A pianist and self-taught mandolin player, Jennie Backstrom takes the same approach to music as she does to life and love: express yourself radically, and take risks. With a storied musical background and a voice often compared to Joni Mitchell, Backstrom’s claim to fame is her ability to quiet a rowdy bar room when she steps up to the mic and expels a voice which–grounded in an operatic background–climbs to the ceiling and down without flaw or effort. At a musical crossroads of sorts, not knowing what comes next is part of the thrill for Backstrom, who’s whimsical, free-spirited nature and unfaltering confidence often find her jumping on a stage to lend a vocal, jamming with a street musician along her route home or collaborating with excited, hungry musicians like herself. Formerly one-half of a duo playing up and down the Seacoast, Backstrom recently embarked on a solo career. The Portsmouth-based singer/songwriter hopes to cut an album soon, supplementing her arsenal of songs like the soulful and sultry “To My Next Lover” and crowd-favorite “Rain.” “Every one of us should be able to share our deepest ideas, thoughts and emotions with the world,” Backstrom says. “Music is my vehicle.”

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