Jena Irene Asciutto

The last time we caught up with Jena Irene Asciutto, it was 2017 and we were getting high. No, really. Back in 2017, after the Farmington Hills native and American Idol finalist — and thankful American Idol loser— had just released her debut record, Cold Fame, we lit up a fat one and celebrated Asciutto’s ability to shed the cookie-cutter, reality-TV image to embrace her free-spirited, stoner self as exhibited on the record’s pro-weed anthem, “So I Get High.” While recreational weed may now be legal, it wasn’t then, which made Asciutto a bit of a rebel. Since our chat, Asciutto has continued blazing a path far removed from her Idol days, honing her craft, expanding her musical education, and keeping it close to home.