The Kiddo Tour: A Backtage Interview With The Emerging Star Jessie Reyez
Last night I attended the Jessie Reyez concert at the Alexander in Vancouver. For those who may not know, Jessie has just released her first project, her ”Kiddo" EP, and she’s taking the music industry by storm. She’s got a gritty voice, and her presence is uncanny for someone who is only touring for her first time. This girl is real. Everyone was taken by the energy she brought to the stage. If you are not from Vancouver, the Alexander is 3 story bar in the heart of Gastown. It’s a great venue for shows, however, let me tell you this: the stage is small. Until last night, I have never seen anybody make use of the space like Reyez did. Her presence filled the whole room, and everybody in it was holding on to every word she sang. The best people in this industry do not need the huge production behind them to put on a good show, and Jessie is one of those people; She showed up to entertain. The venue was packed full of people who were on board the Reyez train, and everybody was singing her words along as she performed her songs. It was an unforgettable performance.
If you are unfamiliar with Jessie Reyez, see my artist feature “There’s Just Something About Jessie Reyez” here to learn more about her music:
http://beautyonabeat.tumblr.com/post/160751023592/theres-just-something-about-jessie-reyez
I have been supporting Jessie Reyez since she released the first song of this project, “Figures”. She truly is dedicated to her fans. She takes the time to custom make the “Kiddo” merch herself before each show and while she’s on the road. At the Alexander, she waited after her performance to meet her fans, taking a picture and a moment to chat with each one. Even after such a busy night, she still managed to find a few minutes of her time to meet me backstage for a short interview:
You’ve just released your first project, and people are responding incredibly well to your art. I am sure that this is just a stepping stone for you, in a sense, and that you want to achieve greater things after this. What are some of your biggest goals in this industry?
“To have a few Grammys on my shelf”
You have a collaboration on the latest Calvin Harris album that came out days ago. I really love the song that you two did together. How did this collaboration come about? Did you reach out to him?
“He actually, on twitter, when “Figures” was out said that “Listen I just want you to know that Figures is doing really well and people really appreciate it”, and I was like “Thank you man”. Then told me he was working on stuff and then we ending up working, and it was really only supposed to be one big session… but he’s been nothing but supportive.”
“He’s been so supportive and so positive, and offered guidance. He’s a good person.”
“He’s so great. I am so grateful to have been asked to be on that project, like incredibly grateful.”
Tell me a little bit about that creative process with him, what was your favourite part about working with Calvin Harris?
“Freedom. He’s just open to try new stuff, and I find that really important. He doesn’t really have a lot of musical fear.”
You are on you’re way to achieve your goals, and your songs are finally out to the world. What has been your favourite part of this process so far?
“I know it sounds really cheesy, but, I’m trying to grow as a person as this is happening too, you know? I feel like it’s important to be present in a lot of things so I make the effort to be present. So when I put the effort into creating and I’m just in the studio making music I like to just focus, be present, and do that. Now that I’m doing this (this is my first tour on my own), I’m really appreciating being able to say this is the focus right now.”
“It’s all been beautiful”
If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, in this world who would that be?
“I love Frank Ocean, I have hopes that one day [we could], because I respect his music so much. But [if we’re] talking about legends that have passed on into the afterlife, I would love to be in a room with Bob Marley and Amy Winehouse. Just the three of us in a room to just jam. That would be crazy”
You definitely have some Amy like qualities to your voice. It really gets me. Maybe some that she did not have when she was alive. It’s very captivating.
“Thank you so much. I feel so funny when people say that because I feel like she is so incredible.”
You seem so grounded and in touch with yourself, and life must feel like a whirlwind of change for you right now. On your not-so-good days, what do you do for self help?
“I do yoga. I meditate. It helps so much. I know a lot of people talk about it, but some people think it’s just mumble jumble… it is not. Meditation is magic.”
“Sometimes meditation comes in hidden forms and people don’t even know that their doing it. For example, I know that the way my dad talks to me about fishing, [that] fishing is my dads meditation. For anyone that does do meditation, you’re focusing on your breath and that’s all that your focusing on… so the rest of you can kind of calibrate. He does that when he’s fishing. Or other people do it when their painting. It just lets the focus come when your mind can just be closer to god and come back to earth. Which is funny cause it’s sounds ironic. Be closer to god but then come back to earth all at the same time.”
You decided to make a huge statement with your song “Gatekeeper” and the short film you released with it. I think it’s so important that you did that. I know that situations involving sexual harassment like this occur often in this industry and I’d just like to hear what you would have to say to young girls, or anybody for that matter, who are coming up in this industry that may encounter the same thing.
“If you’re coming across it stay strong. Find people that believe in you and that love you for you, and stick with it. If you have been through it, and you happen to have done it, don’t judge yourself because people make mistakes all the time. No one can judge you but god, and you have to forgive yourself if you have been through that and gone through with it as opposed to saying no. If you said no, congratulations, keep fucking pumping and moving forward. You’re going to be okay. Whichever fork in the road that you decided to take… what happened in the past doesn’t matter. It’s just the matter of how you are going to deal with that now in the future. As long as you stay strong and focus then you’ll be fine.”
Listen to “Hard To Love”, the Calvin Harris/Jessie Reyez collab here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7oR_P12CZs