Name: Jessie Wagner
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Nationality: American
Current release: Jessie Wagner's new single "Are You Scared," featuring Scott Martin, is out via Wicked Cool. Also still available is her debut album Shoes Droppin.
(Pure) Vocal Music Recommendation: For me, I think that would be Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock. It’s so moving and haunting. Every time I hear it, I get chills.

If you enjoyed this Jessie Wagner interview and would like to find out more about her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, twitter, and Facebook.  
 


Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in your voice and singing? How and when did you start singing?

My mom always encouraged my sister and I to play some kind of musical instrument. She also made sure we sang in the church choir and were exposed to operas and symphonies.

I grew up listening to all kinds of musical expressions, which fostered my appreciation for the medium. She helped lay the foundation for my career by making it an integral part of my everyday existence.

If you're also playing other instruments, how does the expressive potential of these compare to your own voice?

I’ve had lessons in guitar and piano, but I’m barely a competent player of either instrument! But it does help me figure out where to take certain melodies.

Most of all, I can torturously bang out a basic skeleton of a song so when I work with my musicians, they have an idea of the chord structure.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a singer/vocalist? Which practices, exercises, or experiences were most helpful in reaching your goals – were there also “harmful” ones?

I think the main challenge for me as a singer is that I was not formally trained. Sometimes, that would make me feel inadequate and insecure when performing with singers who’ve had a music education foundation. It would affect my performances. I’ve had to grapple with that insecurity my whole singing career.

Over the years, I’ve taken a few lessons and have found coaches that I trust, so I can preserve my voice. But I’ve also accepted that although I don’t have the formal background, I’ve developed and grown over time by working with wonderful musicians. I’ve crafted a sound for myself and I’m more confident in my ability.

I still get insecure sometimes, but I’m in a place where I understand where it comes from and I know that I have worth as a singer. I address a bit of that insecurity in my song “Great One.”



How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your singing skills?

I’ve been in situations where I wasn’t in sync with a player and it completely threw me off. I didn’t sing as well because I was trying to follow the keyboard player and he was just looking at the chart. I got so flustered, I forgot the next phrase and I sang the wrong words. But when I’m in sync with the rhythm section, I can improvise melodies and I can have a lot more fun with the vocal patterns.

The groove is what gets the people to connect. If it’s not there, it’s hard to make it feel right as a singer. The singer and the band have to be connected for an optimal experience.

What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist? What moves you in the voices of other singers?

For me, you don’t have to be the greatest singer. I just have to feel some genuine emotion in your performance. I can appreciate tone and grit.

And yes, everyone tends to applaud vocal acrobatics. But if you hear real joy, or anguish, or anger when someone sings, that tends to move me more.

How would you describe the physical sensation of singing? [Where do you feel the voice, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or tension etc …]

I suppose it’s like a vocal dance. Singing can be like watching an Alvin Ailey performance.

It takes effort and sometimes pushing yourself to the limits of your ability. But in the end, you create something beautiful through all that effort.

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your own voice?

The best musical situation is when you have the perfect mix of band with your vocal soaring on top with clarity. It’s difficult to get to that place.

A good sound mix is the most essential aspect of a great performance for me.

We have a speaking voice and a singing voice. Do these feel like they are natural extensions of each other, ends on a spectrum or different in kind?

I think they are opposite sides of the same coin. They both can drive emotion, but in different ways.

I use my speaking voice very differently than my singing voice. But they are an extension of me. I’m conducting the performance. I’m the connection between the two.

From whispers to screams, from different colours to dynamics, what are the potentials and limits of your voice? How much of your vocal performance can and do you want to control?

My voice gets tired when I have to sing the same note in a repetitive pattern over and over again. Especially if it’s in my upper range. It’s even more of a challenge when you have a terrible vocal mix. I have to be very cognizant of placement so I don’t strain too hard.

That’s always the challenge - giving the best performance without overly taxing your vocal chords.

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

When I write, I usually hear the melody in my head first. Then, the lyrics come, usually based in the mood I’m in. I try to fit the lyrics to the melody I heard, but as the words come, the melody tends to change to fit what I need to say.

I don’t mind singing other people’s songs. A lot of times, that’s what inspires you to write your own composition. But I do enjoy making someone else’s song my own through my interpretation of the melody.

Strain is a particularly serious issue for many vocalists. How do you take care of your voice? Are the recipes or techniques to get a damaged voice back in shape?

After a gig, I try to stay quiet. I try to get as much sleep as I can. Sleep is the most important thing to maintaining your voice. It’s more important than all the lemon and honey you can ingest. But if you’re a full-time singer, it’s probably the thing you’re getting the least!

I will drink throat coat, or lemon ginger and honey tea. I’ll do a quick warm up. I’ve even tried hot sauce, vinegar, and French fries as a way to get the chords going. But it always comes back to vocal rest and sleep as the best remedy for me.

How has technology, such as autotune or effect processing, impacted singing? Has it been a concrete influence on your own approach?

I always try to sing on pitch. I’ll do take after take if necessary.

I mostly deal with autotune when I’m recording dance tracks. It’s just part of the sound. You can be in tune and they will still want it tuned. It doesn’t change how I sing though. It’s just one other tool that gets used on occasion.

For recording engineers, the human voice remains a tricky element to capture. What, from your perspective, makes voices sound great on record and in a live setting?

Sometimes the vocal can come across too bright. It takes away some of the warmth. If the sound engineer is capable of giving some bottom to the vocal, it will have a nicer color to the tone.

I think my engineer found a great balance for me on my song “Lovers Lullaby.”



Motherese may have been the origin of music, and singing is possibly the earliest form of musical expression, and culture in general. How connected is the human voice to your own sense of wellbeing, your creativity, and society as a whole?

Singing brings release. There’s a reason why so many movies and tv shows have scenes when a particular songs comes on, all the emotions those characters are experiencing gets amplified and expressed. Music is a conduit. Music is cathartic. Music allows us a means to process our feelings.

For me, it allowed me to find God again. When I lost all hope, I wrote the song “Shoes Droppin.” It was the beginning of a grieving process and I was able to come to terms with what was happening in my life.



I needed that form of expression, because without it, I would’ve never been able to move forward.