CJ and her band Oh He Dead are based in Washington DC. She grew up in the area surrounded by GoGo music, a brand of funk that is very characteristic of the DC area. CJ's earliest memories in music were of sitting in the kitchen, eating oatmeal that her mom had just made her, and watching VH1 before she went to school. She knew every word by heart. CJ actually jumpstarted her singing career in her high school's production of "Rent." They had to leave a few scenes out of the rather ambitious play. Of course, she's since expanded her repertoire beyond musical theater.