Photo by Maren Celest
From the opening track Summer of Feathers off of Jessie Winslow's Bare EP, we hear this whispery question tug at our sleeves, "Can you feel the fire in our hearts?" As fingers snap like a bodily percussion throughout the earthy and soft introduction of an over-too-soon solid artistic canvas, Winslow opens a small window onto a musical landscape we can only hope will continue to unfold its magic further on down the road, with the next batch of whispery sounds sure to leave us as enchanted & curious as do the songs of Bare. AHC: What has this musical journey, so far, been like for you, the highs and the lows, and what life lessons do you feel you've picked up along the way? Jessie: Well, I'm pretty new to music. I just started singing and playing instruments in the last four years. I wrote and recorded my EP just over a year ago, so my musical journey has only just begun. Though, I did spent years pursuing visual art prior to making music so I'm very aware of the ebbs and flows of a creative pursuit. There are definitely ups and downs. Frustrations and celebrations. It’s a labor of love. Most of all from this past year, I have learned to be patient with myself, and with the process of creating something with only a few skills. The highest for me was definitely the recording of Bare EP. We recorded it in Gia’s apartment over the course of three months. Gia and the other musicians on the EP were seriously rock stars. I gave them only a few guidelines with little instruction, because I wanted to see what they could come up with on their own. It was a very subtle collaboration. I'm very proud of how the EP turned out. The succeeding article in Newcity was definitely a high as well. I was completely flattered and excited to have the editor contact me within a week or so of the digital release to ask to write a review. It’s a good one, too! Lows, well, I suppose just the personal battle of playing so many shows, many with low attendance or that you're not getting paid for, where you kind of start questioning why you're doing what you're doing. But no, I'm doing it because I fucking love making music. I fucking love it. So, yep, this is what I do. I talk myself out of that self-doubt. AHC: What first drew you to music and what was your early musical environment like growing up? Were there pivotal songs for you then that just floored you the moment you heard them? Jessie: My dad worked in commercial radio for his entire career, so we were constantly listening to the radio at our house. Although he spent most of his years on the business side, he really, truly loves music. That music appreciation rubbed off on me from a really young age. Oddly enough, we weren't really encouraged to make music. I think my dad assumed that since he was not good at singing or playing instruments that we wouldn't be either. So, when I started singing a few years ago and could carry a tune, I think it surprised everyone in my family. My dad even got inspired and bought a guitar and took piano lessons and even started writing his own songs! One song that was pretty life changing, surprisingly enough was Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I'd never heard anything like it. My dad's radio station at the time played only 50's/60's oldies, otherwise we were listening to Disney music or pop. That’s what we had been exposed to at the time. He'd recently gotten a new job at a Classic Rock station, so he sat my sister Rachel and I down one day and made us listen to the song all the way through. I'll never forget the way it made me feel. Like I was being lifted out of my chair and soaring through the clouds. It was a powerful moment. I was eight, I think. AHC: Do you remember the first song that you ever wrote? Jessie: Sure do. It's a song called, “Oh My Baby” that I wrote on a ukulele for an ex-boyfriend that will never see the light of day. AHC: Who are some of your major musical inspirations? Which musicians have you learned the most from? Jessie: God, there are so many. I'm really inspired by Tune-Yards. I think Merrill Garbus is a genius. I also love Thao and the Get Down Stay Down and Mirah. Amelia from Sylvan Esso/ Mountain Man. I love her vocals. Angel Olsen. Feist. I could go on and on. I'm only naming female contemporaries right now. I've learned the most from my collaborators. Gia, of course. She's a one-woman magical sound factory. She recorded & produced my EP from her apartment, using a very minimal set up. She's really mastered making things sound warm and dreamy. I learned a lot from her during our recording process. Most of my ex’s who I’ve collaborated with. That’s an interesting concept, because you’re dating the person, so you have this love/soul connection, and then you start making music together. It’s sort of an unspoken lesson. Like, you’re learning just by making things together. Sean was very gentle and encouraging, and that’s really how I got started playing. Matt, was just…completely uninhibited, so I learned how to follow through with all of my crazy ideas. Ryan, had an incredibly well-educated background in music, so I got a bit more of the intellectual play with my ideas. But you know, I’m not naming names. AHC: What do you think makes for a good song, as you're writing and composing, is there a sudden moment when you know you've found the right mix, that perfect angle of light, so to speak? Jessie: I think I'm still growing here. I wrote a lot of songs very quickly this year, and didn't spend much time editing. I’d write them and then perform them within a week or so. I'm working now more on the editing process for songwriting. Spending more time with each song. And yes, there's a sweet spot for sure. For me, a good song is a combination of brain and heart. The idea is that the musician has made thoughtful arrangements, or at the least, smart and interesting choices, but also gets you to feel the feels, and isn’t just going through the motions. I strive to do that in my own work. AHC: How has your music evolved since you first began playing? Jessie: Well, I'm working with more transitions on the composition side. In writing, I'm working with both traditional songs structures and creating more loose train-of-thought (stream of consciousness) type songs. I started with ukulele and loop pedal, and now I’m onto mostly electric guitar. I also was more experimental when I first started, which I’m trying to bring back into my songwriting. I’d get so bored of myself if I only wrote traditional song structures. I like to challenge the rules a bit. Also – my own confidence in playing. I was a timid performer with a lot of stage fright when I first started. Now, I’m happy to stand in front of people and bare my soul. It feels really good to me. AhC: Do you consider music to be a type of healing art, the perfect vehicle through which to translate a feeling, a state of rupture, hope lost and regained? Does the writing and creating of the song save you in the kinds of ways that it saves us, the listener? Jessie: Absolutely. If I hadn't started making music, I might still be lying in my bed crying over a broken heart. My EP was a way for me to process the loss of someone who was very important to me. Writing and making songs is in very many ways a therapy for me. A way to process emotions, move forward, and share my experiences. It is indeed a vehicle of light and healing for me, especially when through it I express darkness or sadness. AHC: What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town? On-tour, on-the-road? Jessie: Well, I have to shout out to the Chicago music community here. Some of my fondest memories are playing small house shows, or alternative gig spaces in the city. Once it caught wind that I was eager to share my music, the community of musicians that I’ve met in Chicago really supported me. I played so many shows in Chicago in 2016, and was mostly invited by word-of-mouth. The community that I’ve become apart of here is encouraging, supportive, and warm and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I also love going to out to see shows in Chicago. There are so many super talented people hiding under rocks, or playing shows in weird dive bars. It’s cool to be apart of this scene and get to know this diversity of talent. I hosted a few shows in my apartment, some independent and some working with SoFar Sounds. Those are good memories, too. I love a room full of people who are there to listen to good music and maybe make some new friends. There is nothing better than that sense of community and support, especially when you're just starting out. AHC: What would be your dream gig, if you were asked to go on tour and open up for one of your musical heroes or heroines? Jessie: Oh, snap! I’d love to open up for Feist. AHC: Do you have any words of advice for other musicians and singer-songwriters out there who are just starting out and trying to find their voice and their way in this world? Jessie: Be brave. Do as much as you can yourself, and don't let anything block you. Every obstacle is a lesson or an opportunity for growth. Make your work as genuine as possible. AHC: Do you have any new projects in the works you'd like to tell people about? Jessie: I’ve been toying with the idea of producing my own full-length. I'm definitely in a writing and development stage right now, so no big news just yet. Just closing the doors for a while to listen to my own train of thought. Check back in a few months. For more visit jessiewinslow.com/ jessiewinslow.bandcamp.com/
2 Comments
JAMES D. VLAZ
12/23/2016 07:54:19 pm
What a pleasant surprise! Your dad's music genes found you at last. So proud to have a talented relative. We'll be following you and your career with best wishes for a successful one, as I'm sure it's been a result of hard work and a lot of dedication and personal sacrifices. I will be ordering a disc of your songs if I can figure out how to do it ....
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Kevin O'Connell
12/26/2016 12:22:00 pm
Jessie! What a voice! So ethereal, complex, robust, tender and fascinating! May you be blest with a long and prosperous career in music. You apparently have a bottomless well of talent from which to draw. Like your dad, I wasn't drawn to performing music, but we share the same love of music. That's what got me into radio. My son, Buddy, who lives in Nashville, was drawn to performance and plays drums since age 13. Stay the course! Follow your dreams!
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