Feature: Jess McAvoy Decodes ‘American Dreaming’
How did you come up with the theme?
This record took over five years to come together and the process was disrupted by the onset of the pandemic in a serious way. I was thinking a lot about the concept of the American Dream and what it has meant to me, pursuing it for the last 10 years here in New York. My relationship with America and Australia both is a complicated one, and I was attempting to comment on this within the context of American Dreaming.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this album?
The string section for “Stuck in a Loop” was recorded with the Budapest String Orchestra remotely, and that was pretty amazing. Working with Tre Nagella to get everything sounding cohesive was very satisfying, as there are a lot of different elements on the album.
Can you talk about any standout tracks on 'American Dreaming' and what makes them special to you?
I’m really proud of “The Fool” - it came together the way that I had imagined it and it was very exciting when that came to be - I’m proud of the songwriting and the message and it’s a real pleasure for me to listen to.
“Stuck in a Loop” is one of the best songs I’ve written in my opinion. And “Daedalus” flies through the sky just like the story does, all those things are very satisfying.
How has your music evolved since you started as a singer-songwriter? What have been some key milestones in your artistic journey?
My interests have shifted a lot over my 30-year career. Initially, I was very narrowly focused and I think it’s taken me the duration of my career to really understand what I’m interested in. I’m grateful that I got into a lot of soul music in my mid 20’s and have since had my horizons broadened to a lot of other areas, especially pop. As long as I stay curious I think I will be satisfied to some extent. It’s really been these moments of learning new things that have stood out a lot for me.
In recent years working on “The Search” my one person rock musical I have really grown as a storyteller, and I’m excited for the next projects.
Do you have any memorable on-stage moments or performances that stand out to you?
Festival performances are always a trip, but I haven’t done a big one in years. But working with folks in New York things can always get a bit magical. I’ve performed at The Bitter End so many times now that there have been a ton of great performances there, I really enjoy working with good people. I’m so fortunate to collaborate with great musicians.
