Jess Kent is one of Australia’s current success stories. Having entered our ears – and dominated triple j’s airwaves – with the infectious ‘Get Down’ last year, she’s just released her debut EP, the helpfully-titled My Name Is Jess Kent.
Born in England, Jess Kent spent her formative years in Adelaide busking on the weekends with her brother, honing her craft and making her presence felt. Now based in Sydney, she’s got a long list of famous fans including Coldplay, who tapped her as the support act for their Australian tour this month.
With her new single ‘The Sweet Spot’ still nestled between our ears, we’ve had a little chat to Jess Kent about her career path so far, and what it means to be a pop artist in Australia.
Having started out as a busker, what role do you feel busking had in your musical development?
Everything. I used to learn a bunch of covers the night before and trial them in the set the next day, so I got used to learning songs quickly and figuring out what works well live. It helped with performance too; when you’re busking people don’t have to care, you have to make them stop and get involved and have fun.
You used to busk with your brother, but was the rest of your family as musically-inclined?
My Grandad played drums and Dad was a full-time musician when I was growing up. There were always musical instruments around the house, music was on all hours of the day, and people would come over and rehearse in the kitchen, so it was a very musical house!
How did you first start to make the transition from your days busking to the sound you have now?
I always write my songs on guitar first, so I had these originals that were ready to go. My now-executive producer Andrew Klippel found some sound bites of me singing on Instagram, and we started working with producer Nicky Nighttime to come up with a unique sound.
What impact has approval from artists like Coldplay, Troye Sivan and will.i.am had on you, both musically and personally?
It’s super cool to have encouragement early on that what you’re doing is being recognised and enjoyed. It can be terrifying coming out fresh and not knowing if anyone’s going to care, so it’s been inspiring to have people that I respect and admire reach out.
Has your relatively sudden rise had an effect on you?
Even though I’ve been working at it for years and years, I never could have expected the welcome to be so warm straight out of the gate. It has required an adjustment, but I’m just working everyday to keep pushing myself, embracing the journey, and keeping good people around me.
As an Aussie pop musician, how do you feel Australian pop musicians compare on the world stage? How do they do things differently, or better?
It’s epic to see artists like Troye doing so well over in the States and other countries. I’m just a firm believer that wherever you are, you have to push the envelope. You have to bring something new and unique to the table.
Australia has been such an amazing foundation for me to hone my craft. With streaming and so much focus online now, I think Australia has just as much of an opportunity to bring something to the table.
How do you feel the pop landscape differs in Australia, from that of America or Europe?
Australia is quite polarising; as in, you’re either a pop artist or an alternative artist. You can be put into a box quite easily. Elsewhere it’s kind of a bit more fluid. My aim is to make true music and be proud of the fact that I am a musician, and also feel comfortable being in the pop climate too.
Are there any other Aussie artists you feel we should be looking towards at the moment, musically or otherwise?
Amy Shark I think is great. Also, check out Wishes’ sign-language video for ‘Settle’, it’s rad.
What have been some of the most useful lessons you’ve taken from your time in the music industry so far?
Know yourself, and trust the process. Be the artist you want to be and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And stay healthy!
What are you most looking forward to next? What’s the sweet spot you’d ideally like to occupy in music?
I’m really looking forward to getting into the debut album. We’re diving deeper into the eclectic palette that the EP was made up of. I want to bring people along for the journey, and the EP is a product of that journey so far.
I’m singing about growing up and getting to this point here and now, so the album, I guess, will be a byproduct of this next chapter – so for me that’s really exciting.
Jess Kent Coldplay Dates
December 3 – MT Smart Stadium, Auckland, NZ
December 6 – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, QLD
December 9 – & 10 Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, VIC
December 13 & 14 – Allianz Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Jess Kent At laneway Festival 2017
January 26 – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane, QLD
January 28 – Footscray Community Arts Centre & The River’s Edge, Melb VIC
February 3 – Hart’s Mill, Port Adelaide, SA
February 4 – Sydney College of the Arts, Rozelle, NSW
February 5 – Esplanade Reserve and West End, Fremantle, WA
