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Country music's rising star and former contestant on "The Voice", JessLee, shares the exclusive scoop on her new single, upcoming EP, and her musical influences.
We first chatted JessLee over two years ago when she was just beginning her career. Since then, she has continued to grow as a country artist and seen unprecedented success on social media having eclipsed over 4.5 million video views in only 4 months on Facebook alone, over 84,000 followers on Instagram, hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify, and millions of fans worldwide! JessLee has also appeared as a feature on CMT, and has astoundingly charted 47 weeks in 2019 and 2020 on Apple Music’s “Country Hot Tracks”! Consistently releasing new music and getting major attention from the industry, this singer-songwriter has no plans of slowing down.
JessLee released a cover of Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" on Jan. 8th. “The Climb” is the first track off of her upcoming EP “21 Jumpstart”, that is filled with uplifting covers and originals, to help bring some light to our dark world. This impromptu EP was the brainchild of JessLee who understands the troubles and struggles people are currently having, and wanted to do something to shine a little glimmer of hope in everyones lives. "21 Jumpstart" is set to release on February 12th, and we are so excited!
Read our interview with the powerhouse vocalist below to get the exclusive.
So JessLee, what made you want to release an album with a mix of covers and originals?
2020 was such a hard year for so many people, and I wanted to do something uplifting for my fans! The music we listen to is influencing us every day and I wanted to give my listeners a “playlist” full of hope, inspiration and love to kick off the new year with positivity! I chose my favorite inspirational covers that vibed well, with the same message I wanted to give with my original music.
We absolutely love that! Can you give us an exclusive of songs we can expect to see covered on the album?
Absolutely! It’s a four song EP with the lead single being my original, “Strong”. It’s a song I wrote early in my music career because I wanted to have something of my own to perform at my 501c Non-profit The S.T.R.O.N.G. Program. “Strong” was written and inspired from my experiences of overcoming physical abuse from my father. It’s written in a way that any listener can supplement their own hardships they are overcoming to resonate with the song. The EP will also include “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten , “Rise” by Katy Perry and “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus.
Speaking of, we LOVE your cover of "The Climb" (originally by Miley Cyrus). What made you want to release this cover first, and how do you personally relate to this song?
Firstly, thank you SO MUCH! It means the world! I chose “The Climb” as the first release as a “warm up” to what would be coming on the EP. It’s been a song that has personally aided me through though times and is such a beautifully written song, something was just nudging me to release this one first. When artists cut songs they haven’t written, I like to think at that point they are “interpreting” someone else’s experience. "The Climb" (along with the other covers) have always hit me so deeply in my soul, they felt like something I would have written and knew they would be perfect for this project.
Can we expect to see your recent singles, "Over Him," "Do It Like," and "Neighbors" on the album?
As much as I love these singles, they will not be on the “21 Jumpstart” motivational album because they just would not fit the theme of this project. But, I will exclusively let you know these singles will be rolling over onto an album later on in the year, along with tons of new original music! I am so excited to share what I’ve been cooking during quarantine.
We can't wait! What artists are influencing you right now, and what songs do you have on repeat?
My friends joke around with me saying listening to my personal playlists is like “playing music roulette” ... You never know what you’re gunna get! Haha! A good track is a good track to me, regardless of the genre so, at the moment I’m listening to so many different things! But current artists that have me inspired at the moment are Ed Sheeran, Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton! I have Miranda’s “Bluebird” and Stapleton’s “Starting Over” on repeat, all of the time!
We are counting the days until JessLee's new EP, and have high hopes for her future, just like fellow critics and stars. Trace Adkins said of JessLee, “I like female vocals that are just powerful just pow sit you back in your seat.“ Kelly Clarkson had similar things to say about JessLee. She was quoted as saying, “JessLee is amazing, she is a phenomenal singer”. JessLee’s manager, Steve Virginia, a 15 year music industry veteran, said, “JessLee is flat out the best female vocalist I have ever heard live! No offense to Carrie, Martina or any of the other iconic female singers out there," he chuckled. "Her power and grip on her craft is unparalleled–coupled with the fact that she is one of the best writers in town… mark my words, JessLee will be one of the greatest of all time.”
We agree! For more exclusive pop culture news, follow @kbpopculture on social media and keep up with JessLee by following her on Instagram @JessLeeCountry.
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