Interview with Jess Jocoy

What project(s) are you currently working on?

I’m excitedly building up the release of my debut full-length album, Such A Long Way, coming out April 10th! It’s a collection of eleven songs that are based on a reckoning I had regarding progress. I’ve been doing music (singing, writing) since I was a kid, but I’ve really only been pursuing music as a profession for the last couple of years. When I first started out, I was playing the occasional writers’ round, but I was struggling with confidence. I moved from Washington State to Nashville in 2014 to study Songwriting at Belmont University, which was really exciting, but also I went from essentially being the only musical person I knew, to being surrounded by a ton of people who wanted the same thing as me, did the same thing as me, and did it really well. On top of that, Nashville itself sent me into culture shock. I thought I wanted to be a country artist, but country was undergoing a major change and I wasn’t sure I was keeping up. At the time, I was writing a lot of sad songs, having recently lost my dad to cancer the year before. I was just lost. After two years of not playing, I’d given myself the ultimatum: either pack up and go back to where you came from (I couldn’t call it home; Washington didn’t feel like home anymore), or do what you set out to do. So, I chose the latter. At the same time, I’d really started to discover what the term “Americana” meant as a genre. Artists like Jason Isbell, Gillian Welch, and Gregory Alan Isakov really captivated me. Story-based music. Honest and raw and emotive. I started to find a sense of direction and was able to begin honing in on the music I wanted to create, whereas before, I was all over the place… like a balloon someone let loose in a grocery store parking lot.  

The songs on Such A Long Way, while not all specifically about me, each have their own hints of my truth amongst them, but they’re all centered around the idea (which is kind of turning into the record’s catch-phrase): you’ve come such a long way, but there’s still such a long way to go. Two years ago when I started to push myself to play out, I was playing in an event room attached to a bowling alley (word to the wise: you can’t get a decent live recording of a song if you’re playing in a bowling alley). A friend of mine had challenged me to play 20 gigs in one year, and I gawked at the idea. But last year, I played more than that and even began booking regional dates. That’s progress; even if it seems minuscule, it’s still moving forward. But I know there’s a long way to go in building a lasting career as an artist. It’s a daunting thought, all of the hard work that is still left to be done. But I choose to find hope in that journey; to be excited for each day as it comes. It’s not going to be easy or come overnight, but with diligence and dedication, I believe a person can do just about anything. That’s what this record is all about.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music and when did you know? 

A dear friend of mine told me once how lucky I am that I have always had a clear sense of direction of what I want to do; that not a lot of people really have that. I tried to argue, but honestly, she was right. Since I was young, I’m grateful to know that I’ve always wanted to be a singer. I’ve never really thought of trying to be anything else. As I’ve gotten older, I started to realize that being a singer was only half of it. Being a songwriter is the other half. I’ve been singing since I was a little girl, but I didn’t really start taking it seriously until I was 13 or so. It was brought to my parents’ attention when I was young, to start me in voice lessons. My parents, while not really musical, gave me a strong love of music. Growing up, my mom used to tell me about how she and my dad would spend hours fishing together when she was pregnant with me, all the while she’d be sitting with a pair of headphones over her belly playing the “Dances With Wolves soundtrack.” I’m blessed to say they’ve always been so supportive of my dreams. From countless hard plastic chairs, to hay bales, to sitting on the grass for hours on end, they would drive me to every singing competition and karaoke joint in the state. Country music has always held a special place in my heart. After I visited Tennessee for the first time as a teenager, I decided I was going to move to Nashville, get a record deal, and fill stadiums. Of course, I was also naive to the music business in general and not yet wise enough to understand myself as an artist. There was a time in college when I tried to convince myself I wasn’t good enough to be an artist, so I started looking towards music publishing or artist management as “Plan B.” It just wasn’t enough, though. I can’t not make music.

If you weren’t pursuing a career in music, what would you be doing for a living? 

I don’t really have an answer for this question (ref. “I can’t not make music”). I was really blessed to get a job right out of college in the music industry, working at Rounder Records, a record label here in town with a rich history in bluegrass and roots music.  I was hired on as their Label Coordinator, but after a year or year and a half, I was promoted to Project Manager. Talk about deluge of learning. I went from knowing very little about the day to day of the industry to hands-on doing it (I’d taken a few industry courses in college, but most of my classes regarded the art of writing songs, which turned out to be not so applicable). It was overwhelming, but like I said, I was learning so much. I will forever be grateful to Rounder, grateful for my time there, but Project Management wasn’t for me. It’s a career of its own and it was really stressful and very time-consuming. And, while it’s a neat idea to know you played a role in an artist’s album release, I felt like I was standing on the wrong side of the fence. I would come home, mentally exhausted from a long day of staring at a computer screen, frustrated because I was too tired to write a coherent song. I would carry the weight of work home with me, and I was constantly in a bad mood because I didn’t feel like my priorities were in the right place. I think they could sense this frustration, too. I’d started to travel with my music, which they were very gracious in letting me take my work on the road, but after awhile, we both knew it was time to part ways. I have, however, been able to take what I learned in my time there, and apply it to this album release, which comes with a gratitude I cannot properly put into words. So, to answer this question, I don’t know what I’d be doing for a living if music wasn’t my thing. I’ve always loved to travel and would like to do so more, and I love to write. I’ve pondered the idea of filmmaking, screenwriting specifically. That might be an interesting avenue to go down one day.

What is your favorite downtime activity? 

This is going to make me sound so boring, but I’m kind of obsessed with history, specifically British and European history, so in my free time, especially recently, I’ve been watching historical documentaries on YouTube and Netflix about ancient Europe and the middle ages. I’m terrible with historical dates and names, which is why I could never be a historian, but whether I’m in the car or on the couch, I’ll likely be watching something about the ancient Celts or the kings and queens of England. Or World War 2; I’ve always found that so interesting.  Between that and the “Great British Baking Show,” I’m just about ready to pack up and move to the UK any day now.

Who is your biggest celebrity crush? 

Can I only have one? My female celeb crush is actress Alicia Vikander. She’s stunning, and every role I’ve seen her in makes me believe she is her character. She just makes acting seem effortless. Male celebrity crush would have to be… well, there’s a few but I have to admit Tom Selleck is the first to come to mind. I love him in “Blue Bloods” and that man’s mustache speaks. God… historical documentaries and Tom Selleck as a celebrity crush, am I undatable?

Who is your favorite sports team(s)?

Dare I say, I’ve never really been into sports enough to be considered a devoted fan, but being from Washington, I have to say the Seattle Seahawks! The Nashville Predators are a close second.

What is the last movie that you watched?  

As I’m getting older, I’m realizing I don’t give myself a lot of time to watch movies, but I think the last film I watched all the way through was “The Danish Girl,” I think. It was a brilliant film, I can say that much.

What is the last album you listened to? 

I just listened to Hailey Whitters‘ The Dream, which came out recently. It was really a great piece of work! I’d heard her name for awhile but I gained a new sense of admiration for her craft through this album, reminding me of a blend between Miranda Lambert and Lori McKenna, but still her own thing. Good country music and good storytelling.

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

Ok, that’s a tough one! Two albums immediately come to mind: Jason Isbell’s Southeastern and Gregory Alan Isakov’s Evening Machines. Southeastern is the record where I really discovered Isbell, and he’s now one of my biggest musical heroes. The production on Evening Machines is out of this world, and I’ve always admired Isakov’s writing style. Wrecking Ball by Emmylou Harris would be a top contender as well. There’s too many options.

What is the greatest country song of all time? 

In my humble opinion, the greatest country song – if not one of the greatest country songs – of all time is “I’m Just A Country Boy” as performed by Don Williams. It was first recorded by Harry Belafonte, but Williams recorded it as the B-side of the “Louisiana Saturday Night.” Written by Fred Hellerman and Marshall Barer, one of the most poignant lines I’ve ever heard is, “I’m just a country boy, money have I none. But I’ve got silver in the stars and gold in the morning sun.” That line gives me pause every single time I hear it. It’s just a simple, honest, longing love song. I would also have to say “Dreaming My Dreams” by Waylon Jennings is up there as well (written by Allen Reynolds). I’m sorry, apparently I’m incapable of choosing “just one” option, ha ha!

What has been your favorite city/town that you’ve visited out on the road? 

While I’m new to getting out on the road, I really liked playing in Asheville, NC. It felt like a more relaxed version of Nashville, and I dig the handcrafted, and farm-to-table aspect of the food and goods. I’ll be traveling more this year, but so far Asheville takes the cake.

What is your favorite meal? 

I attribute this to my Hispanic heritage, but I could eat beans and tortillas for any meal of the day, any day of the week, dressed up or dressed down. Add some spicy jalapeño sauce and it’s game over.

Who is your dream duet partner? 

I’ve often wondered what it’d be like to sing with Brandi Carlile. Her voice is such its own character: rich and aching at the same time with that vocal break she does so well. Singing with her would be really special.

Who would you like to go on tour with? 

Hands down, I’d love to open for Jason Isbell (if you can’t tell by now, I’m kind of a huge fan … Jason, if you’re reading this, I’m currently available after May)! I’d open for Amanda Shires any day, should she ever ask. I’d love to play shows with artists like Caroline Spence or Erin Rae –  those are a couple of contemporaries that I look up to. I’m in that support slot space right now, which I’m totally cool with. I’m still getting my sea legs, if you will, when it comes to touring, and there’s a hundred and one artists I can think of. Really, my top goal of 2020 is to take my music to new towns, new people, whether it be solo or as support.

What is your ultimate career goal(s)? 

Ultimately, I want to create a career that lasts. Narcissistically, I’m working to hone my craft enough to one day be considered a “songwriter’s songwriter.” I want to be writing and traveling with my music until I’m old and gray. I want to pay back all the people who are helping me along the way, financially and spiritually. I want to build my mom her dream house on her feng shui property, like I’ve always promised her I would once I “sell a song” (as she puts it, ha ha). I was out in LA for a time filming an episode of the NBC series “Songland” (ep103), and one thing I kept hearing people say was, “Oh, yeah, so and so is having a moment right now.” While I believe life is comprised of moments, I want my career to be building up to a lifetime rather than a moment. Of course, that mentality makes this journey feel like traveling the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon, but I’m in it, for the heartache and for the joy, I’m here. Mecca will be selling out the Ryman Auditorium here in Nashville for multiple nights (ultimate dream: making it a yearly thing). I’ll leave this world a happy woman if (and when) that happens!