JessLee released a new single, “Over Him,” on July 12, 2019. This release was a departure from her previous music. In anticipation of her single, the singer/songwriter sat down with us to talk about her life and her music. If you are not familiar with JessLee, I hope you will walk away as impressed by her as I was after we finished the interview.
JessLee’s Musical Journey
JessLee spent her early life living in Loxahatchee, Florida. Loxahatchee is in a rural part of Florida about 17 miles west of West Palm Beach. Her family would later move to Stuart, Florida where they had neighbors for the first time. The singer/songwriter said, “I grew up in an all-girl, musically filled household. Due to an extremely rough relationship with my father, a large part of my life was just me, my mother, and my two younger sisters Katrina and Andrea.” Everyone is pursuing a career in music and entertainment fields.
JessLee said, “As cliche as it sounds, music is in my blood. My great grandfather was a professional, classical violinist. My grandparents met each other while playing in Canada. JessLee’s mother sang in the White House for the President. My sister Katrina is a musical theater major living and performing in New York City. My youngest sister, Andrea recently graduated from Berklee in Boston with a degree in music production. Andrea also has one of the most incredible voices I’ve ever heard.”
JessLee had the opportunity to compete in season 14 of the voice, after being turned down three years before. JessLee caught the attention of The Voice after releasing “Burn” in 2017. The singer/songwriter said, “My experience on The Voice was so unexpected and enjoyable! I loved meeting and making friends with people who love music so much.” She also said, “It was refreshing to be around “my crowd” because I always felt like a weirdo in high school. No one quite understood why I was passionate about “all these sounds” and lyrics I had playing around in my head.” According to JessLee, “It was also a fun experience working with Blake Shelton, but even more fun working with Trace Adkins, I loved his sense of humor.”
The Songwriting Process
JessLee admitted, “I am the worst person to ask about my writing process because it is never the same. My writing process is always different depending on who I am writing with, what I am feeling or whether or not I brought the hook.” The singer/songwriter said, “I like to believe there is never an exact formula to follow when creating art of any kind.
JessLee’s first co-write in Nashville was with Clay Mills and Westin Davis. After releasing her first EP “Just a Kiss,” she was invited by Westin to come to Nashville and write with him. JessLee said, “Westin asked Clay to join in, and we wrote this cool, angsty song titled “What You Don’t Know” to finalize my “Strong” album. She also said, “I was elated to bring a topic and a hook that excited them and was super happy with the song when we finished it.”
JessLee released a new single “Over Him” on July 12.
“Over Him” will be the first single off an EP that is upcoming. It is always interesting to hear the backstory of a song. However, according to JessLee, “There is no back story to the new songs I’ll be releasing. In all honesty, my goal is to write and release music that I love, and feel my fans will love and relate to, as well. Her new music is a departure from previous releases. The singer/songwriter noted, “My new music will rebrand me in a way and a direction I have been looking to find since I started releasing music. It was not until I worked with Brad Hill (2x Grammy-nominated producer: Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Brett Young) that we could capture everything I am in a hugely commercial way. My team likes to call me and my style, “a modern-day Shania Twain.”
More to JessLee than Music
JessLee is an incredible singer, and in my opinion, she has one of the best voices in Nashville. However, her work off stage to be a positive role model should not go unnoticed. In my conversation with the singer/songwriter, she talked about her struggles with weight. JessLee said, “I was body-conscious, and because of that, I was nervous about performing in front of others.
Health and fitness have become a big part of her life. JessLee spent time competing in figure competitions. She said, “It was a way for me to gain confidence with my weight issues. I won my first competition as a novice in the Women’s short division.” Her experience competing helped her put the same energy into music. Regardless of what JessLee was doing, she would always come back to music. She would merge her love for music and fitness by creating a non-profit organization.
JessLee created The S.T.R.O.N.G. program, which is a non-profit organization that stands for:
- Stay Positive
- Tough Mind, Body, and Spirit
- Respect Everyone
- One Life
- Never Give Up
- Go For It!
JessLee said, “This program is designed to perform as if a Tony Robbings convention merged with a live concert. I use my love and passion for Music & Muscles™ and talk about my life experiences to spread the S.T.R.O.N.G.© message to young people. I engage with them by sharing music and true stories of my struggles and successes to teach them to dream and believe without limits!”
To learn more go to https://strongprogram.org
Making the World a Better Place
JessLee is not only an incredible singer but a fantastic person. I asked her what motivates her to push through the struggles and frustration life throws our way. She said, “My motivation to push through frustration is fueled by my passion for bringing all the light and love I can into this world, using the gifts I’ve been given before my time here done.”
Imagine how different our world would be if we all approached life with the same passion that JessLee does. We are grateful to JessLee for taking the time to talk with us at Undiscovered Nashville. I am looking forward to the single and the EP to follow. In the meantime, if you have a chance to see JessLee perform near you, go check her out. During CMA Fest, I was fortunate to see her play a few times. I am confident you will be as blown away by her voice as I was after hearing her sing. It is also my belief you will also be impressed by her as a person.
A Few Things to Note From JessLee
Jesslee is one word and spoken like “Leslie” with a J
Ways to connect with me:
www.jessleemusic.com (I also have Spotify and apple music pages)
IG, FB, Twitter – @jessleecountry
