If you need someone to cheer you up, Jenn Cleary is the person for you.

Armed with a guitar and a gentle voice that sounds like sunshine in a bottle, the singer from Boulder has the unique gift of calming and loosening frayed nerves and lulling listeners to sleep in a cocoon of sound.

With more than 20 years of experience writing and performing songs, Cleary’s music covers a wide range of genres, from blues to rock to folk. In 2021, she released her first family-oriented album for children, and her second album in 2022 received international acclaim.

Cleary’s 2022 hit single “It’s Time to Go to Sleep” has received hundreds of thousands of plays on Spotify by listeners around the world. When you listen to the song, it’s easy to see why: Cleary’s voice cuts through the noise and static of everyday life, greeting you like a warm hug on a cold day.

(As someone who suffers from restless legs syndrome, the author can safely say that Cleary’s music has more than once soothed a sudden attack of kicking limbs.)

Given the current state of the world – raging wildfires, conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine, the fact that the new movie “Twisters” wasn’t very good – it’s perhaps nothing short of a miracle that Cleary will release her third family album, “Dreamland: Relax & Imagine,” on all streaming platforms on Friday.

“Dreamland: Relax & Imagine” includes nine quiet titles designed to help children (or adults) unwind and find peace.

Standout tracks include “Celtic Dream,” a fiddle-heavy tune that takes listeners on a journey through an Irish forest; “Rocking Chair to the Stars,” which captures the joy of stargazing with descriptions of familiar constellations and encourages children to dream big about adventures in space; and “Slow Blues Wind Down,” a soothing, soulful piece with gentle melodies and delicate rhythms and a nod to Cleary’s blues roots.

We caught up with Cleary to talk about her creative process for the new album, the inspiration behind her calming compositions, and her dedication to creating music that brings joy and relaxation to families.

Q: What inspired you to create this album?

A: This is my sixth album. My previous album was called Happy Day. The last track on that album was a guided lullaby that became my #1 song on streaming services. Hundreds of children around the world listened to it every night as they fell asleep. To see that and to feel like I was making a difference for those hundreds of children every night seemed really important to me.

Since that was the number one song, I thought people really need ways to relax. I started thinking about all the things that were going on in our world at the time – between climate change, COVID, politics, wearing masks, and all these difficult topics for adults as well as children – and decided to create a whole concept album about how to relax and deal with your anxiety in a calming and relaxing way.

Q: This album contains songs that are both calming and educational. Can you tell us about your songwriting process for this album?

A: I thought about various subjects that I found relaxing. For example, cloud watching – I thought back to my own childhood experiences that were simpler in many ways. Times when I would lie on my back for hours with my friends and watch the clouds drift by and change shape – times when time itself seemed to pass more slowly.

When I wrote the song about clouds, I made it educational by adding the names of different types of clouds.

Likewise, I remembered how much I used to love looking at the stars at night. Then I wrote a song about sitting in a rocking chair on my porch looking up at the constellations, and added some scientific names of the stars. The idea is to help people drift off and relax, or if they’re actively listening, learn something along the way. That way, my music can be enjoyed both actively and passively.

Q: Often people have the misconception that just because a song is written for children it can’t be “deep.” What song on this album means the most to you?

A: One of my favorite songs, “Celtic Dream,” was written for my mom, who passed away this year. She attended all of my shows in the Boulder area and I miss her terribly. I wanted to write a song that honored her heritage – she was proud to be 100 percent Irish, so I wrote a Celtic lullaby for her while she was in hospice and getting treatment. It was a calming, beautiful thing and she was so proud and loved this song. This song really goes out to her and is one of the best songs on the album in my opinion.

Q: Tell us a little about why you decided to end the album with the guided meditation.

A: I arranged this album so that people can listen to it chronologically – the more energetic songs are at the beginning, and then the whole album fades out into this meditation. Hopefully by the end you’re either asleep or relaxed.

Q: You have been working in the music industry for a long time and started making music in bands. How did you get into children’s music?

A: When I was really into music as an adult, I liked the bluesy rock and roll band sound. But at the same time, I was raising my kids and they inspired some of my songs. I always tried to incorporate songs that kids would enjoy.

I wanted my children’s songs to sound similar to those for adults – just happy, rocking songs with funny lyrics.

During COVID, I had the opportunity to embark on a full children’s album and wrote my first album called “All Together Now” inviting friends and family to sing with me.

I wrote “Dreamland: Relax & Imagine” as a concept album from start to finish and was very conscious of the themes and messages throughout.

Q: What do you hope listeners – adults and children alike – will take away from “Dreamland: Relax & Imagine”?

A: I hope it conveys calm and brings joy to children and parents, especially during this chaotic time. It’s important to remember to sometimes sit back, breathe and watch the clouds.

Learn more about Cleary at jenncleary.com.

Originally published: August 8, 2024 at 9:00 am