(April 2, 2008) - PCM's Melissa spoke with electronica/techno music diva, Jes. Born and raised in New York City, JES realized at an early age that singing was her passion. Jes was kind enough to take some time out of her dance-party lifestyle and talk to us about her music,

Please feel free to visit her MySpace page to learn more about Jes and hear some of her upbeat songs!



Melissa: Hi Jes, how are you doing today?

Jes: Very well, thank you!

M: Where are you right now?

J: I just got back from Miami and I am in California.

M: Cool! Starting from the beginning, what originally got you interested in music?

J: I've always been interested since I was a kid. I remember when I was four or five, I'd seen to the cat or to the ocean, ha! My mom was in musicals and played the guitar so it was always around me. I was that kid that was always picking up things and playing the drums.

M: You, of course, sing. Do you play any instruments?

J: I play guitar and I play piano.

M: What got you interested in electronic music in particular?

J: Well, I'm from NYC so as a kid, I was always sneaking out of the house to go dancing. It's funny though because I loved urban music and then I came out to L.A and did some more rock music out here. I met this raver kid and we were working together. This song of mine called, "Star Children," came out and a lot of DJ's got in touch with me about it and it basically went from there. It came full circle.

M: That's so cool. I read that you also went to an art school when you were younger, did that influence your music at all?

J: Oh, definitely. I was taking chorus and choir classes. I did musicals and dance classes. Performing is always something I've wanted to do.

M: I researched that you worked in a recording studio in L.A. with Mike Olsen, how did you guys end up forming, Guardians of the Earth?

J: That was my first entrance into electronic music, it was with Mike. That's when we did that song I was talking about, Star Children.

M: I read you have worked with a lot of DJ's in the past.. what made you decide to come out with a solo album? Is that something you've always wanted to do?

J: Yes, I always have wanted to do it. It was such a journey. I was working with one DJ after the other and always writing. Then, I became part of a group called Motorcycle. I had so much material. I was really busy with the group and going solo took a backseat. So eventually, I decided I just had to do it.

M: Who are some of your musical influences?

J: Well, I love The Cure. I like Radiohead a lot. The Cocktail Twins. I love great songwriters. The Rolling Stones. It really comes down to the song. I don't have any particular style that I like. Growing up, I liked electronic music.

M: When you are writing a song, what usually comes first for you?

J: Well, it depends. Sometimes the vocal comes first. I'm very melodic so a lot of times the melody comes first. It depends if I'm starting with a guitar or a piano.

M: Do you write from personal experience?

J: Yes, of course! I have so many experience these days with traveling and meeting people. Also, it comes from the things that are happening in the world, the people I know and their stories as well.

M: Cool. In January, you released your second solo album, Into The Dawn, which featured remixes from your first album, Disconnect. How do the two differ?

J: Well, Into the Dawn is a chill-out album, not so upbeat. It's me with a guitar or piano. They are two different sides of me shown. It's cool that I could come out with a really upbeat record and then have my fans like a slower album, too.

M: You were nominated for The International Dance Music Awards and recently performed at the 2008 Winter Music Conference, how was that experience?

J: Oh, it was so much fun at the music conference. I didn't win this year but to be nominated was incredible. It was a very DJ oriented scene and it was great to be recognized as an artist and that meant a lot to me. It was a beautiful day. Everyone came out and it was a lot of fun.

M: Speaking of performances, how does performing live compare with recording in the studio?

J: I live for performing. I always like big crowds. It's more challenging performing, than recording, to me. You have to connect more with your audience. Also, to bring your music from a record and make it translate to people is more challenging, too. Being in bands prepared me for that though.

M: Did you have any crazy tour experiences while you were touring in Europe?

J: Oh my gosh, the whole tour was a crazy, amazing tour! We had a 43 person crew, we have flip screens and lasers and smoke! It was such a beautiful and huge show, it ranged from 10,000 to 28,000 people each weekend. I opened the show with a 30-45 min set and got the crowd pumped. It was challenging to do that, I got a couple glow sticks thrown at me. (laughs) The schedule and traveling was grueling. The different places in Russia and Europe were great. It was a great experience. I almost fell off the stage once! Ha! But, it's always wonderful to perform. Such a great time.

M: Do you maintain your own MySpace page?

J: I do a lot of it myself! I answer a lot of messages and I'll sit there for hours going through them! I get so many emails and a lot of comments. It's great. Some of them are so moving and it just shows that people care and are listening.

M: Have you ever considered a career in something other than music?

J: I haven't! I've been doing it for so long that it becomes second nature. I feel so strongly about it and its influence in my life. I've always had music oriented jobs, I was an assistant in a studio, I've done wiring for studios, styling for Bon Jovi.

M: What can we expect from you in the future?

J: I'm working on my third album, more collaborations. I'm going back to Europe and doing some stuff in Asia. Touring and recording, back and forth! (laughs) My next record is going to be banking on more of where I came from, I think this will be more of a "Where-I-Started" sound. My new single, "Imagination," is coming out, too. The video was shot in Copenhagen, Denmark.

M: What do you like about New York?

J: I can't imagine living any where else. The energy. I like that you can walk out of the house and there are tons of people outside. It's so gorgeous. I love Central Park. I write a lot more when I'm in New York. I feel more myself there than when I'm in L.A.

M: What do you do in your personal time?

J: I love to ski and horse-back ride. I love lounging on the beach. I'm a big reader.

M: Well, thanks, Jes!