West Virginia native Jess Baldwin’s new EP Anima explores themes of finding her own original inner voice after years of self-repression.
“Home is where one starts from.” ~TS Eliot
Anima, from the Latin meaning “spirit,” is an apt title for the journey Jess Baldwin has taken to find her personal musical expression.
It may seem odd in this age of social media sharing saturation that a musician would struggle with personal expression and yet this is exactly what happened to the Bluefield native.
Growing up in a family where religious observance was taught and strictly practiced (the family was in church four times a week), as a child she felt that her own feelings or thoughts were not as important as “the word of God, God’s will” and therefore were not expressed, but suppressed for fear that she was being “selfish.”
To compound this feeling, mental illness in the family made her feel a personal responsibility to “help the family be OK as much as possible.” She says that there was not an overt “you’re not allowed to have something to say,” but this was her interpretation within the family dynamic.
In her twenties, her inner voice began to emerge. First by joining bands, playing covers and then taking interest in arranging (a re-harmonization of Somewhere Over the Rainbow can be found here) and eventually songwriting.
Anima is her new EP where six original tracks highlight her jazzy, soulful with a touch of pop songwriting style. The moods vary from quiet and reflective to joyous bursts of anthem-like choruses, but it is her tender, warm and expressive voice that draws us in. (Mountain Stage’s Ryan Kennedy is the guitarist on this album.)
To be sure, Jess Baldwin has made a journey of self-discovery and has come out confident, in full color with all of her wildness intact.
“For better or worse, I can’t seem to do anything other than exactly what I feel compelled to do any given day, can’t seem to make a type of music just because I want to make that type of music.”
From West Virginia Public Broadcasting and A Change of Tune, this is 30 Days of #WVmusic, the interview series celebrating the folks who make the West Virginia music scene wild and wonderful.
And today’s interview is with a musician and independent label head that is helping other indie artists make waves. This… is Mr. Husband.
Yellow K Records founders back in the golden days of Petersburg music. (Listen to the chat for the full story on the shirt.)
On his upbringing:
I was raised in Petersburg, in the Eastern Panhandle. I had a good time living there. I could smell and hear the Potomac River the entire time I grew up. I’ve always made music with my brother Kurt, and we started a band called New God which got attention for our first two records. A lot of people compared us to the Beach Boys since our music was a bright and sunny thing. It was our own take on pop music sung by two brothers from Petersburg, West Virginia.
I think all of my music would have to be influenced by my upbringing. I felt very alone being a creative person, which isn’t a bad thing. When I was kid, I thought all of my songs were fantastic, and then when I went to college and met other people who were also trying to write songs, I thought, “I might have to try a little harder. These guys are good.” It was because the solitude of [West Virginia’s music] culture. I didn’t grow up with a lot of punk rock bands or people setting an example of what a band or artist should be, so I grew like a wildflower in that way. But for better or worse, I can’t seem to do anything other than exactly what I feel compelled to do any given day, can’t seem to make a type of music just because I want to make that type of music.
But I know some people who make pop music in West Virginia now, and I’ve been around long enough to get to meet souls in the music scene. But at the time, I felt alone with that.
Credit Courtesy of the artist
/
Mr. Husband and his Mr. Friends.
On leaving West Virginia:
In the time and place we live in, I think if you’re trying to promote your music, you have to leave wherever you are. Just like any place that’s not metropolitan or doesn’t have a lot of tourist activity, it’s hard to sustain original music scenes, not to mention the economy of keeping a venue running, employing people, keeping bands interested. It’s the same things we talk about outside of West Virginia about how to keep these little scenes going with so little money going into the scenes.
West Virginia had its own unique challenges culturally. Like as a kid, I was scared to be an artist because I didn’t have examples set for that around me. I felt like I was stepping into a vulnerable place playing in front of people, maybe even more so than a kid from somewhere with a lot of bands.
Credit Kayleigh Montgomery
/
Mr. Husband
On his indie music label Yellow K Records:
Over time having done so much for yourself as a musician, you start to say, “Well, I guess I don’t need anybody else involved so long as we can keep the organization of it all.” And we still want to get people involved with our music outside of Yellow K Records. There are tons of doors we can’t open for ourselves. It does have to do with my music, but it also has to do with a shared love of music between me, my brother, and Josh Grapes (our kind of adopted brother). It’s just a lifelong thing we’ve had with sharing music.
[When it comes to Yellow K Records’] Eskimeaux, they were playing keyboards with Frankie Cosmos, which Josh, Kurt and I really thought was awesome and just nerding out we found out about Eskimeaux. We reached out to them and talked to them and thought they were cool. [Another Yellow K Records artist] Japanese Breakfast is a different story. We were going to Philadelphia all the time and made different circles of friends, so that’s how that happened, just knowing friends of friends. We don’t usually go hunting for bands too much; we listen to everything that gets sent to us, and every artist that’s been signed to us has been recommended or friends of friends.
Each of us are sort of independent project managers at any given time. There’s a lot of little busy work you wouldn’t guess would be there. On any given day my role is like, “I have this project. Its release is three months from now.” And I am the person who is keeping the band, the PR people, the label, the manufacturing and booking help all looped together in the same conversation to keep working together, not against each other.
Music featured in this #WVmusic chat:
Mr. Husband- “Riding a Lightning Bolt”
Mr. Husband- “Shake That Dream”
Mr. Husband- “Cookie Pie”
Support for 30 Days of #WVmusic is provided by Kin Ship Goods, proud supporter of DIY music and the arts. Locally shipped worldwide at kinshipgoods.com.
Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from The Sea The Sea to Coyotes in Boxes, Qiet to Bud Carroll and beyond.
But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is coming up (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And today, we are chatting with Holly and The Guy, a soul-pop duo who have brought a new sound to the Americana-country-rock mix of Eastern West Virginia. So we asked them…
Credit Courtesy of Holly and the Guy
/
How did the band get together?
We met on Craigslist back in 2014 while we were both looking for jam partners. Things just clicked, so we decided to try and start something.
What previous bands have you all been in?
This is the first official band for both of us.
Where does the band name come from?
Our band started out as only an acoustic duo. We were trying to be unique, so we decided to call ourselves Holly and The Guy!
How has Holly and The Guy’s sound changed over time (if at all)?
We have definitely gone from an acoustic/pop sound to more soul and R&B.
Where does the band play in and around West Virginia (venues, festivals, etc.)?
We spend a lot of time playing at local bars, such as 26th St. Drinkery, Jake’s and Boulevard Tavern. We are excited to be playing the July edition of Ritter Live!
Credit Courtesy of Porch Unplugged
/
Holly and The Guy have played in and around Huntington over the last two years.
What’s it like making music in West Virginia?
Making music in West Virginia is definitely a great experience. We aren’t necessarily “country” or “southern” in our sound, but we draw from the southern influence brought to us from West Virginia.
Do you feel held back by being in West Virginia? Or does it feel like a musically-supportive place?
I think it is a little of both. Not being a “country” band sometimes has its downfalls in this area, but we have met so many supportive parties around here. It’s all about meeting the right people that will support your goals no matter what. I think every area is going to be like that!
Credit Courtesy of Porch Unplugged
/
What, in your opinion, needs to happen in the West Virginia music scene for it to move forward?
I think people just need to start supporting local music way more. Go out and catch a festival. Pay $5 to hear a band at your local bar, or buy a new band’s album! We need to support our people and get the word out that great things are happening here.
What’s been the highlight of Holly and The Guy’s musical journey?
I think the highlight thus far has just been playing so many shows and meeting so many great people. Musicians are great people to know and never cease to inspire us.
What’s your advice to anyone starting to make music?
Our advice would be to just keep playing! You cannot imagine how much hard work pays off in the long run. The more you practice, the better you’re going to get. Just keep working hard and great things will come.
Holly and The Guys‘ latest release is the four-song Holly and The Guy EP. Keep an eye on their social media for their summer tour dates, not to mention their full-length album release. To hear more #WVmusic, tune in to A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic and subscribe to our RSS / podcast feeds!
Indie/alternative sleigh bells ring; are you listening? To celebrate this winter wonderland of a season, “A Change of Tune” host Joni Deutsch chatted with some holiday music hitmakers. Since Chanukah is just around the corner (December 16, to be exact), it only made sense to go to TeamMate frontman Scott Simons, the Bridgeport, West Virginia-native behind such poppy holiday classics as “Chanukah in West Virginia” and “I Won’t be Home for Chanukah.” Needless to say, Simons’ tunes are a breath of fresh air compared to Adam Sandler’s typical Chanukah fare. If you’re a fan of catchy and heartfelt holiday tunes that relate to the Mountain State, this interview and music are recommended for you.
Scott Simons just released some new music with his band TeamMate, and you can keep up with their holiday and non-holiday shenanigans on their website and social media. To hear more of Simons’ holiday jams, tune in to Joni Deutsch’s Happy Indie Holidays edition of A Change of Tune Saturday, December 20 at 10 PM EST on West Virginia Public Radio.
