was already set in stone. While other kids were hoping to grow up to become pizza, I wrote, “Singer/Songwriter.” Throughout my childhood, I took private piano instruction, voice lessons, & wrote an entire neon blue binder worth of songs. Included was a song called, “Big Black Blank Screen” about a woman sitting on her couch, staring at a black television screen. These songs were all horrendous, but they were mine, & they kept me hopeful while I was lonely & bullied in school.

During my time at Berklee, I discovered my love for pop music. For four years, I worked tirelessly to improve my skills — writing & performing an average of three songs each week. I also learned that I feel most creative while writing by candlelight.

Catapulting forward to the present, my music has since garnered millions of streams across platforms, cultivated a growing fan family, & my original song, “Think About You,” was recently a finalist in the highly competitive USA Songwriting Competition. Additionally, in August 2023, I was commissioned to co-write & perform the EVO 2023 Tekken championship song, which debuted to over 100,000 people via the Michelob Ultra Arena in Mandalay Bay Las Vegas & livestream.

IMPACT: The Music of EVO 2023” — the album that included the song — then quickly climbed the iTunes charts, reaching #11 in the US, #1 in Canada, & #4 in Mexico. Needless to say, having never had a charting song before, this was a surreal moment.

Chasing a dream in the music industry is, at least in my experience, full of heartbreak, frustration, & disappointment… but it is also the most fulfilling & rewarding life I could’ve ever asked for. I’ve learned it’s important to focus on the happy moments — hitting a million streams on a song, the heartfelt messages received from fans — to help navigate me through the nights when I feel overwhelmed by the future & am full of self-doubt. Instead of comparing myself to others, I try to compare my present self to my past self & reflect on all the milestones I’ve hit that, back then, seemed nearly impossible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Of course there are the staples — the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame — but my favorite spot in the City of Angels is the most magical place of all: The Magic Castle. I also love the beach at night — El Matador in particular. If you’ve ever wanted to see the bioluminescent plankton, this is a beautiful spot to catch the natural phenomenon. You also can’t beat the view of the sunset over Venice Beach from the High Rooftop Lounge at Hotel Erwin. Pasadena is the cutest city with hidden gems, & the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a unique experience you won’t find anywhere else. There are a ton of incredible museums too. I personally love The Broad, World of Illusions, LACMA, & the Griffith Observatory. As for food, some of my favorite places are Açaí Jungle Bowls Cafe, Chop Stop, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Il Fornaio, & of course The Grove!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that have helped shape my musical journey. My shoutout goes to my family first & foremost for always encouraging me & infusing our household with constant music while I was growing up. My parents let me take up piano & voice lessons at an extremely young age & I will be forever grateful for that. Additionally, none of my music would have the life it does without my irreplaceable & extraordinarily talented producer & mixing engineer, Devesh Dayal | Dayce & my superstar mastering engineer, Josh Woods. Looking back, my high school English teacher Mr. Brenner was the first person to really inspire me to become a better writer. He taught me to elevate my verb choices instead of stacking adjectives — a skill I still cherish. Also, the insight & knowledge of my slam poetry teacher/role model Caroline Harvey & my songwriting teachers at Berklee, Pat Pattison & Scarlet Keys, had an immeasurably powerful & meaningful impact on me. Last, but most certainly not least, I want to give a huge shoutout to my amazing & supportive fans that have been streaming & sharing my music over the past few years! Hearing that my music connects with people from around the world means everything to me & makes me feel truly lucky.

Instagram: @kohvtmusic

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kohvt?si=d7AGneGI2nG5LF3b

Other: Spotify & Apple Music: køhvt

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