Jessy
Interview conducted March 07, 2021
By Dan Locke
Jessy- “Music has always been my go to for just about every emotion. It is my therapy and happy place and I know I can always dance/sing and celebrate my way through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and my biggest passion has always been music. If I ever had any money to my name it was always spent on concert tickets. I had a hard beginning releasing music when I was 12 and got bullied in school for it, so re-entering this world has left me with so much motivation and much to prove! At the end of the day though, I love making music and connecting with people through it. Some of my favorite artists have gotten me through the hardest of times, so if I can help anyone get through theirs and return the favor, then it makes all of this extremely special. I’m so grateful for anyone listening and following me, and can’t wait to release my debut EP this summer!”
What is your upbringing?
I grew up in Los Angeles, California and have loved music for as long as I can remember!
How did you discover music?
I remember being super young and crying about something and so my mom put on a song and asked me to remember the lyrics and sing them back to her. I was so drawn in; I learned the whole song that night and whatever I was upset about was long gone!
How did you start to write music?
I started writing when I was young. I usually write when I am feeling hurt or upset, it’s the perfect outlet. I also have times when the lyrics “come” to me if that makes sense. They just fall into my mind and I scribble them down at any random time in the day.
Describe your music.
This is a hard question for me because I don’t feel like my music could be described in the same way because the songs are just different. So far, my songs have been in the pop genre. I try to make music that I want to listen to and that I would like and that comes out in many ways.
What makes a good songwriter?
That’s really up to interpretation, I think. You can’t go wrong writing from a place of real experiences and real feelings because even though our feelings can sometimes be isolating and seem like no one is going through the same things, chances are there are a ton of other people feeling the same way and if you are writing about it, other people are going to connect to it. Sort of like that relief you feel when the brave kid in the front of the class asks the “dumb” question that you and all your classmates were afraid to ask but needed the answer to. We all got the highs and lows in life.
How was your release of “Day by Day”?
Releasing Day by Day was really exciting for me. I had the song recorded and ready to release for a while but I kept coming up with excuses for why I shouldn’t release it and honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to. But I had a yolo moment and uploaded it to my distributor and out it came a couple of weeks later. There were so much suspense and anxiety attached to the release but when it came out it was only good feelings and celebrations. It felt like I was doing exactly what I should be doing, I’m happy I ripped off the band-aid and went for it.
Why did you shoot it in Super 8? How hard was it to find the film?
I actually had just come across some old home movies from when I was a toddler and they were in old super 8 style videos. I had this feeling of nostalgia and comfort when watching them which reminded me of “Day by Day’s letting go of fear and living in the moment type of message. I felt like that was how I needed the music video for it to be.
I found someone who had a super 8 camera and film to video it so it wasn’t too hard!
What is the process of writing your music?
It really depends on the song, sometimes I will have a skeleton of a song without lyrics and I will just press record on the microphone and start singing, outcome lyrics on the spot. Otherwise, I have lyrics that flow out of me on a daily basis that I jot down either in my note’s app on my phone or in my lyric journal if it’s around, so I will pull from those lyrics and plug them into verses, choruses, etc. to put together a song. Also, sometimes I might have everything but the bridge of the song and I will just write it right then and there to finish the song if I can. I bring my songs to my boyfriend, Etienne who produces the songs and helps me write as well!
Tell me about your music video “Lie”?
The music video for Lie came from a dream I had about murdering a cheating husband. (I have a lot of night terrors) I pulled from that and Etienne and I wrote out the treatment for this dark plot twist of a music video. We wanted to make it a film that involved a cut scene and a full storyline. I am an independent artist so no flashy budgets involved, a lot of thriftiness and working it out ourselves. He filmed it and directed it with just the two of us as the crew and it was filmed on the iPhone!
What is a Vegan Leather jacket? Which you gave away.
I gave away a vegan leather jacket after releasing Lie along with six pins that I got made for the song. I am selling those six pins in a pack now! The pins are cherries, a knife, a red car, a kiss mark, a “Jessy” pin, and a “Lie” pin, all thematic with the music video and song!
Why did you shoot it on an iPhone 11 pro?
That is just the iPhone that I have so we used that. Like I said earlier, no big budget so we worked with what we had. Etienne read up on how to film on the iPhone, which shutters speed and FPS to shoot in and we also bought a stabilizer for the phone so we could eliminate any shakiness in the video.
What software did Etienne use to edit your music video?
He used an app called LumaFusion which he swears by. He said it was very user-friendly and he was able to learn it super quickly while editing the video. He did edit it on an iPad, not the iPhone because it was a little too small of a screen for editing.
Is this the same Etienne who is in the band MisterWives?
Yes, he is in Misterwives as the drummer and he produces them as well.
Why did you show a sigh of relief after “Lie” was released?
I had a lot that I was holding back about one of my past relationships. I was able to release a lot of my feelings when writing and releasing this song. The lyrics tell some of the story of that toxic relationship and it felt good to let it out!
Digital vs. vinyl?
Both! Digital is more focused on singles and specific songs and vinyl’s I love them because they are more focused on an artist’s album and their full vision for it. There are definitely advantages to both, digital is great because it is so accessible everywhere. I listen to music when I drive, when I’m on a run, taking a shower, working out, cooking, dancing, crying, and on and on so it’s important to me to be able to play music when I wanna. I also love vinyl and have a record player. My boyfriend actually just built me a record player stand! Records are definitely different because you have to buy each one and find them, they aren’t just a type-in and play type of deal so it’s cool to see which records people have that they feel are special and to be able to keep building a collection.
What have you been doing during quarantine?
I was in college last year when the first lockdown happened. My boyfriend and I thought we’d wait it out at an Airbnb and made my first single Day by Day while we were there! But obviously waiting it out has not turned out to be a good option as we are now over a year past that first lockdown! My school never went back to in-person classes and I kept doing it online until I graduated with my first-degree #class of 2020!
So, I was studying for a lot of it and taking tests, and doing everything a college student does except all from my couch. Besides that, I moved into a new place with my boyfriend and my dog so we have been getting furniture and setting up our new space. I’ve been cooking a lot and getting dressed in fun clothes for no reason. And of course, working on music and my releases!
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Definitely music! My boyfriend had been asking to hear me sing since we first got together. I was super shy about it at first but then when quarantine happened, I went for it and we started making songs for fun. Every song got better and better and now here I am with songs and music videos out and a life full of music! 🙂
Is your happy place Joshua Tree, California?
Joshua Tree is a beautiful place to go and it’s not too far from me! It’s a perfect getaway for those who want to be in nature and relax. So, I do like it but I wouldn’t say it’s my “Happy place” I chose it for the Lie music video because it was perfect in its secluded nature and desert terrain along with un-trafficked roads. All aspects that we needed for the video.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
I am super happy that I was able to push aside my fear and go for music because it makes me the happiest. I still have a lot to go but it never feels like work and that’s what’s important.
