Jessica James—who's all of 20—released her debut album this past August. Singles such as "Wanted" and "I Look So Good" prove that this singer has a range to land her on the charts.
Windy City Times: Howdy, Jessie! How is life right now?
Jessie James: Life is very good. I have been busy of course but I feel good. I can't complain.
WCT: I heard that you spent a lot of time in Nashville. That's where I grew up.
JESSIE JAMES: Really? I love Nashville. That's where I live now.
WCT: The original Jesse James was an outlaw. Do you see yourself like this?
JESSIE JAMES: I am not a bad girl where you will see me messing up like Lindsay Lohan. I can get into trouble but nothing that is going to be detrimental to my career.
WCT: Who are your musical influences?
JESSIE JAMES: I love Bobbie Gentry. She was one of my favorites growing up, also Janis Joplin. As I got older, Shania Twain and Christina Aguilera were two of the biggest influences.
WCT: I hear a lot of them in your work. I want to tell you how much I love your debut CD. It's a complete album that I listen to over and over. So many artists just release singles these days.
JESSIE JAMES: Thank you. I worked really hard on it. I spent a lot of time on it to make sure it was a complete piece of work.
WCT: We need to build up your gay following with that Christina Aguilera-sounding voice of yours!
JESSIE JAMES: I would love that. I have a good gay following already. Some of my very best friends are gay. They are in New York and representing, playing me in the clubs. I have four fan clubs and websites and they are all ran by gay guys so it's wonderful.
WCT: How did you get connected with Kara DioGuardi from American Idol?
JESSIE JAMES: After getting my record deal, my label wanted me to work with the best of the best so the reached out to her. They sent over my song "My Cowboy" and she loved it and agreed to work with me. We had a few days in the studio and came out with "Wanted."
WCT: What inspired the song "Psycho Girlfriend?"
JESSIE JAMES: I am speaking on behalf of every woman out there in the world. Every one of those things in that song, I have had a girlfriend do. They are not crazy girls, just girls and I am being honest about it.
WCT: When are you coming to Chicago?
JESSIE JAMES: I am still working out my show schedule. I hope so. I really like Chicago.
WCT: You look so good in your new video for "I Look So Good ( Without You ) ."
JESSIE JAMES: Thank you, but that's not my favorite song on the record. I think it's a great video. There are going to be even better songs to come. We are shooting a video for "My Cowboy" this Sunday. Country music requested it. "Bullet" is going to be the third single. "Look So Good" is for the young girls out there.
WCT: Is there a lot of crossover with the country and pop charts?
JESSIE JAMES: I think there is going to be. We get a lot of requests from country radio. CMT is using "My Cowboy" for the CMA [ Country Music Association ] awards coming out. You will see me crossing over a little more towards that direction. When I came out that was my plan from the beginning but you never know how people are going to react. In the media, they usually announce me as a pop/country artist.
WCT: Are you really the same "Girl Next Door?"
JESSIE JAMES: Absolutely. The only thing that is different about me is that I am exhausted. I am still the same girl. I left a really fancy party to go to the Waffle House.
WCT: I love the Waffle House, with its "scattered, smothered and covered" hash browns!
JESSIE JAMES: Me, too.
WCT: Well, you are making me hungry now. I am off to eat lunch, great talking to you!
Gallop over to www.thisisjessiejames.com to learn more about this up-and-coming artist.
