By Rosine Alleva – Rock At Night EU
Last year Rock At Night interviewed Pat McManus who was in concert at the Irish Pub Paddy’s Point at La Zenia. That’s also when I discovered the PatFest and met Jenny Salmon and her husband David. And what a Fest!
This year again, Pat McManus was performing same place with same friends and fans including Rock At Night!
Jenny is an extraordinary singer, music teacher and multi instrumentalist. That weekend was a wonderful opportunity to discover this extremely talented artist and talk about her music collaboration with her husband.
RAN- Hi Jenny!
Jenny– Hello!
RAN– Well, you’re part of the PatFest since ever and I would like to know how it started and how did you meet Pat McManus?
Jenny– Okay, I’ve been part of PatFest since 2019 so I wasn’t here at the beginning. I met Pat when a friend of mine, a guitarist friend of mine said to me “you’re going to really like this guy” and took me to see the Pat McManus band and then I met my future husband, sitting next to me, through Pat.
RAN– Hello David! So you came in 2017, didn’t you?
David– I was here in 2017. But I was here in 2016 for the first time. And then we started recording the videos for PatFest to record what happens from 2017.
Jenny– So I wasn’t at the first PatFest, I did 2019, but I met my husband and all of my best friends through the Pat McManus band.
RAN– And I met you and David through the Pat McManus band. I think that’s incredible!
When did you start singing and playing all your instruments because that’s absolutely amazing!
Jenny– So I’m 49 years old and I started 40 years ago, so when I was nine years old. A long time ago.
RAN- And what are your influences when you do your music?
Jenny– Bryan Adams. And that’s it. I love Bryan Adams, absolutely adore Bryan Adams!
RAN– Really? Actually I’m looking to find a male singer to do a Bryan Adams and Bonnie Raitt duet with me. “Rock Steady”. Bonnie Raitt is my favourite singer! You have to listen to it.
Jenny– Oh, she’s a fabulous guitarist! Bonnie Raitt, Bryan Adams. I know it!
RAN– I’m dreaming to sing it…with a guy who can sing…
David– Don’t look at me!
RAN– Well, I heard you kind of on one of Jenny’s songs.
David– Yeah, kind of, kind of. A way of describing my singing…
Jenny– …There was a lot of echo and reverb on there.
RAN– Okay, but it’s sounds really nice!
Jenny, you play many instruments. Is there any of them you prefer to play?
Jenny– Yes, my electric guitar, my PRS. I’ve got two PRS guitars, Paul Reed Smith, and they’re beautiful. My favorite instrument.
RAN– I kind of knew. I thought so. You started a solo career at 21. And before that, you had a band with your sister, “The Salmon sisters”. So you never wanted to, never thought to form a band again?
Jenny– Yeah, I’ve always wanted to form another band. And I’ve worked in other bands before, after I was with the Salmon Sisters. But it’s just time to rehearse. I’ve got children and it’s easier to rehearse if you’re by yourself, rather than finding time to rehearse with others. So I’ve always wanted to do that. But now the kids are getting older. I’ve got a friend of mine who’s also called Jenny. We are forming a duet. And we’re called “Jen and Tonic”
RAN– Wow. And what is she doing? Is she singing with you?
Jenny– She’s singing. Yeah. Harmonies all the way through. So we’re just rehearsing at the moment.
RAN– I’m really looking forward to hearing this!
Salmon White Music was created by you and David to promote your music. Your debut album “This Time” was released end 2020 and “Second Time” last year. I love this “Second Time”. How do you collaborate, how does this work?
Jenny– Do you want to answer this David?
David– So some of the songs on the albums are from Jenny, just all Jenny. So the song “This Is It”, Jenny had written that and had sung that before we met. But on other songs, Jenny struggled sometimes with lyrics. So when we were not living together, Jenny would record something onto WhatsApp, just a riff. And she would send it to me and say, “ oh, I’m hearing something in this”. And then I would listen to it three or four times. And if I liked it, I’d go back and say, that’s really good. And she would build on it from there.
Jenny– He was never brave enough to tell me he didn’t like it.
David– We were still dating at that point. We’re married now. It’s different. And when we came to the Christmas song… It’s a Christmas song that you think you’ve heard before, but you haven’t. And Jenny sent that to me. And by the time I’d got out of the shower, I had written in my head most of the lyrics for that song. So yeah, it was good.
Jenny– So we just work together, don’t we? I come up with little riffs and tunes and everything. And then sometimes I’ll come up with almost all of the chorus. Well, I’ll come up with the whole chorus and then say to him, “right, you could do the rest now”. So he’ll come up with the other lyrics. It’s good fun.
RAN– Great collaboration! When will it be a “Third Time”? Because in French, you say never two without three.
Jenny– OK, so we’ve got what’s our first album “This Time” then “Second Time”, and then it’s going to be “Maybe This Time”.
RAN– And the Jen and Tonic project?
Jenny– That’s something separate. Just for fun!
RAN– I don’t know how she finds the time to be so active! Because you have the “Singing for fun” group, the “Just to sing” group, the choirs and then the ukulele group!
Jenny– So I run as of next week, when I go home, there’ll be four choirs that I run and then I teach adults during the day, mostly ukulele. And then I teach children after school and then I’ve got my ukulele group and then…
David– But she’s very modest because when she says she teaches, she teaches guitar, bass guitar, saxophone, keyboard. You name it, Jenny can teach it. So she’s very, very talented.
Jenny– Yeah, very busy. The other thing we do as well, which David does. Have you heard of Rotary? It’s a worldwide organisation. So you join Rotary and as a Rotarian, you’re always doing things for charity. So explain Rotary.
David– So Rotary is worldwide and each country has lots of different clubs, all which feed into the bigger club in the world. And Rotary has gone a long way to eradicating polio in the whole of the world. That’s what that’s it. And we have a philosophy of service above self. So we put other people before ourselves. So we raise money for charity. So pretty much everything we do through Rotary. Yes, we have great fun doing it. But the idea is to raise money to give to people.
Jenny– He’s a different Rotary group to mine. But yes, along with other Rotarians, we do lots of charity … And then eventually we sleep!
RAN– That’s cool! This I didn’t know. Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, American band I interviewed last year, do lots for charity as well. Probably not through the same organization though.
Jenny- It’s brilliant. I think everybody in the whole world can take an hour out of their week to go and help whatever charity is. I always think, you know, that this , you can. You’ve got and everybody’s got an hour to help whether it’s homeless or a charity shop raising money. And if everybody did that, then the world would be a bit better I think….
RAN– You’re such beautiful, amazing people! Thank you for this precious moment together.
Jenny Salmon shared the stage with Pat McManus on a Gary Moore song and gave a concert after the weekend. Splendid! Just her voice and a guitar.
David writes lyrics but has also written his first children’s novel which will be released this November.
Many thanks to Tomas Martinez – We are Piccadilly
From Belgian and Italian parents, I grew up with music, dance and big fun! I love singing since I'm a little girl, I still am, haha. When I was 14, I saw my first concert: T-Rex. Later it was FrankZappa, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Fela, Canned Heat, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Earth, Wind and Fire ....
I dreamed to have a chat with each of them 😀 Before interviewing bands, I used to sing (and still do) and met lots of great musicians. I had the chance to be the support band to Joe Cocker in 2007. I love to communicate and meet people (Italian blood).
Working for magazine, a few years ago, l met José Oliveira! We were working at the same festival in Colmar. 2 people from the South with the same passion just recognized each other...and we stayed in contact since then. Here I am! Enjoying concerts, covering interviews and articles with José for Rock at Night!!
- Chatting with the Cinelli Brothers at the Yecla Jazz Festival in Spain - October 18, 2025
- Yecla Jazz Festival – Spain with The Next Movement - October 16, 2025
- Meeting the amazing Jenny Salmon at La Zenia – Spain - October 6, 2025
