Aotearoas JessB with be bringing her authoritative live show to the club stage in November / December and powering through cuts from her debut album Feels Like Home. The twelve track album which features guest appearances from Sister Nancy, Kranium, Sampa The Great and Gold Fang with JessB tapping into not only the intimate and personal essence of the physical definition of ‘home, but also the mental and emotional embodiment of the refuge and sanctuary that is finding herself as a person.
As one of Aotearoas most influential artists, JessB has collaborated with the likes of Saweetie, Doja Cat, G Flip and Baker Boy. Her imposing and stylistic form has accumulated over 20 million streams across her impressive catalogue and praise from music and culture tastemakers Afropunk, Acclaim, NME, Sniffers and VICE just to name a few. JessB has also delivered dynamic live shows at major festivals including SXSW, The Great Escape, Listen Out and Laneway and has shared the stage with internationally renowned artists including Stormzy, Kehlani and Genesis Owusu
Finding community wherever her journey takes her, JessBs long-awaited debut album, FEELS LIKE HOME embodies the essence of home not being defined as a place, but instead, being where the heart is. Identifying as a cancer sign to her core, the Kenyan-New Zealand artists heart has lied with her community since her breakout 2017 debut single ‘Soul Free, followed by acclaimed projects Bloom, New Views, and 3 Nights in Amsterdam mixtape. The homebody of the zodiac, cancer signs are typically known to be sensitive, nurturing, and security-seeking souls — but with sharp claws that reveal themselves in JessBs snappy, quick-witted rhymes.
On her debut album, JessB explores the different pockets of her identity as a child of the diaspora. This is depicted over a journey of tracks created with a diverse palette of producers including New Zealand legend, Dera Meelan (Church & AP, Deadforest) in JessBs hometown of Aotearoa, working with MOW Music in the electronic capital of Amsterdam, to the Afrobeats and dancehall roots of her African heritage with One El Beatz, IAMMX0, Tuzi and Turkish D-cypha to the queer black nightlife soundscapes, Jess being the co-founder of Tamaki Makaurau QTPOC club night event FILTH.
It wasnt ever about what the music sounded like - it wasnt like I was naming it that because of the music,” JessB explains of the background behind the album title and themes. FEELS LIKE HOME can mean so many different things. I think its about feeling at home with where youre at, where youve come from, and where youre going. So its kind of like a past, present, future thing - where its constantly moving and changing.”
She continues, What was home to me five years ago when I started making music, and what I did, and how I presented, doesnt necessarily feel like home anymore. Its about what FEELS LIKE HOME means in terms of my career as a musician, and finding my sound, and then also FEELS LIKE HOME in terms of growing as a person and finding my people. Im a cancer, too, so home is really important to me literally as well. Family is extremely important to me, and the idea of having a literal home to come home to that is safe for family and friends, and to share space and love with.”
