Jane Honor: Rising voice

Trigger warning: this article discusses topics relating to sexual assault

Jane Strausman is many things. She is a student at USC, about to graduate with a major in music industry; she is a devoted friend; and she is an incredibly talented singer-songwriter. An up-and-coming indie-pop and folk rock artist, you might be more familiar with her stage name: Jane Honor. 

This Friday is a special day for her, as Honor is about to release her third song of the semester under 840 West, a student-run record label at USC and Ingrooves Music Group under Universal Music Group. Titled “Didn’t Know What I Was In For,” the song serves as a bittersweet goodbye for her time at USC. More upbeat than her other songs such as “No Surprise” and “There Won’t Be Any Music,” it’s become one of Honor’s favorite tracks.

“The sound [is] really fun … and it’s one of my few songs that is actually purely happy.” Honor said. “It’s really upbeat. It’s really catchy. It’s kind of like a pop-rock track … that sounds also pretty nostalgic. I would say it makes it a good closer.” 

Soon to be available on all major streaming platforms, “Didn’t Know What I Was In For” is the perfect soundtrack for tearful summer goodbyes and suitcases stuffed with last-minute thrifting grails. 

But something else to look out for is USC’s Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services PSA with Honor’s song “My Body” from her debut album, “Spiraling in Central Park.” 

Touching on her own experiences, she recalls writing the song as a teenager. 

“I really wanted to put a message out there for young women who had gone through this,” Honor said. “[This song] was kind of what I had to say to them.” 

With powerful lyrics such as “I try to sleep / But feel your hands all over me / I don’t know / Will a bed make me feel like a child again” and “I hold my baby sister / And she looks so damn young / I was just so damn young / Wasn’t I,” the PSA debuts on Denim Day, a day where people wear denim to protest victim blaming and “erroneous and destructive attitudes … surrounding sexual assault.” 

With “My Body,” Honor hopes to shed light on common misconceptions that survivors face.

“It’s really easy for people to say, ‘Oh, he’s bad, get out of it.’ Or if somebody’s not treating you well, ‘just leave,’” Honor said. “People in it know that it’s not always that easy.”

Honor’s manager and best friend, Alethea Freidberg, met Honor on the second day of college. Since then, the pair have been by each other’s side for four years. The two worked together on “My Body” and the PSA for their senior capstone project with the hope of honoring survivors and sharing their stories.

Freidberg is proud of how she has seen Honor use her voice.

“It’s amazing to see that she’s very passionate about that and she’s able to use her music as a way to showcase that message,” said Freidberg, a senior majoring in music industry. “Especially because … At USC, the statistic is one in three women are affected by sexual assault … But also just one in four women has been sexually assaulted in their life … Jane does a great job of bringing awareness to such a heavy topic that’s affected a lot of people.” 

Although a difficult topic, Freidberg felt that the song was a perfect way to convey Honor’s message and give back to honor the survivors and help share the stories with RSVP’s PSA on Denim Day.

Past the PSA, though, Honor also donates all of the streaming proceeds towards RAINN — the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. 

It seems that Honor’s roll isn’t slowing down, with Freidberg and publicist Madeline Bryant teasing an upcoming music video and more live performances. While Honor has already sung at The Mint and the Apollo Theater, there is much more in store for her. 

Bryant, a junior majoring in public relations, can’t help but gush over Honor in particular. 

“She’s super creative, just a great storyteller and she just shares a really great message through her music as well, so I’d say definitely keep your eye on Jane,” Bryant said. “She’s not one to miss.”

USC RSVP works to “prevent and respond to gender- and power-based harm (including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking).” For support, call 213-740-9355 for free and confidential help.