Janaya & Jolissa Trudel are two country singing/songwriting sisters that hail from Honeymoon, Saskatchewan and make up the dynamic-duo known as Jay & Jo.

They both started their musical journey in their toe-tapping bluegrass, country and gospel family band known as The Trudel Family!

In 2017 Jay & Jo their first official album "Ground and Light" that featured their very own original country/folk tunes that showcased unique soul-stretching lyrics, organically created sounds, and airtight harmonies.

The following years after that album they toured all across Canada, had their music streamed and played by fans all over the world, and were nominated for a number of awards including Roots Artist of the Year at the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards in 2017, 2019 and this year as well. With them taking home the SCMA Award last year! Also this year their family band was nominated for Fans Choice Entertainer of the Year!!

And just last week they released their first ever official music video for their latest single "Youth" which is part of their upcoming second album! (Video below story)

"We recorded our upcoming album a year ago," told Jo. "So this single that we just released with the music video is to introduce and hype up our album that's coming out."

The song "Youth" is about holding both the innocence of childhood and a weathered heart of regret within you at once. It’s about turning over your shoulders and having mercy on your past selves, for all the things you did and failed to do. It’s about finding that inner child again and dancing in newfound freedom.

"So the music video was shot just outside of Saskatoon," explained Jay. "We recorded the album in Saskatoon with Hal Schrenk of Big Bang Studios. So we drove a few minutes out of the city and landed in Cranberry Flats and shot the video there. Which was a lot of fun! We had the drone out there with a friend of ours. Erik Paquette recorded it all for us and it was the perfect accompaniment for that song. So it meant a lot to us."

How long did it take to film the whole music video?

"Very little time because if you watch the video it's in slow motion," Jay said. "So the video only took us about two minutes per take because we had to speed the audio up twice as fast and then sync it up so that when you slowed the video down we'd be singing in time. So it's funny, it didn't take long to film at all, but it did take us a while to get out there in the snow and set ourselves up. So it was a lot of fun and we flew the drown around just to capture some of the Saskatchewan landscape. So not long at all but we're really happy with how it turned out."

So how does it feel to finally release your first official music video?

"It's awesome and such a surprise," answered Jay. "It's our first official video. We've done some fun little live things and pieced some things together ourselves over the years but this is the first time where we can present something like this. We're really happy people are watching it and passing it around. We're just so honoured that people like it. And proud because we think it showcases Saskatchewan so well."

And when can people download or pick up a copy of your brand new album?

"It will be hopefully next month if not early July," told Jay. "Which is really exciting. And we haven't announced the title of it or anything yet, but hopefully we'll be coming out with another single really soon. So stay tuned for more this summer."

Aside from singing and songwriting what instruments do you both play?

"We grew up in our family bluegrass/gospel band The Trudel Family," explained Jay. "I'm a fiddler first but I don't do a lot of fiddling with Jay & Jo just because I have to accompany us on guitar. But I learned fiddle when I was four years old and grew up playing in the family band as a fiddler and eventually guitar."

"In the family band I kind of just grew up filling in the gaps," said Jo. "So I do percussion with Jay & Jo and I do some accompaniment on my ukulele just to kind of round out the sound."

Do you still perform with your family band as well?

"Yeah, I mean now everything is kind of cancelled for the summer but usually we play jamborees with them in the summer time," answered Jay. "We're still a part of the Saskatchewan Country Music Association and we do an annual Christmas show in our hometown. But yeah, the family band is still active and it's lots of fun to do both."

Jay & Jo were originally slated to perform at this year's SCMA Awards but due to the pandemic there were some big changes made.

"We were really looking forward to performing this year," told Jay. "But the council pulled together this amazing virtual show and we got the video done purposely in time for the awards show so we could release it that night. That was like the premiere of our music video. So the people that watched the award show were the first to see it."

"We'd just like to thank the Saskatchewan Country Music Association for continuing to support artists through this time," added Jo. "And doing their best to showcase the talent. And they actually had record breaking virtual streams of the show. So good for them and thank you for all your continued support even in this time."

What have you both been busy with since the recent events began around the world?

"Well we are really lucky that we recorded everything before the world shut down," explained Jay. "So we've just been focusing on our new album mostly to make sure that's something we're proud of. Even just things down to like the artwork, design of it, and the message that we want to portray. We've been really just honing in on that. And it's funny, all of the heavy-lifting work has been done during the lock-down. Just to make sure we can get that out as soon as we can. And we're so excited to get back on the road when we can."

Do you have any final words to leave with our listeners?

"The main thing is to cling to community as much as you can, to your families and one another," exclaimed Jay. "We need to be availing ourselves to the beauty around us. And we need to make sure that amidst the nitty-gritty of trying to survive to take in beautiful things and things that are worth our time. And share them with others. That's kind of what's keeping us together and sane right now and I think it can be applied universally. So that would be our encouragement. All our love to everybody of course!"

To keep up with everything Jay & Jo are up to feel free to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube & their official website.

You can also keep up with their family band The Trudel Family on their official page.

And for more information on the Saskatchewan Country Music Association check out their website.

Below we have shared the brand new video for YOUTH by Jay & Jo. Enjoy and take care!