To say it’s been a year of change could be considered quite the understatement. But for Vancouver-based musician Jessicka, it’s been the perfect time to truly realize who she wanted to be as an artist.
While her past work has been said to be anchored by heady and dark lyrical content, her new project has taken the artist in a somewhat different direction, evoking a kind of electric energy and exuberance much needed in the current social climate. “I want to get the crowd as pumped to be up and moving as I am when I’m on stage,” she explained. “I just want them to have a more elevated experience. To feel that power and that intensity.”
Having already taken the Canadian pop world by storm with three previous lauded EPs, as well as standout tracks “Wake Up,” and “Broke and Drunk,” Jessicka has continued to move forward – evolving her sound into something she hopes continues to maintain its intense relatability, but in a whole new way.
“It was all about writing songs about the most fun we’ve ever had,” she recalled. “I want to release a record that’s going to slay in a club, and everyone will get sweaty and dance-y. I want to invoke that energy.”
The result is a project steeped with the kind of trance-like beats and melodic lyrics meant to conjure positivity, and an infectious sense of rhythm, peace and genuine joy.
New music is indeed on the horizon, boasting some of the musicians most beloved tracks to date — ones she knows will not only tell personal stories, but hopefully elicit lost feelings and happy memories for audiences far and wide. And the best way to get that message out there is through the power of pop music.
“I feel like there’s a lot to connect to, and I hope people will sit down, really listen, and get more out of it each time. As an artist, you really can’t hope for more than that.”
Getting to know Jessicka
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
Glittering Disaster: A Spaz With Stars In Her Eyes
What was the last thing you dressed up as in fancy dress?
Due to pending releases, I can’t answer this question super honestly, but I CAN say that last year Bradley and I took part in All Dressed Up & Nowhere To Go, A Stay At Home Ball and finally got to wear this floor length sequined gown with zebra stripes. It’s amazing. I got it from Low Life for such a deal. Check Instagram for pics 😉
What would be a good theme song for your life?
Very Good Advice – Alice in Wonderland
What’s your most expensive piece of clothing?
It’s a cat sweater I bought super hungover for $12 bucks online. It has two cats doing the Kate and Leo from Titanic but in galactic space. For some reason that wasn’t enough for me, so I bejeweled all the stars with Swarovski crystals. I’ve done it over the course of a couple of years, but I think it’s worth a bit over $1100 at this point. I’ve never really even worn it either lol. Is anyone interested?
Well, when you’ve worked the vast array of jobs that I have you tend to pick up a few things here and there so I am actually pretty valuable. The trick is to stack your team with people from different generations. At trivia one night there was a sheet with the pictures of current white male actors and I was stumped. I couldn’t tell a single one of them apart, but the younger team members nailed it.
Are you a valuable asset on a Pub Quiz team?
What would be the ideal food to have cooked for you on a date night?
A very well-made ceviche will seal the deal. Believe me.
If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?
Historically: The Stooges. Stadium: Rihanna. Theatre: Phantogram. Club: Cartel Madras
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?
Probably espionage… I’ve always thought I could be a good spy.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
There are going to be lows and there are going to be highs pursuing a career as a musician. Learn to appreciate the highs and don’t let the lows bring you down too much, you truly never know what’s around the corner in this crazy industry – N’didi O
What is your favourite song to perform?
Until now it has been the last couple in the set, the dance numbers Wake Up and Uh Oh. Uh Oh especially because I tend to lose myself in the end of that one and never know what will happen. Now with the new material, I’m overly excited about the performance options the songs have.
What sets your music apart? What is unique, or at least uncommon?
As far I’ve tried writing the formulaic, made for radio stuff and I just can’t get behind it. For better or(financially) worse this music is a pure and honest expression of what feels right to me.
Do you have any other plans relating to this release? A video? Online Shows?
We’ve released an amazing video for Gold Jacket featuring the gorgeous drag queen Uropa and sass master burlesque dancer La Dame Derrier. It was so fun to spend a day in a club even though it was empty, and we could only have a few people 🙂 Instead of a live stream, I’m planning to choreograph a bigger live production with costume changes and different scenes for different songs.
Are you creative in other disciplines?
Not necessarily out of need but out of being a total control freak I’ve taken to doing a lot of my own visual content. I staged and took the Gold Jacket cover art photo as well as a few of the previous releases. There are upcoming video projects I’m semi directing… For something completely out of left field sonically and visually check out my Christmas releases and their stop motion videos, I did those. Honestly, I’m all over the friggin place!
How do you go about writing a song? Do you have a melody in your head and then write the other music for it?
Usually, that is how it goes but for most of this EP Bradley Ferguson and I reversed the creative process. He came up with the beats and instrumentals and we worked out lyrics and melody from there. Largely I’d come in and sing phonically and when keywords stuck out the rest of the song would build from there.
Does your music fit into your local scene? If so, how do you take advantage of that? If not, do you see that as an obstacle and what do you do about it?
This is interesting because for the longest time I didn’t think so. Vancouver felt very folky, throwback rock and metal to me but in the last five years, I’ve noticed a change. Maybe it was meeting amazing pop artists like Elle Wolf or seeing bands like Little Destroyer, Blonde Diamond and IMUR but I suddenly feel like there’s a place for my particular brand of electro glam. And I’ve always known there’s a demographic for it here it’s just a matter of meeting people and making new creative friends.