Introducing #112 - Jess Fitz
Let us introduce you to jazz pop singer Jess Fitz, who has made a stylish entrance with her debut track ‘I’m Fine’. Fresh from playing her headline show at London’s Folklore, Jess took a moment to talk to us about the track, and the complexities of London.
So, your debut track ‘I’m Fine’ is out now, how does it feel to have that first track released?
It feels pretty surreal! I wrote the song in January 2019 and all of the last year has been building towards this moment, so it’s a big relief to finally have it out in the ether for people to listen to. I’m really excited.
Can you tell us what the track is about?
I had just moved to London and was working in an exhausting hospitality job; I spent a LOT of time commuting on midnight trains. I was pretty homesick and lonely - and it was January which always makes things 10x bleaker! ‘I’m fine’ is such a knee jerk reaction when people ask how you are - it’s easier than saying ‘oh yes actually I’m feeling pretty disillusioned with my life hbu?’ so that’s the main theme. I did know I would be okay in the end though, so I tried to make the lyrics optimistic as well.
It deals with the complexities of London, so what do you find complex about it?
London is my favourite place in the world but I find it’s a city of extremities - the highs are really high but the lows are REALLY low! There’s always so much going on and so many opportunities which is amazing, but at the same time there’s this pressure to be thriving at all times, and that can just make you feel like you’re stalling instead.
There is a mixture of styles and genres in this track, who would you say are your key musical influences?
first learned to sing through listening to that late-noughties cohort of soulful pop stars - Amy Winehouse, Adele, Duffy... I loved the retro feel of their music, which then led me to people like Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder and Chic. I listen to a lot of jazz and neo-soul too, which is where the saxophone comes in! It does always come back to pop music in the end though. Artists like Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Ariana are all changing the game at the moment and I’m definitely influenced by all of them in different ways. I also spent my entire adolescence with my head stuck in a Taylor Swift lyric booklet. As you can see it’s a case of too many influences too little time!
You studied English Literature at Oxford University, who are your top authors to read?
I actually chose the name ‘Fitz’ after F. Scott Fitzgerald so he’s definitely up there! I love how lyrical his writing is. I also love Jane Austen, the Brontës and Sylvia Plath. My favourite recent reads are The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. 10/10.
This track is a taster of your forthcoming debut EP, when we will get to hear that? And what can we expect from it?
The full 3-track EP will be out in June. They’re all written with my co-writer and producer Tony McHugh, he has lots of jazzy influences too so we always have a great time writing together. Expect soul and sass.
Now the track is out there, what are your plans for the next few months?
The I’m Fine music video will be out in the next month and I’ve got lots of gigs around London coming up before my next single release in the spring. So stay tuned.