January 21, 2025 • 22 mins
Join @thebuzzknight for an inspiring episode with rising country music star Jessica Lynn as we explore her remarkable journey in the music industry. We'll delve into her unique blend of contemporary and traditional sounds, her experience as an independent artist, and the challenges she's overcome to make her mark in Nashville and beyond.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
If you ever told me I'd be going to Malaysia
playing country music, playing in Poland's I'm going to Africa
soon to mentor young artists and train them for performing
I if you've said, if you bet me a million dollars,
I would have lost you know that I'd be doing that.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast with your host,
Buzz Night. If you like this podcast, please check out
our companion podcast called Music Saved Me, hosted by Lynn Hoffman,
where Lynn delves deep into the healing power of music. Today,
Buzz is joined by Jessica Lynn, a rising country star
(00:41):
captivating audiences with their powerful vocals and heartfelt songwriting. This
talented singer songwriter is known for her dynamic stage presence.
She's independently built a successful career, touring extensively and releasing
acclaimed albums like Loan Writer. At the moment, Linn is
hard at work on her highly anticipated new album, set
(01:04):
to feature collaborations with renowned Nashville songwriters and showcase her
continued growth as an artist. Rising star Jessica Linn joins
Buzz Night next on Taking a Walk.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Well, Jessica Lynn, how does a Brooklyn born Italian end
up as a country music singer songwriter.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
It's always so funny hearing that out loud. So my
dad always loved country music. He was a Harlem street
cop and an Italian Brooklyn born I mean, which is
really funny that he fell in love with that style
of music. But every car ride was George Straight and
Phil Vasser. When I was a kid, we always had
country music on in the house and I just fell
(01:49):
in love with it. I fell in love with the
instrumentation as a multi instrumentalist myself, and I fell in
love with the stories that country music tells.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
So, since this podcast is called taking a Walk, if
you could take a walk with a musician, living or dead,
who would it be with and where would you take a.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Walk with them?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Easy? Easy question. Elvis for me, he was such a pioneer,
just what an incredible and unique performer, and I would
love to take a walk with him around Memphis. I
was very, very lucky. On my twenty twenty two USA tour,
(02:34):
I got an email from Warner Brothers that asked me
to be a part of the premiere for the Elvis
film that came out. So in the middle of my tour,
it's funny how life works. The only three days we
had off on that entire tour, they flew me to
Memphis and I took my.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Dad with me, who was a huge Elvis.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Fan, and we filmed all promos for the movie coming out.
Total VIP closed down Graceland for us. We got to
go in and video and all the rooms and see
things that no one.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Gets to see, go to all his spots.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I mean, it was such an incredible experience. But how
cool would it have been to have him actually there
with me?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
That's a good one. That you can't go wrong having
Elvis with you, that's for sure. Can you define the
music category that you think you're in, because some have
called you a country arena rock and I want to know,
is that what you think your genre is? And if not,
(03:37):
what do you want it to be?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yes? I totally agree with that. And it's funny because
I never could quite put my finger on it. I
always just said country rock. But a lot of my
music has a very anthemic feel. I grew up loving
rock and roll and listening to bands like Journey, ACDC,
all of those really anthemic rock and roll acts, and
I think that really comes through and my music, and
(04:02):
a magazine had put that out one year, and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Yes, that's finally what I should call it.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
That's so perfect.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Well, and you do play large venues, so I think
it's certainly fitting for that reason. But can you think
of yourself in your creative sort of forces that work
within that you'll be bending the genre through your career.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, I mean I grew up loving everything. So my
dad loved country, rock and roll. My mom loved soul music,
so on every car ride with her it was Al Green,
Aretha Franklin, ROBERTA. Flax, she loves jazz. So I always
had all of these things. And in my music there's
(04:49):
a lot of motown style harmonies.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
That are used a lot of soul inspiration.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
My vocals are a little bit more on the soulful side,
so it's really a mix of everything. I'm a true
genre bender.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So one thing I love about your path is the
independent path that you've taken. And there's an artist named
Drew Baldridge who was on the podcast who's taken his
own version of that independent path, no big label, no
big management, all kind of doing it pretty much from
(05:27):
his own way, his own team, and it's really built
into a tremendous story. And your story is a tremendous
story in terms of your independence. Talk about the challenges
of being independent, the difficulty of that as you work
(05:48):
to get your music out there and you tour so
much in the course of a year.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
You know, it's funny. I think nobody ever chooses to
be independent, but it chooses you. In the beginning, nobody
would offer me a deal. You know, I was so different.
I was kind of doing different things and other country
artists out there. I had a few offers that came
in that wanted me to change everything about myself, and
I just wasn't comfortable with that. So I wound up
(06:18):
being independent, not by choice. However, as my career started
to flourish, I realized that it was such a wonderful thing,
and I think that perhaps that's what had happened to
Drew as well, you know, or other independent artists that
are being successful. When you find something that works for
you and you just keep going with it, it keeps growing.
(06:39):
If it truly works, it's going to keep snowballing and
getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And then at a
point it's like, well, why do I need somebody? You know,
I'm out there doing it. I'm successful. And over the.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Years, we've had a series of offers.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Again come in that wanted so much of everything that
I've built, and you know, for we had a very
high end management company come in that, believe me, I
would have loved to sign with, and I lost. I
had many sleepless nights over this. However, they wanted twenty
percent of everything of touring that I had booked two
(07:14):
years prior, and I said, why am I going to
give that to somebody? That's all of my hard work.
And so I think that's why I've chosen to remain independent.
And of course I would love a partner, but it
has to be the right partner, and it has to
be a partner that sees the value and everything and
has respect for everything that we've built up to this point.
(07:40):
So I think it's just the hurdles have always been financial, financial,
and getting your foot in the door. The band in
Iowas say though, once our foot's in the door, it
always goes well, but getting that crack there is really
hard because you don't have the connections. You know, if
you have a high powered agent. They can call somebody
and say, hey, my client that they've worked with five
(08:00):
thousand times. For me, it's the first time. It's a
cold connection. However, if you have a good product and
you have a good support system, once you get in
in that door, it always works out well for us.
And finances, I have to finance any music video every tour.
(08:21):
I do all my own tour logistics. I do all
my own finances. I want a music video, I got
to pay for it. I need to fly the band somewhere,
I have to pay for it. I have to promote
a record, I have to pay for it. And that
can be very, very very difficult, and I've given up, unfortunately,
had to given up major opportunities because I couldn't afford them.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Is a great part about this independence. When we talk
about building audience and community, would you agree that a
large part of that is winning an audience and building
an audience one by one. Yes.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I actually didn't even put out any recorded music until
three years after I started touring. I couldn't afford it.
My career started with a television special that was on
a shoe string budget and a dream, and I built
my career getting out there, shaking hands, going on tours
the old fashioned way.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I believe you've cited that Selena is of great inspiration
to you. How has she and Latin music influenced your songwriting?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So, my mom was a huge Latin music fan. I
wore out our Selena CD when I was a kid.
I would practice to her greatest hits every single day
with a microphone that would plug into a boom box
in front of my mirror and on my bed like
I was in front of Arena's Oh my Gosh. I
watched that movie so many times they can't even count.
(09:58):
My mom was a huge Gloria Estefan fan. I could
sing that record in Spanish and English back and forth
all day long when I was a kid, and I
always felt really connected to the rhythms and the sounds
in Latin music. And it's really funny because until I
always just thought I was Italian growing up, and I
(10:18):
did a DNA test two years ago and I realized
I am forty percent Hispanic, which I never ever knew.
So it made a lot of sense because I think
something internally was saying to me, you know, I'm fifty
percent Italian and forty percent hispanic, and again I had
(10:39):
no idea, but I always felt this deep connection which
I was able to portray in my single Shame that's
on the upcoming record.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
So let's talk about the upcoming record, talk about some
of the songs you particularly love off of it, and
talk about the process, how it came together, and what
inspired you about the new record.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
So this record is half singles that I have put
out recently and kind of gearing up to the record,
and half brand new music that nobody's heard before. It's
truly a record that I did not care about conforming
to anything for so it's very rock and roll, it's
very soul influenced. There's some acoustic ballads on it. It's
(11:27):
really a variety of sounds and flavors and stories. So
basically the whole record is a double meaning. Every single song,
when upon first listen you would think, oh, this is
a love song, or this is a song about breaking
up or However, the double meaning is that every single
song also tells my story going through the music business.
(11:51):
So if you listen with those ears, you'll be able
to also hear that side of everything.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
And particular favorite tracks you want to talk.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
About Ooh, it's hard. I love bet On It, which
hasn't come out yet. That's a real racous rock and
roll fun you would think upon first listen, I'm talking
about a cheating X or a cheating boyfriend. However, it
is about the liars and cheaters I have come across
(12:24):
in the music business.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
That's what I wrote it about.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Basically, it's say you could bet on it. I'm gonna
it's a for every king and queen. I've got an
ace up my sleeve, like I'm always gonna come out
on top is my favorite line of the song. And
that song I wrote in probably under fifteen minutes because
I was so burned and I was just like feeling
really inspired. Another favorite track is I Never Said It
(12:51):
Be Easy. That's very seventies rock inspired sounding. That song
is out already. It was a single we put out
during my euro tour this summer, and it's the journey
finding your path in life that makes you happy. It's
never easy, but you keep going down that road and
(13:11):
you'll find the sunshine. And that's another favorite. I have
so many favorites. You save me as an acoustic ballad
on the record that I partnered with a British Army
veteran Liam Wakefield.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
He did a duet with.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Me on that song. He had a very he was
diagnosed with illness, mental illness, all different types of personal struggles.
After coming home for more a very serious condition, actually
tried to commit suicide and music saved him. So when
(13:50):
I had written this song about again, on first listen,
you would think this is a love song to somebody,
you save me, you bring the light to my life. However,
it's really about music. And when I wrote it, I
said I have to have my friendly I'm sing this
with me because his story and his passion add so
much to that track. So there's a ton I could
go on and on. I'm really so proud of this record.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
That the last song you saved me. That's a powerful
story and I want to, you know, tell our listeners
that you were gracious enough to be on our companion
podcast Music Saved Me with with Lynn Hoffman, And part
of that is your personal story as well about you know,
(14:35):
some physical health issues that you went through and your
resilience with those with those issues and how you just
pushed through the resistance, you know, with with so much intent.
Can you talk about how you muster that strength to
push through the resistance when you've had these challenges.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I think it's the love for music. It's the same
thing as being on a really taxing tour, Like we're
on a tour right now. We're doing three hour sleep
a night, fifteen to sixteen hour work days, but somehow
I still wake up excited the next day to do
it all over again. And I think it's the same thing.
I just I've loved music so much ever since I
(15:19):
was a little girl, and I think just be feeling
so grateful to get to wake up every day and
do something that makes me truly happy and excited and
passionate is how I pushed through every hurdle I ever
come across.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I know you've been on a lot of tours with
a lot of different artists in particular, I know you've
toured with Brad Paisley and Keith Urban as well. What
do you take from artists like that that are you know,
lessons or you know, just particular foundational music things that
(15:57):
help you grow as an artist.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
We've been very, very blessed. We did a bunch of
festivals with them. I've gone on tour with Jodie Massin,
and I've gotten to play with one of my songwriting heroes,
Richard Marx Phil Vasser, who again was like my everyday
car ride country music inspiration when I was a kid,
which was a total trip to get to sing with him.
It's Loretta Lynn. It's It's been such a wild and
(16:23):
exciting ride and definitely many pinch me moments where on
backstage like I can't believe I'm doing this, I can't
believe they're standing right there, and I listen to them
my whole life, and you learn you learn so much
from watching them. Also on the other side of the coin,
you also learn a lot about what not to do
sometimes when you watch people. So it's really interesting seeing
(16:48):
all of their cruise work and how they're behind the
scenes operations. Works just for me as someone that does
like a lot of the all of the logistics and
planning for everything. I learned something new every time we
work with a new artist.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
I think another thing that's really cool about your music
community that you've built, that you are building is the
international aspect of it. Particularly, I'll highlight your Australian audience.
How is it do you think that you've connected so
(17:23):
brilliantly with the Australian audiences.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I have no idea. I wish I could tell you.
It's so funny. I feel like everything we put out
sometimes just resonates with a different crowd. And I've worked
really hard on building my social media. I have over
eight hundred thousand worldwide followers, and for me, as an
independent artist, that was the only marketing that was.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Free, so I really focused a lot.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Of my energy there over the last several years and
it's turned out great. I network as a professional influencer,
which is really exciting and fun and creatively challenging. But
I mean, I've had every single release I've put out
in the last three years chart in the country of Georgia.
We've never toured there. Australia some of my top streaming numbers,
(18:14):
so it's just really interesting to see how we just
got home from Malaysia on an Asian tour and they've
the people there have been so incredible. I mean, they've
been watching all of my YouTube blogs and these beautiful comments,
and it's just interesting to see that different things resonate
with different audiences.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Who are some of the folks that you'd like to
play with or collaborate with songwright, you know, go into
the studio with that you haven't. Who are some people
on your wish list?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I love John Mayer. I'm a big John Mayer fan.
And also Shania Twain. She was a huge inspiration on
me growing up. But she was for so many is
for so many young country artists. But when I first
wanted to do country, she really gave me the push
to do it because I saw that her music was different.
(19:11):
I saw that she was different, and I think I
I read her autobiography, she was banned. I think it
was from TV because she had showed her belly button
in one of the music videos. You know, she always
kind of pushed the envelope and did her own thing
and never fit into a box. And I was like,
I think I could do that.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Following your own voice, right, Yes, So as you think
about in closing, following your own voice, can you close
your eyes and sort of think where you'd like to
be three years down the road in this journey.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
So whenever I get asked that, I never have a
hard answer. And this is why my life has turned
out in ways I never expected. And I think it's
because I always ca up to an open mind. Whenever
someone asked, where do you want to be in five years?
Just bigger and better than where I am now, Because
(20:08):
if I say I want to have a number one
record in Australia in three years, I may be so
dead set focused on that that I miss this thing
and I miss this thing, and I don't take this
opportunity because I'm chasing this thing that maybe is not
the right thing to chase. If you ever told me
I'd be going to Malaysia playing country music, playing in Poland,
(20:31):
I'm going to Africa soon to mentor young artists and
train them for performing. I if you've said, if you
bet me a million dollars, I would have lost, you
know that I'd be doing that. So I think I
just as long as I'm growing and I'm constantly not
on a plateau. And I see, if you have ten
(20:53):
followers today and I have eleven followers tomorrow, that's growth,
and that's all I want to do. I want to
continue to make music. It makes me happy. I want
to continue to travel the world and meet amazing people.
And as long as again that's kind of rising and rising,
I'm really happy with that. In five years or three
(21:14):
years or one year or one year, you never know
or next week. Yeah, it's so true. I mean we
spent the fourth of July this year in Guantanamo Bay
performing for the troops. I never thought in my life
I would get to see that place and again, if
I had been so hard focused on I want to
(21:36):
tour Europe in July of next year, I wouldn't have
been there.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Jessicallin, I admire your passion, your resilience, your tenacity, and
just you your authenticity about what you're up to musically,
but as a person as well, sharing what's been going on,
sharing your your challenges and pushing through. Really appreciate you
(22:04):
being on Taking a Walk. Congratulations on the new music,
and of course people will see you across the country
and globally that are listening to this. I'm sure soon
because you're a road warrior.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure meeting
you and speaking with you today.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk Podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts,
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
If you ever told me I'd be going to Malaysia
playing country music, playing in Poland's I'm going to Africa
soon to mentor young artists and train them for performing
I if you've said, if you bet me a million dollars,
I would have lost you know that I'd be doing that.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast with your host,
Buzz Night. If you like this podcast, please check out
our companion podcast called Music Saved Me, hosted by Lynn Hoffman,
where Lynn delves deep into the healing power of music. Today,
Buzz is joined by Jessica Lynn, a rising country star
(00:41):
captivating audiences with their powerful vocals and heartfelt songwriting. This
talented singer songwriter is known for her dynamic stage presence.
She's independently built a successful career, touring extensively and releasing
acclaimed albums like Loan Writer. At the moment, Linn is
hard at work on her highly anticipated new album, set
(01:04):
to feature collaborations with renowned Nashville songwriters and showcase her
continued growth as an artist. Rising star Jessica Linn joins
Buzz Night next on Taking a Walk.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Well, Jessica Lynn, how does a Brooklyn born Italian end
up as a country music singer songwriter.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
It's always so funny hearing that out loud. So my
dad always loved country music. He was a Harlem street
cop and an Italian Brooklyn born I mean, which is
really funny that he fell in love with that style
of music. But every car ride was George Straight and
Phil Vasser. When I was a kid, we always had
country music on in the house and I just fell
(01:49):
in love with it. I fell in love with the
instrumentation as a multi instrumentalist myself, and I fell in
love with the stories that country music tells.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
So, since this podcast is called taking a Walk, if
you could take a walk with a musician, living or dead,
who would it be with and where would you take a.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Walk with them?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Easy? Easy question. Elvis for me, he was such a pioneer,
just what an incredible and unique performer, and I would
love to take a walk with him around Memphis. I
was very, very lucky. On my twenty twenty two USA tour,
(02:34):
I got an email from Warner Brothers that asked me
to be a part of the premiere for the Elvis
film that came out. So in the middle of my tour,
it's funny how life works. The only three days we
had off on that entire tour, they flew me to
Memphis and I took my.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Dad with me, who was a huge Elvis.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Fan, and we filmed all promos for the movie coming out.
Total VIP closed down Graceland for us. We got to
go in and video and all the rooms and see
things that no one.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Gets to see, go to all his spots.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I mean, it was such an incredible experience. But how
cool would it have been to have him actually there
with me?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
That's a good one. That you can't go wrong having
Elvis with you, that's for sure. Can you define the
music category that you think you're in, because some have
called you a country arena rock and I want to know,
is that what you think your genre is? And if not,
(03:37):
what do you want it to be?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yes? I totally agree with that. And it's funny because
I never could quite put my finger on it. I
always just said country rock. But a lot of my
music has a very anthemic feel. I grew up loving
rock and roll and listening to bands like Journey, ACDC,
all of those really anthemic rock and roll acts, and
I think that really comes through and my music, and
(04:02):
a magazine had put that out one year, and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Yes, that's finally what I should call it.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
That's so perfect.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Well, and you do play large venues, so I think
it's certainly fitting for that reason. But can you think
of yourself in your creative sort of forces that work
within that you'll be bending the genre through your career.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, I mean I grew up loving everything. So my
dad loved country, rock and roll. My mom loved soul music,
so on every car ride with her it was Al Green,
Aretha Franklin, ROBERTA. Flax, she loves jazz. So I always
had all of these things. And in my music there's
(04:49):
a lot of motown style harmonies.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
That are used a lot of soul inspiration.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
My vocals are a little bit more on the soulful side,
so it's really a mix of everything. I'm a true
genre bender.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So one thing I love about your path is the
independent path that you've taken. And there's an artist named
Drew Baldridge who was on the podcast who's taken his
own version of that independent path, no big label, no
big management, all kind of doing it pretty much from
(05:27):
his own way, his own team, and it's really built
into a tremendous story. And your story is a tremendous
story in terms of your independence. Talk about the challenges
of being independent, the difficulty of that as you work
(05:48):
to get your music out there and you tour so
much in the course of a year.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
You know, it's funny. I think nobody ever chooses to
be independent, but it chooses you. In the beginning, nobody
would offer me a deal. You know, I was so different.
I was kind of doing different things and other country
artists out there. I had a few offers that came
in that wanted me to change everything about myself, and
I just wasn't comfortable with that. So I wound up
(06:18):
being independent, not by choice. However, as my career started
to flourish, I realized that it was such a wonderful thing,
and I think that perhaps that's what had happened to
Drew as well, you know, or other independent artists that
are being successful. When you find something that works for
you and you just keep going with it, it keeps growing.
(06:39):
If it truly works, it's going to keep snowballing and
getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And then at a
point it's like, well, why do I need somebody? You know,
I'm out there doing it. I'm successful. And over the.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Years, we've had a series of offers.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Again come in that wanted so much of everything that
I've built, and you know, for we had a very
high end management company come in that, believe me, I
would have loved to sign with, and I lost. I
had many sleepless nights over this. However, they wanted twenty
percent of everything of touring that I had booked two
(07:14):
years prior, and I said, why am I going to
give that to somebody? That's all of my hard work.
And so I think that's why I've chosen to remain independent.
And of course I would love a partner, but it
has to be the right partner, and it has to
be a partner that sees the value and everything and
has respect for everything that we've built up to this point.
(07:40):
So I think it's just the hurdles have always been financial, financial,
and getting your foot in the door. The band in
Iowas say though, once our foot's in the door, it
always goes well, but getting that crack there is really
hard because you don't have the connections. You know, if
you have a high powered agent. They can call somebody
and say, hey, my client that they've worked with five
(08:00):
thousand times. For me, it's the first time. It's a
cold connection. However, if you have a good product and
you have a good support system, once you get in
in that door, it always works out well for us.
And finances, I have to finance any music video every tour.
(08:21):
I do all my own tour logistics. I do all
my own finances. I want a music video, I got
to pay for it. I need to fly the band somewhere,
I have to pay for it. I have to promote
a record, I have to pay for it. And that
can be very, very very difficult, and I've given up, unfortunately,
had to given up major opportunities because I couldn't afford them.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Is a great part about this independence. When we talk
about building audience and community, would you agree that a
large part of that is winning an audience and building
an audience one by one. Yes.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I actually didn't even put out any recorded music until
three years after I started touring. I couldn't afford it.
My career started with a television special that was on
a shoe string budget and a dream, and I built
my career getting out there, shaking hands, going on tours
the old fashioned way.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I believe you've cited that Selena is of great inspiration
to you. How has she and Latin music influenced your songwriting?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So, my mom was a huge Latin music fan. I
wore out our Selena CD when I was a kid.
I would practice to her greatest hits every single day
with a microphone that would plug into a boom box
in front of my mirror and on my bed like
I was in front of Arena's Oh my Gosh. I
watched that movie so many times they can't even count.
(09:58):
My mom was a huge Gloria Estefan fan. I could
sing that record in Spanish and English back and forth
all day long when I was a kid, and I
always felt really connected to the rhythms and the sounds
in Latin music. And it's really funny because until I
always just thought I was Italian growing up, and I
(10:18):
did a DNA test two years ago and I realized
I am forty percent Hispanic, which I never ever knew.
So it made a lot of sense because I think
something internally was saying to me, you know, I'm fifty
percent Italian and forty percent hispanic, and again I had
(10:39):
no idea, but I always felt this deep connection which
I was able to portray in my single Shame that's
on the upcoming record.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
So let's talk about the upcoming record, talk about some
of the songs you particularly love off of it, and
talk about the process, how it came together, and what
inspired you about the new record.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
So this record is half singles that I have put
out recently and kind of gearing up to the record,
and half brand new music that nobody's heard before. It's
truly a record that I did not care about conforming
to anything for so it's very rock and roll, it's
very soul influenced. There's some acoustic ballads on it. It's
(11:27):
really a variety of sounds and flavors and stories. So
basically the whole record is a double meaning. Every single song,
when upon first listen you would think, oh, this is
a love song, or this is a song about breaking
up or However, the double meaning is that every single
song also tells my story going through the music business.
(11:51):
So if you listen with those ears, you'll be able
to also hear that side of everything.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
And particular favorite tracks you want to talk.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
About Ooh, it's hard. I love bet On It, which
hasn't come out yet. That's a real racous rock and
roll fun you would think upon first listen, I'm talking
about a cheating X or a cheating boyfriend. However, it
is about the liars and cheaters I have come across
(12:24):
in the music business.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
That's what I wrote it about.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Basically, it's say you could bet on it. I'm gonna
it's a for every king and queen. I've got an
ace up my sleeve, like I'm always gonna come out
on top is my favorite line of the song. And
that song I wrote in probably under fifteen minutes because
I was so burned and I was just like feeling
really inspired. Another favorite track is I Never Said It
(12:51):
Be Easy. That's very seventies rock inspired sounding. That song
is out already. It was a single we put out
during my euro tour this summer, and it's the journey
finding your path in life that makes you happy. It's
never easy, but you keep going down that road and
(13:11):
you'll find the sunshine. And that's another favorite. I have
so many favorites. You save me as an acoustic ballad
on the record that I partnered with a British Army
veteran Liam Wakefield.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
He did a duet with.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Me on that song. He had a very he was
diagnosed with illness, mental illness, all different types of personal struggles.
After coming home for more a very serious condition, actually
tried to commit suicide and music saved him. So when
(13:50):
I had written this song about again, on first listen,
you would think this is a love song to somebody,
you save me, you bring the light to my life. However,
it's really about music. And when I wrote it, I
said I have to have my friendly I'm sing this
with me because his story and his passion add so
much to that track. So there's a ton I could
go on and on. I'm really so proud of this record.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
That the last song you saved me. That's a powerful
story and I want to, you know, tell our listeners
that you were gracious enough to be on our companion
podcast Music Saved Me with with Lynn Hoffman, And part
of that is your personal story as well about you know,
(14:35):
some physical health issues that you went through and your
resilience with those with those issues and how you just
pushed through the resistance, you know, with with so much intent.
Can you talk about how you muster that strength to
push through the resistance when you've had these challenges.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I think it's the love for music. It's the same
thing as being on a really taxing tour, Like we're
on a tour right now. We're doing three hour sleep
a night, fifteen to sixteen hour work days, but somehow
I still wake up excited the next day to do
it all over again. And I think it's the same thing.
I just I've loved music so much ever since I
(15:19):
was a little girl, and I think just be feeling
so grateful to get to wake up every day and
do something that makes me truly happy and excited and
passionate is how I pushed through every hurdle I ever
come across.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I know you've been on a lot of tours with
a lot of different artists in particular, I know you've
toured with Brad Paisley and Keith Urban as well. What
do you take from artists like that that are you know,
lessons or you know, just particular foundational music things that
(15:57):
help you grow as an artist.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
We've been very, very blessed. We did a bunch of
festivals with them. I've gone on tour with Jodie Massin,
and I've gotten to play with one of my songwriting heroes,
Richard Marx Phil Vasser, who again was like my everyday
car ride country music inspiration when I was a kid,
which was a total trip to get to sing with him.
It's Loretta Lynn. It's It's been such a wild and
(16:23):
exciting ride and definitely many pinch me moments where on
backstage like I can't believe I'm doing this, I can't
believe they're standing right there, and I listen to them
my whole life, and you learn you learn so much
from watching them. Also on the other side of the coin,
you also learn a lot about what not to do
sometimes when you watch people. So it's really interesting seeing
(16:48):
all of their cruise work and how they're behind the
scenes operations. Works just for me as someone that does
like a lot of the all of the logistics and
planning for everything. I learned something new every time we
work with a new artist.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
I think another thing that's really cool about your music
community that you've built, that you are building is the
international aspect of it. Particularly, I'll highlight your Australian audience.
How is it do you think that you've connected so
(17:23):
brilliantly with the Australian audiences.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I have no idea. I wish I could tell you.
It's so funny. I feel like everything we put out
sometimes just resonates with a different crowd. And I've worked
really hard on building my social media. I have over
eight hundred thousand worldwide followers, and for me, as an
independent artist, that was the only marketing that was.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Free, so I really focused a lot.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Of my energy there over the last several years and
it's turned out great. I network as a professional influencer,
which is really exciting and fun and creatively challenging. But
I mean, I've had every single release I've put out
in the last three years chart in the country of Georgia.
We've never toured there. Australia some of my top streaming numbers,
(18:14):
so it's just really interesting to see how we just
got home from Malaysia on an Asian tour and they've
the people there have been so incredible. I mean, they've
been watching all of my YouTube blogs and these beautiful comments,
and it's just interesting to see that different things resonate
with different audiences.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Who are some of the folks that you'd like to
play with or collaborate with songwright, you know, go into
the studio with that you haven't. Who are some people
on your wish list?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I love John Mayer. I'm a big John Mayer fan.
And also Shania Twain. She was a huge inspiration on
me growing up. But she was for so many is
for so many young country artists. But when I first
wanted to do country, she really gave me the push
to do it because I saw that her music was different.
(19:11):
I saw that she was different, and I think I
I read her autobiography, she was banned. I think it
was from TV because she had showed her belly button
in one of the music videos. You know, she always
kind of pushed the envelope and did her own thing
and never fit into a box. And I was like,
I think I could do that.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Following your own voice, right, Yes, So as you think
about in closing, following your own voice, can you close
your eyes and sort of think where you'd like to
be three years down the road in this journey.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
So whenever I get asked that, I never have a
hard answer. And this is why my life has turned
out in ways I never expected. And I think it's
because I always ca up to an open mind. Whenever
someone asked, where do you want to be in five years?
Just bigger and better than where I am now, Because
(20:08):
if I say I want to have a number one
record in Australia in three years, I may be so
dead set focused on that that I miss this thing
and I miss this thing, and I don't take this
opportunity because I'm chasing this thing that maybe is not
the right thing to chase. If you ever told me
I'd be going to Malaysia playing country music, playing in Poland,
(20:31):
I'm going to Africa soon to mentor young artists and
train them for performing. I if you've said, if you
bet me a million dollars, I would have lost, you
know that I'd be doing that. So I think I
just as long as I'm growing and I'm constantly not
on a plateau. And I see, if you have ten
(20:53):
followers today and I have eleven followers tomorrow, that's growth,
and that's all I want to do. I want to
continue to make music. It makes me happy. I want
to continue to travel the world and meet amazing people.
And as long as again that's kind of rising and rising,
I'm really happy with that. In five years or three
(21:14):
years or one year or one year, you never know
or next week. Yeah, it's so true. I mean we
spent the fourth of July this year in Guantanamo Bay
performing for the troops. I never thought in my life
I would get to see that place and again, if
I had been so hard focused on I want to
(21:36):
tour Europe in July of next year, I wouldn't have
been there.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Jessicallin, I admire your passion, your resilience, your tenacity, and
just you your authenticity about what you're up to musically,
but as a person as well, sharing what's been going on,
sharing your your challenges and pushing through. Really appreciate you
(22:04):
being on Taking a Walk. Congratulations on the new music,
and of course people will see you across the country
and globally that are listening to this. I'm sure soon
because you're a road warrior.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure meeting
you and speaking with you today.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk Podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts,
Host
Lynn Hoffman
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