Introducing:
Jess Jocoy
Where is she from:
Washington but living in Nashville!
Career Highlights for Jess Jocoy
Playing at the historic Bluebird Cafe for the first time on her birthday last year!
Being involved in season 1 of Songland and pitching her song, Easy, to Kelsea Ballerini.
Performing her music at Americana Fest showcase held at Acme Feed & Seed in Nashville last year.
Social Links for Jess Jocoy:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube
Image Credit: Patrick Sheehan Photography
Jess Jocoy | Artist Introduction
If you could read a book the life of Jess Jocoy it would become apparent pretty early on that she was destined for a life in the music industry. For several years she took part in singing competitions and took every opportunity she could to sing on karaoke in her home state of Washington. From a young age she was introduced to a variety of different artists from the music industry as her parents both listened to very different music. Her mother a fan of classic rock such as Led Zeppelin while her father a fan of country artists like Alan Jackson. As soon as Jess found her voice, both literally and as a singer, her parents have encouraged her to chase her dreams and perform!
With the support of her parents as well as her drive to succeed in the industry Jess had her mind set on moving to Nashville. Sadly before she had achieved her dream of moving to Music City, her father passed away from cancer in 2013. She admits that during that time she felt lost but instead of ignoring it chose to create music that focused on the universal feeling of grief. It was during that time she began to understand how to write sad songs – as a writer myself that is something I can relate too. Following the loss of her father she was now more set on realizing her dream, soon after she moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University where she worked on perfecting the art of writing music.
Touring, Inspirations and Goals
Now in Nashville she is still constantly setting new dreams to work towards such as playing the Ryman Auditorium. Relatively new to touring there had been shows arranged to take her around the US, however, at the moment those are on hold. Some of her favorite venues across the southern states are LaGrange in Georgia and The Bowery Vault in Nashville. (If you happen to be in Nashville or Georgia following this outbreak be sure to check them both out!)
As an artist the creative process is one she often works through alone – at least when it comes to writing the song. She would love to be able to connect with other poetic writers/musicians such as John Moreland, Joe Pug, or Patty Griffin, and would be the first to volunteer if they needed an opener! She has met Joe Pug once at a workshop and remembers him saying the key to writing is “saying the thing without saying the thing.” She has tested it out a few times but due to overthinking as always stuck writing in a simplistic way which tells a clear-cut story.
Such A Long Way | Most Recent Release
She is drawn to the storytellers of the industry such as Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile and Alec Benjamin to name a few. These all create music that makes the listener think – something she is hoping to recreate with her music. When creating her most recent album, Such A Long Way, she was aiming to create a similar sound with her unique twist to it.
Such A Long Way is her debut album however she released an EP in 2018 and has released a few singles since then. Such A Long Way gives us an insight into her personal life, career, and feelings. It is important to note that not every track on the record tells her personal story, however, the way she performs them could have anybody fooled. With such emotion in her voice it forces you to revisit emotions or times in your life that you may have been avoiding for some time.
Hope (Such A Long Way) may have been written as a song that she needed to hear herself, however, I feel that its a track we all need to hear. Often we forget about our dreams trying to make other people happy – this song is a reminder to me, you and everybody else in the world that your dreams are yours to chase. Another song that I felt spoke to me was Love Her Wild, it is my personal favourite from the album. With other tracks such as The Ballad of Two Lovers, Hallelujah, Numb and Somebody Somewhere this album is one of the best I have had the opportunity of listening to for quite some time!
Summary of Jess Jocoy
Regardless of the creative process or writing style she chooses to follow, one thing is certain – Jess is an extremely talented songwriter, singer, and storyteller. If you like what you hear and want to support Jess during this time you can buy merchandise on the site linked above! Other ways you can support her is by streaming or purchasing her music, following her social accounts or simply by sharing this post! In my opinion, it is only a matter of time until this incredible young woman is headlining a world tour!
If you do listen to her music comment below your favourite song?
Travel and Tunes 