JESS NOLAN • Headliners #84

ABOUT JESS NOLAN:“Do your art. Generally, a thing cannot freeze if it is moving. So, move. Keep moving,” said poet and psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés. These were words artist Jess Nolan lived by over the course of the last three years. As everything in the world came to a halt, she kept her creative mind in motion-writing, drawing, singing, and painting her way through the unknown, pursuits Nolan has always relied on to help alchemize her surroundings. The seeds of her sophomore LP’93, out this fall via Righteous Babe Records, sprouted in the height of 2020. Nolan, a member of Jenny Lewis’ all-female touring band, is an in-demand co-writer, vocalist, and touring musician for artists like Katie Pruitt, Joy Oladokun, Lydia Luce, and more. In the midst of the initial involuntary stillness, she planted a backyard vegetable garden, moved her involvement in mentoring young female songwriters online, and traveled back to her New Jersey hometown to stay with family for weeks at a time. In the face of uncertainty, strong, deeply-rooted feelings came pouring out, resulting in 10 poignant reflections on rebirth, reconnection, and mindfulness. With an intention for listeners to feel grounded from its first moment, ‘93 is meant to be a meditation, bringing a sense of rootedness in its execution. “The process of recording this was relaxed,” Nolan recalls. “It’s the safest I’ve ever felt while creating something. ”In a world of overdubs and click tracks, Nolan and her co-producers, Will Honaker and Ross McReynolds, pursued a much more collaborative, organic approach. The atmosphere of the album came from an open and spiritually full place. “Writing this album was a declaration that I will not give up on myself. Only from that place can I fully show up for those around me. I have so much gratitude for this process of making songs and sharing them. It mimics the natural cycle of things... life, death, life,” she says. “I see this record as a true reimagining of myself musically and personally. My hope is that it can provide love and comfort to those who need it.”CONNECT WITH JESS NOLAN:Website - BandcampSUPPORT THIS SHOWSUBSCRIBE TO YOUR LIFE THE MIXTAPE MAGAZINE