The Skinny on Jesse Terry
When most independent roots musicians hit the road, they do it in fits and starts; a weekend here, a couple of weeks there. Simply put, life on the road is tough and the money often isn’t great. But when singer/songwriter Jesse Terry decides to take his music on the road, he didn’t let that deter him. He hit the road. For real. In 2010, he once toured for eight straight months. Back in June, after wrapping up his latest record, Jesse decided to do it all again. He and his wife, Jess, packed all of their stuff in a storage unit, hopped in the car, and started piling on the miles.
Months later, Jesse has played shows across the United States, and he recently took a 23-date jaunt to Europe, playing in a medieval church in Lancaster and to half a village in Dorset, both in the United Kingdom. This “life is the highway” lifestyle has afforded Jesse and Jess the opportunity to take off -road diversions like castle hopping and hiking the Swiss Alps outside Interlaken, Switzerland on off days. And did I mention that his wife is from New Zealand? Yeah, he gets to play there, too.
Ahhhhhh, the life of the wandering minstrel. Sounds like a good gig if you can get it.
For Fans Of
Scott Miller, Ray LaMontagne, Paul Simon
Outside Looking In
“Jesse is a troubadour in the classic sense. His songs and voice remind me of James Taylor, Dan Fogelberg, and even Ryan Adams. He writes with true craft, and his melodies linger with you long after just one listen. I have had such pleasure working with Jesse on two albums now. We have gotten to collaborate on arrangements and even do some co-writing. He sings the melodies with passion and believability every time. Each time we start working on the vocal of a song, I am struck by how great the songs are and how Jesse delivers them with such ease.
— Neilson Hubbard, producer and songwriter, on Jesse Terry
On Stage
Turns out that the one place you can find Jesse Terry is on the road. Take a look at his tour calendar and you’ll see that his Toyota RAV-4 is chewing up the miles. Out on the road in support of his new record, Stay Here With Me, you can find him in November gigging across the Northeast, with shows in New York and Connecticut. By mid-month, Jesse will be back in the Southeast, with dates in Alabama (Birmingham and Huntsville), Tennessee (Nashville and Franklin), and Georgia (Dahlonega and Decatur).
In His Own Words
“I wrote that tune with my producer and good buddy, Neilson Hubbard. My wife and I had recently decided to hit the road full time together – no address, just a storage unit in Nashville – and I think I was talking to Neilson about the giant leap of faith were were about to take. My wife quit her job and we took off together right after I finished recording my new album. It’s the second time we’ve done that in the last three years. For me, the song is about taking that huge leap of faith in your life and believing in yourself, even when it scares you right down to your core. Sometimes folks will call you crazy when you blaze your own trail. And they may be right.”
— Jesse Terry, on “Feel That Way Again”
On The Web
For more information on Jesse Terry’s new record, Stay Here With Me, or when Jesse will be hitting a stage near you, surf over to www.jesseterrymusic.com. Be sure to check out “Feel That Way Again” on this month’s Trail Mix.
