Texas-born singer-songwriter Jenna Raine hopped on board The Complicated Tour as an opener for Joshua Bassett, performing from Friday to Wednesday for the tour’s Texas leg, Nashville and Atlanta shows. The Daily Texan sat down with Raine to discuss writing upcoming music, preparing for the tour and returning to her home state.

The Daily Texan: What is it like being back and performing in your home state of Texas? Does it bring back any memories from your music journey? 

Jenna Raine: It brings back so many memories. It also reminds me of the community and the family and friends I have (in Texas). It’s such an amazing full circle because these people have been there since day one when I was performing at random restaurants. To be opening for Joshua is the craziest feeling because they were there since the beginning. 

DT: Do you have a favorite line or element from your recent single “Stupid Cupid”? What makes it special to you?

JR: Probably (the lyric) “I want to hold on tighter. That’s just the way I’m wired.” I’ve always been a people pleaser. I’ve always had a really difficult time with certain changes, especially growing out of friendships and relationships with people throughout my life. When people start to slip away, that’s just the human in me wanting to hold on tighter. 

DT: What can we expect from your EP, “Big Dumb Heart, Chapter 1,” coming out in May? 

JR: In this EP, I really tried to take from 16, 17-year-old me. I never really got to release a big project during that time period when I was an artist, so I wanted to go back and finish telling that story of how I felt throughout high school. That’s kind of the entire EP, going through my journey of watching people — good people get hurt by bad people. It just happened all throughout my life back at home. It was a little step back in the past, but also I think it’s going to help heal a lot of people.”

DT: Given your big social media presence, how do you see the integration of your music career and social media?

JR: Social media, in a way, has really helped my career. I’m very honest and upfront with people. The person that I am online is the person that I am in real life. On TikTok, before anybody really knew I was an artist, I was gaining attention from my personality. And so I was like, might as well just start adding writing to it because why don’t people know that I’m an artist.

DT: What has been the most memorable part of preparing for the upcoming shows with Joshua Bassett?

JR: The thing that was the most exciting (while) preparing for the tour was the way that Joshua asked me (to perform). It (happened at) an event during the Grammys. He casually asked me if I would like to go on tour with him and Lindsey Lomas. That was super special because he’s so genuine, and that reflected our friendship and the community that (I) have in this industry.

DT: What are your hopes for the future of your music career?  

JR: I hope to continue to help people heal. I want to provide an escape for people where they feel loved and they feel like someone understands what they’re going through. That’s always been a huge part of what I’ve wanted to do my whole entire life. In my friendship with people, I’m very personable and want to listen to my friends and help them through what they’re going through. Music is just a bigger scale of that (motivation) for me.