Jessie Baylin
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| Jessie Baylin | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 4, 1984 |
| Origin | Gillette, New Jersey, United States |
| Genre(s) | Folk, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Label(s) | Verve Forecast |
| Website | www.jessiebaylin.com |
Jessie Baylin is a Los Angeles, California based singer and songwriter born in Gillette, New Jersey on April 4, 1984.
Her debut album You was produced by Grammy Award winner Jesse Harris and is available exclusively at iTunes.
Jessie and her band have toured with and performed with James Morrison, Dolores O'Riordan, Brett Dennen, ALO, and more.
Having just signed a major label record deal with Verve Forecast, Jessie is currently working on her new record which will be released in 2008.
The song "So Hard" from You was recently featured on the popular television show, "Army Wives" on Lifetime.
Jessie is engaged to Nathan Followill, one of the founding members of and the drummer for Kings of Leon.
[edit] Early life
Born in Gillette, New Jersey, she hung around in the bar and restaurant her parents owned throughout her childhood. “The energy in there is powerful,” Baylin relates. “We got some shady regulars, and I grew up completely enchanted by their stories.” Her mother would join her in singalongs of classic pop music, but by age 13 young Jessie had discovered some of her greatest influences – Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. She was also inspired by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland and their emotional intensity electrified her. “They just let it all hang out,” she notes. “There’s something about artists who looks vulnerable enough to break but at the same time are so powerful. I love that fine line. That’s why I put so much into my stage performance, because that’s what inspires me.”
Moving to Los Angeles after high school – “I had to get out of my comfort zone and out of New Jersey,” she remembers – Baylin wrote her first song with a friend and immediately knew she’d found her calling. Then, she went through the process of making some demos, which resulted in a residency at the Mint and considerable industry chatter.
[edit] Discography
"You" is an intimate, stylish amalgam of pop, jazz, blues, Western swing, and other rootsy styles. The album is, “a melting pot of all the music I’ve ever loved.” Produced by Jesse Harris (Norah Jones), who co-wrote most of the songs. Upon meeting Jesse Harris, their chemistry was immediate
“On the first day we wrote two songs, and then we were cutting demos; then we were cutting a record, and five days later it was done,” she says. “It’s a snapshot of my life at that moment.”
"You" – now available exclusively at Apple’s iTunes Music Store – is a warm showcase for Baylin’s smoky, evocative vocals. Aided by Harris and such legendary musicians as drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Lee Sklar, guitarist Anthony Wilson (Diana Krall), keyboardist Larry Goldings (James Taylor, Norah Jones, John Mayer) and Van Dyke Parks (who guested on accordion), Baylin explores a wide range of emotional territory on such timeless songs as “Leave Your Mark,” “Contradicting Words” and “Sparrow.” “I’ve waited my whole life to sing with players like these,” she volunteers. “They brought so much out of me and the songs.”
“A lot of You is about wanting to be good, and also about self-sabotage. I fell in love while writing this record, which really changed me. It brought up a lot of deep emotions and very deep fears. I was very lonely for a long time in L.A., and that played into this record too. But I’ve felt a lot of love throughout: love for the process and the people I’m working with, and a strong desire not to mess it up. Fear and love are the two forces that balance out me. I’m grateful for both of them.”
