Jetty Rae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jetty Rae
Jetty Rae in 2013
Background information
Native name	Brittni Stewart
Birth name	Brittni Whittaker
Born	(1987-01-13) January 13, 1987 (age 38) Springfield, Oregon
Origin	Happy Camp, California, U.S.
Genres	Folk
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, ukulele
Years active	2006—present
Labels	Jetty Rae LLC
Associated acts	Pen Pals, Heath McNease

Jetty Rae (born January 13, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter. She creates indie folk music. Jetty Rae is also a member of the group Pen Pals. Her music journey began in Kona, Hawaii. She now lives in Michigan.

Jetty Rae has performed at many famous events. These include Lilith Fair 2010 and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Her songs have been used by big companies. Some of these are Microsoft, Petco, and Ben and Jerry's. People say she adds deep meaning to her song lyrics. Her album Drowning in Grain reached No. 130 on the CMJ Top 200 Radio charts.

About Jetty Rae's Life

Jetty Rae was born in Springfield, Oregon, on January 13, 1987. She grew up in an artistic family. Her parents, Tyvin and Kathleen, lived near Happy Camp, California. They moved often because they were missionaries. The family finally settled in Charlevoix, Michigan. Jetty Rae went to Charlevoix High School there. Her mother started a theater group called the Ragamuffins. Jetty Rae performed in many plays with this group. She first started writing songs because she loved poetry.

After high school, Jetty Rae went to a training school in Kona, Hawaii. She took part in three mission trips. These trips were to China, Fiji, and Australia. After finishing school in 2008, she returned to Michigan. There, she met her husband, Jason Stewart. They met on Facebook and got married in Mexico in December 2008. Jetty Rae enjoys cooking and makeup. She sees them as art forms.

Jetty Rae has three children. She has a son named Beck and two daughters, Rowin and Jude. She also had a daughter, Ella, who was stillborn. Jetty Rae writes a blog called "The Singing Hitchhiker" about her. She also has a pug dog named Otis.

In May 2016, Jetty Rae and her family moved into an Airstream trailer. They bought it for $3,000 and fixed it up. They lived a simple life on the road. In 2019, Rae shared that she planned to live in a regular house again.

Why the Name Jetty Rae?

Jetty Rae chose her stage name to honor her grandmother. Her grandmother's name was Jetty Rae Thom. She was a full-blooded Karuk Native American. Her grandmother was known for loving the outdoors. She also moved around a lot. Jetty Rae took her grandmother's name to show her respect and admiration.

Jetty Rae's Music Journey

Jetty Rae (far left) at Lilith Fair 2010 with Sarah McLachlan and other artists

Jetty Rae sees herself as a hard-working musician. She started her music career after her grandfather passed away. This sad event made her write her first song, "Sunshine." She says she first wrote music to deal with her feelings. Now, she uses her music to connect with her listeners. Her first show was at a bar in Kona, Hawaii. While in Hawaii, she joined a hip-hop group called Soul Chronicle. She toured the Hawaiian Islands and even mainland China with them. She also recorded music with another hip-hop group, The S.O.G. Crew.

In 2009, Jetty Rae won a competition from OurStage. This led to her playing at the grand opening of JetBlue's terminal at JFK Airport.

Sarah McLachlan and Terry McBride chose Jetty Rae for Lilith Fair 2010. This was a big opportunity she won through OurStage. People have said that Jetty Rae's music has grown with each new release. They also say she always stays true to herself.

Since 2011, Jetty Rae has been chosen to showcase her talent four times. This was through the NACA.

In 2015, Rae and fellow musician Heath McNease formed the group Pen Pals. They have toured and released albums together.

Jetty Rae is connected with SESAC, a music rights organization. She publishes her music under her own company, Jetty Rae LLC.

Who Inspired Jetty Rae?

Jetty Rae has shared her musical inspirations. These include Lauryn Hill, Brandi Carlile, and Eva Cassidy. Some reviewers have compared her voice to Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse. Her style has also been compared to a female version of Jack Johnson. Others have noted her similarity to Jennifer Knapp. She also looks up to Mariah Carey, Damien Rice, and Whitney Houston. Her music is often described as "good-natured acoustic pop."

Living in her renovated Airstream caravan also greatly influenced her music. She also finds inspiration in "everyday hopes and heartbreak."

Jetty Rae's Albums and Songs

Jetty Rae has released many albums and singles.

Blackberries (2008)

This was Jetty Rae's first album. It was recorded in Bellaire, Michigan, and came out on April 16, 2008. Jetty Rae has said she was new to recording music back then.

All songs written and composed by Brittni Stewart. 

Nobody (2009)

This was Jetty Rae's second album, an EP. It was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, and released on August 20, 2010.

All songs written and composed by Brittni Stewart. 

La La Lu and the Lazy Moon (2011)

This album was co-produced by Jetty Rae and released on July 1, 2011. It is a lullaby album. Rae says it was one of her most successful albums, even though it had a small budget.

All lyrics written by Brittni Stewart except "Puff the Magic Dragon" which was written by Peter, Paul and Mary, all music composed by Joseph Barker and Brittni Stewart.

Drowning in Grain (2012)

This was Jetty Rae's fourth album. It was recorded in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and released on August 1, 2012. The album was described as unique and interesting. It reached No. 130 on the CMJ Top 200 Radio charts. The song "Nice Ones" was featured by American Songwriter.

All songs written and composed by Brittni Stewart. 

Climbing Clouds (2013)

The main song from this August 2013 album, "Climbing Clouds," was released with a music video on August 6. Another song, "Fallin'," came out on August 27, also with a music video. The last song from the album, "Kerosene," was released on October 11. It was made in memory of her daughter. The music videos for this album were made possible by a successful fundraising campaign. Jetty Rae said this album was inspired by the sadness she felt after losing her first child, Ella Rae.

All songs written and composed by Brittni Stewart. 

More Than December (2014)

This is a Christmas album released on November 26, 2014. It includes two original songs: "More Than December" and "Christmas Kiss." It also has four classic Christmas covers. The album was made very quickly. The main song has been described as "energetic."

All music composed by Brittni Stewart.

Forever and Always (2015)

This single was released on March 16, 2015. Jetty Rae noted that this song was special because her vocal recording was done in one take. The song is 3 minutes and 18 seconds long.

Can't Curse the Free (2017)

This album was released on February 17, 2017. It runs for about 39 minutes. A Grammy award-winning producer, Mitch Dane, produced it. Many members of the band Jars of Clay played on the album. It was recorded in just three weeks.

Musically, this album has been called "more rock and western." Jetty Rae describes the album's theme as "victorious." She says it tells other people's stories, unlike her earlier albums. Reviewers have noted that her nomadic lifestyle influenced the album.

The album received good reviews on music platforms like iTunes.

All lyrics written by Brittni Stewart with co-writers Chris DuPont and Ryan Horne on "The River" and "Another Town" respectively, all music composed by Brittni Stewart and Mitch Dane.

Queen of the Universe (2016)

This was the first single from the 2017 album "Can't Curse the Free." It came out on December 9, 2016. The song is 3 minutes and 35 seconds long. Jetty Rae said she wrote this song after hearing about a friend's family drama. She created a big character for the song, which started as a joke.

The song has been described as "moving and meaningful." It has "elements of singer-songwriter sensibilities, indie rock endeavours and pop flavour." Some reviewers said it had a Janis Joplin feel. Others compared it to Cat Power. The song was featured on TuneCore's artist blog.

Can't Curse the Free (2017)

This was the second single and title track from the 2017 album. It was released on January 13, 2017, on Jetty Rae's 30th birthday. The song is 3 minutes and 28 seconds long. Jetty Rae's younger brother asked her to write a song about someone who is cursed. She describes the song as being about a powerful enemy. It was recorded in only three takes.

The song has been called "a haunting tune" and "spooky." Reviewers have also noted Jetty Rae's "smooth and vibrant voice." The song received good reviews and was featured by Tunecore and iTunes.

Take me to the Mountain (2017)

This was the third single from the 2017 album "Can't Curse the Free." It was released on February 3, 2017. The song is 4 minutes and 37 seconds long.

The song has been described as "grounded and homely." It also has "haunting goosebump inducing soul fused with indie rock."

Stardust (2018)

This album was first released on PledgeMusic on November 21, 2018. It is about 31 minutes long. This is Jetty's second children's album that she produced herself. She recorded it in her vintage Airstream travel trailer. This happened while she was visiting a national park.

All music composed by Brittni Stewart.

We Share the Light (2019)

This is Jetty Rae's second Christmas album. It is an EP with five songs. It was released on November 15, 2019, and is about 15 minutes long. The album was recorded in Nashville with producer Mitch Dane. It features four classic holiday songs and one original song. Hannah Miller also worked on this album.

Awards and Achievements

Jetty Rae has won many awards and received recognition for her music:

• Winner, CMJ Music Showcase
• Winner, Musician Category, "Best Of Northern Michigan" Contest
• Winner, "Mi Favorite Things" TV Contest
• Winner, MoFilm Battle of the Bands
• Winner, Lilith Fair Talent Search
• Grand Prize, Live at T5 Music Competition
• Winner, MTV "Needle in a Haystack" Music Series
• 1st place, OurStage.com Folk Competition (January 2010, September 2009, May 2009)
• Grand Prize, OurStage.com Music Competition
• Michigan Women Who Rock

Music in Films, Commercials, and Video Games

Jetty Rae's music has been used in many different places:

• Original jingle for Truvia "Twinkle, Twinkle" (15s and 30s), Spring 2012.
• Original jingle for Truvia "Jiggle Bells" (15s), Winter 2011.
• Original jingle for Truvia "Hush", Spring 2011.
• Music for the film "Meah Lane", 2013.
• "Climbing Clouds" for Microsoft – Office 365, September 2014.
• "Imagine" for Nabi – Tablet, March 2014.
• "Favorite Songs" for Petco – Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, August 2013.
• "Favorite Songs" for Petco – PuPQuiz!, February 2014 (used twice).
• "Airplane" for Ben and Jerry's, January 2015.
• Original song "It Just Means More" for Southeastern Conference, September 2016.
• "Climbing Clouds" for Saxo Bank, September 2016 and July 2017.
• Original song "It Just Means More" v2 for Southeastern Conference, December 2016.
• "Coast to Coast" for MasterCraft in July 2017.
• "Coast to Coast" for Amazon.com in April 2017.
• "Freedom", "Queen of the Universe" and "Take my to the Mountain" for the video game Rebel Galaxy Outlaw.