EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Capitol Records Nashville artist and a star of Nickelodeon’s iCarly, Jennette McCurdy is set to perform at the inaugural Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin Robbins Family Day benefitting the T.J. Martell Foundation from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 31, 2010. The indoor carnival will be fun for kids of all ages and will take place at Belmont University’s Curb Event Center at 2002 Belmont Blvd. in Nashville.

Jennette is passionate about three things—acting, music and giving back to the community. And she has a very personal reason for wanting to help T.J. Martell fund cancer research— Jennette’s mom is in her second battle with cancer. She sat down with Nashville.com during a break while taping a commercial to tell us a little about the event and her new CD.

Your family has been deeply affected by cancer can you tell me a little about that?
Yes, my Mom had cancer when I was three years old and it took its toll on our entire family but it really brought us together in a way as well, because sticking together is so important when you’re affected by something as heavy as that, and it had been misdiagnosed. She had many, many chemo treatments . . . radiation . . . and she had a bone marrow transplant. It was very intense and difficult and because of that I know what people have to go through, or at least have an idea, everybody’s situation is different of course. But, just six months ago my mom’s cancer came back, so it’s been difficult for us dealing with that and difficult on a whole new level because we’re all older. I have three older brothers and we were all very young at the time, but my oldest brother was 11 when my mom first had cancer so he understood. The rest of us had the gift of naïveté on our side so we really didn’t understand the fullness of it all, but now we do. And of course it was 15 years in remission so we assumed it was gone but now that’s back, it’s horrible. So I wanted to be a part of anything that’s helping to find a cure for this because it’s affecting so many people and taking so many lives.

How did you hear about the T.J. Martell Foundation?
Well, everybody in Nashville talked about it after hearing my mother’s story and everything, but my mom had known about it for a long time because she knows about every cancer research funding source and she knew what great work they do for leukemia, cancer, AIDS and getting all of this research done and everything. So I’ve been aware of it for a long time.

Well our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to your mom. It’s clear you’re passionate about making a difference through your help with the T.J. Martell Foundation,  The Cody Waters Foundation, Safe Kids USA and The Starlight Children’s Foundation. We know you’re also passionate about your music, so tells us a little about your new project. I undertand you spent most of last year writing for your new CD, “Not That Far Away.” Co-writing is kind of a Nashville thing and you co-penned three of the songs on your CD. Was that a good experience?
I’ve been writing by myself for a long time, and I knew enough on guitar to get by. They say all you need is three chords and the truth so I wrote songs when I was very young and played piano. But I started co-writing when I was 14, and I wrote a lot of songs. I wrote for three years and then got my record deal and then I just started from scratch. I wrote close to 70 songs. Then we picked from those for the album. I was co-writer on three of the four songs on the EP and 9 of the eleven on the actual album. So I’m very honored to have so many that I co-wrote on the CD and so grateful to all of the writers who taught me so much.. I learned a ton from them. They’re so easygoing and patient. Nashville is very great and laid back and it’s a totally different vibe than L.A.

Do you have a favorite song on the CD?
Oh goodness . . . you know, I love the song “Put Your Arms Around Someone.” It’s kind of old school R&B almost, which I love. I think the music behind it is very snazzy and cool, but I think the ballads are more my favorite. “Faces Of Love,” “Heart Of A Child” and a song called “Place To Fall” are to me really the substance of the album. The heart and meaning lies in the ballads, so I hope that people really pay attention to them because I think there’s a lot said in those and that’s where the album finds it’s angle.

So which came first music or acting?
Acting came first, I wanted to be an actor after watching Star Wars and I started acting when I was seven.

Where do you see yourself at 30? Do you see yourself as a fulltime musician, actor, or do you see yourself juggling both?
Definitely juggling both. I could never leave acting, I love it so much! It’s a great passion of mine and I hope to branch out into directing, producing and writing. I’m also very into cinematography, but I just want to be immersed in the film business as much as possible and the music business as well.

Do you have any favorite spots in Nashville?
Don’t even get me started! OK, Pancake Pantry is my hang, I love the Pancake Pantry. And the little shop just across the way, Pangaea, they have some great tops. I’m not a big shopper but when it comes to books I go to the Davis-Kidd bookstore in the Green Hills Mall; I’m there all of the time. I pick up some Ugly Dolls and I get some great journals and books there. I love Bravo Gelato. Oh! And the Loveless Cafe, I’m all about the Loveless Café. Swett’s meat and three, Rotier’s, the Elliston Soda Shop. There’s so many cute places in Nashville that I love, Sweet CeCe’s. Nashville is so vibey, It’s really great.
—Jerry Holthouse