The Sit Down with Jesse Lynn Madera
American singer-songwriter Jesse Lynn Madera has unveiled her “back-pocket” brilliant new single, “Woke Up in LA” Drawing on the allure of Los Angeles and looking back at her time in New York, the new release is an intimate exploration of loneliness and revival between two loving partners. Madera will also be making her UK debut supporting legendary musician Colin Blunstone on a 16-date tour. We last spoke to Jesse in 2024 around the release of her sophomore album “Speed of Sound” so with new music out in the world and her UK tour on the horizon, we caught up with her over Zoom to hear all about it.
Hey Jesse, it’s great to chat again and you’re finally coming to coming to play some shows over here next month which must be really fun to be looking forward to.
“It is, it's finally happening and I'm excited.”
I looked through the dates and there's some really, really cool places and nice cities that you’re going too, like the first one's on the Isle of Wight, which is really stunning part of the country, then Canterbury is very pretty as well and the last show is probably at my favourite venue in all of London at Union Chapel, which is the most beautiful church that you'll ever see in your life.
“You can see that I'm grinning from ear to ear. I'm just really, really excited to get over there and see all these beautiful places because anytime I've ever come, I've really only gone to one place at a time, like we'll be in London and I've gone on some tours, I've gone to see The Globe Theatre and all of that, but there's so many places on this list that I can't even imagine. I've just never been there and I'm really looking forward to seeing a lot of new places so can't wait.”
How did this tour come about with Colin?
“Well, I opened for The Zombies for a few weeks here in the US and that was through their management, so I'm thrilled to be able to come back and do this with Colin.”
You’re doing a couple of your own shows back home first, is it in Wisconsin that you’re playing tonight?
“I'm actually not in Wisconsin yet, I'm in Chicago right now, but I'm on my way to Wisconsin. I have one more interview after this and then I'll get on the road and I'll be in Wisconsin, but that's only about three and a half hours away so shouldn't be too bad of a drive.”
That's so strange because to us, three and a half hours is such a long drive. We see that as a really long journey, whereas you guys are kind of like anything under six hours is just a chip shot and it's just down the road so when you’re heading to Glasgow and places it won’t be as bad a drive as we view it.
Hey Jesse, it’s great to chat again and you’re finally coming to coming to play some shows over here next month which must be really fun to be looking forward to.
“It is, it's finally happening and I'm excited.”
I looked through the dates and there's some really, really cool places and nice cities that you’re going too, like the first one's on the Isle of Wight, which is really stunning part of the country, then Canterbury is very pretty as well and the last show is probably at my favourite venue in all of London at Union Chapel, which is the most beautiful church that you'll ever see in your life.
“You can see that I'm grinning from ear to ear. I'm just really, really excited to get over there and see all these beautiful places because anytime I've ever come, I've really only gone to one place at a time, like we'll be in London and I've gone on some tours, I've gone to see The Globe Theatre and all of that, but there's so many places on this list that I can't even imagine. I've just never been there and I'm really looking forward to seeing a lot of new places so can't wait.”
How did this tour come about with Colin?
“Well, I opened for The Zombies for a few weeks here in the US and that was through their management, so I'm thrilled to be able to come back and do this with Colin.”
You’re doing a couple of your own shows back home first, is it in Wisconsin that you’re playing tonight?
“I'm actually not in Wisconsin yet, I'm in Chicago right now, but I'm on my way to Wisconsin. I have one more interview after this and then I'll get on the road and I'll be in Wisconsin, but that's only about three and a half hours away so shouldn't be too bad of a drive.”
That's so strange because to us, three and a half hours is such a long drive. We see that as a really long journey, whereas you guys are kind of like anything under six hours is just a chip shot and it's just down the road so when you’re heading to Glasgow and places it won’t be as bad a drive as we view it.
As well as being about to head over here, you had a new song come out last week and from what I've read into it, it's not a new song in terms of the creative process and things, it's something that you've had kicking around for a while. The background behind it was that it came around the time you first moved to California from New York, but where did the whole idea for the song come from?
“Well, when I first moved to Los Angeles, it was barely thought out. I was living in New York and I had friends that had moved to Los Angeles so I'd gone to visit and I decided that I really wanted to try it out. I was really moved to move and around that time when I was visiting LA, I met the man who would become my husband and it all happened so fast. I moved pretty much overnight, I just went to my closet, threw some stuff in a bag and grabbed my cat, then there I went. I told, I told him I'm not moving in with you, I'm going to stay with my friends and you know, I got off the airplane, I went home with him to his to his apartment, then that was that and I never did live with my friends. Then within a couple of months, I was pregnant with our eldest son, George and I missed New York so bad. New York is a walking city and I really missed so much about it. I'd been there for about ten years and in LA, you can't really walk anywhere and there's no rain. Well, there is rain, but hardly ever and I just had a list of grievances, I wasn't as happy as I thought it would be when I got to LA, so the song is really based on that.”
It's almost kind of like the whole Baz Luhrmann Sunscreen song where it's talking about living in New York City once and leaving before it makes you hard then living in Northern California, but leaving before it makes you soft, so clearly, Los Angeles hasn't made you too soft yet.
“Well, I really did soften for Los Angeles. I grew to love it and now I can't leave LA even though honestly, I probably should with all the stuff going on, it's just not as safe as I wish it would be but I do love it. I have a great community and wonderful friends, you know, you put in the time and friends can really become family, but it takes a while. It would be really a big change for me to pick up and leave then try to start that over again, so I'm more or less happy. You know, nothing's ever perfect, but I'm happy, where I am for the time being.”
With “Woke Up In LA” like we sort of said, it's a song that you had kept in your locker for a little while so why did now feel the right time to be bringing this one out?
“Well, it really is as simple as that it seemed to be a great follow-up instrumentation wise and just feel vibe wise to the John Prine cover.”
“Well, when I first moved to Los Angeles, it was barely thought out. I was living in New York and I had friends that had moved to Los Angeles so I'd gone to visit and I decided that I really wanted to try it out. I was really moved to move and around that time when I was visiting LA, I met the man who would become my husband and it all happened so fast. I moved pretty much overnight, I just went to my closet, threw some stuff in a bag and grabbed my cat, then there I went. I told, I told him I'm not moving in with you, I'm going to stay with my friends and you know, I got off the airplane, I went home with him to his to his apartment, then that was that and I never did live with my friends. Then within a couple of months, I was pregnant with our eldest son, George and I missed New York so bad. New York is a walking city and I really missed so much about it. I'd been there for about ten years and in LA, you can't really walk anywhere and there's no rain. Well, there is rain, but hardly ever and I just had a list of grievances, I wasn't as happy as I thought it would be when I got to LA, so the song is really based on that.”
It's almost kind of like the whole Baz Luhrmann Sunscreen song where it's talking about living in New York City once and leaving before it makes you hard then living in Northern California, but leaving before it makes you soft, so clearly, Los Angeles hasn't made you too soft yet.
“Well, I really did soften for Los Angeles. I grew to love it and now I can't leave LA even though honestly, I probably should with all the stuff going on, it's just not as safe as I wish it would be but I do love it. I have a great community and wonderful friends, you know, you put in the time and friends can really become family, but it takes a while. It would be really a big change for me to pick up and leave then try to start that over again, so I'm more or less happy. You know, nothing's ever perfect, but I'm happy, where I am for the time being.”
With “Woke Up In LA” like we sort of said, it's a song that you had kept in your locker for a little while so why did now feel the right time to be bringing this one out?
“Well, it really is as simple as that it seemed to be a great follow-up instrumentation wise and just feel vibe wise to the John Prine cover.”
That was “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” that you put out back end of last year, wasn't it? Prior to that the last record with that wonderful picture of you looking like a mermaid on the front was over two years ago now, so in terms of the grand scheme of things, what’s next? Is there something bigger coming and more things on the way through the rest of the year?
“Yeah, I'm working on another album. The studio that I did most of “Speed of Sound” is no longer there. He just moved so it's gonna be a little while before he's ready to record there in his new space. I don't know how it's happening, but I know that it's happening, if that makes sense. I have those two singles and I do have another one that I recorded right before my friend's studio closed, so that will probably be on this next album and I have most of the songs in my head that I wanna do. It's really not unsimilar to the process of how the last album came out, I didn't really know what I was doing then either, so I guess that's just how I live in my life.”
But the good news sounds like that there is something in the pipeline and something on the way and hopefully when you do come over next month, we might hear a couple of these new ones as well.
“Oh yeah, for sure.”
It's always a thing that a lot of a lot of people always say, that when they come to the UK, it's a really good place to be trying out brand new music, so it's really exciting that you're coming to see us. Are you doing any of your own shows as well or just the ones with Colin?
“Yes, I do, the ones that I'm doing now, are headliners over here in the US and who knows, maybe I'll be able to come back and do some headliners there too when I can stay.”
I know that the tour is quite packed in terms of how the dates come thick and fast but hopefully a bit of time to be a tourist to get to explore these new cities and get some of our wonderful local cuisine over here.
“Yes, I can't wait, I really can't wait and the guitar player that's coming with me, he's really his own act, but I’m lucky enough to have him touring around with me for the time being, his name's Jesse Cole, by the way. He’s a really wonderful singer-songwriter but this will be his first time overseas at all so we're going to be doing all as much touristy stuff as we possibly can.”
So, you're going to be sampling the full works of the English breakfast with the baked beans, fish and chips, the Yorkshire puddings with Sunday lunch and Indian food because that's always the one that everyone that comes over from the states seems really impressed with here in the UK.
“Oh yeah, the last time I was there, I think I had it like five days in a row.”
I could eat curry every day too but thank you so much, it’s great to catch up and we'll definitely try and come and see you while you're over here next month.
UK Tour dates (supporting Colin Blunstone)
Thu, May 7 Newport (Isle of Wight) Strings Bar & Venue
Fri, May 8 Canterbury Colyer-Fergusson Hall
Sat, May 9 St Albans Pioneer Club
Tue, May 12 Milton Keynes The Stables
Wed, May 13 Manchester Stoller Hall
Thu, May 14 Stroud Sub Rooms
Sat, May 16 Gateshead The Glasshouse (Sage 2)
Sun, May 17 Glasgow St Luke's, Glasgow
Tue, May 19 Lytham Lowther Pavilion
Wed, May 20 Leeds Howard Assembly Room
Fri, May 22 Bristol Bristol Beacon (The Lantern)
Sat, May 23 Cardiff The Gate
Sun, May 24 Coventry Warwick Arts Centre
Tue, May 26 Wimborne Tivoli Theatre
Wed, May 27 Worthing Pavilion Theatre
Thu, May 28 London Union Chapel
The new single “Woke Up In LA” from Jesse Lynn Madera is out now and is available HERE. Jesse heads over to the UK next month for sixteen dates with Colin Blunstone with full dates shown above whilst you can find ticket information on her WEBSITE and keep in touch with her socially on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK & FACEBOOK.
“Yeah, I'm working on another album. The studio that I did most of “Speed of Sound” is no longer there. He just moved so it's gonna be a little while before he's ready to record there in his new space. I don't know how it's happening, but I know that it's happening, if that makes sense. I have those two singles and I do have another one that I recorded right before my friend's studio closed, so that will probably be on this next album and I have most of the songs in my head that I wanna do. It's really not unsimilar to the process of how the last album came out, I didn't really know what I was doing then either, so I guess that's just how I live in my life.”
But the good news sounds like that there is something in the pipeline and something on the way and hopefully when you do come over next month, we might hear a couple of these new ones as well.
“Oh yeah, for sure.”
It's always a thing that a lot of a lot of people always say, that when they come to the UK, it's a really good place to be trying out brand new music, so it's really exciting that you're coming to see us. Are you doing any of your own shows as well or just the ones with Colin?
“Yes, I do, the ones that I'm doing now, are headliners over here in the US and who knows, maybe I'll be able to come back and do some headliners there too when I can stay.”
I know that the tour is quite packed in terms of how the dates come thick and fast but hopefully a bit of time to be a tourist to get to explore these new cities and get some of our wonderful local cuisine over here.
“Yes, I can't wait, I really can't wait and the guitar player that's coming with me, he's really his own act, but I’m lucky enough to have him touring around with me for the time being, his name's Jesse Cole, by the way. He’s a really wonderful singer-songwriter but this will be his first time overseas at all so we're going to be doing all as much touristy stuff as we possibly can.”
So, you're going to be sampling the full works of the English breakfast with the baked beans, fish and chips, the Yorkshire puddings with Sunday lunch and Indian food because that's always the one that everyone that comes over from the states seems really impressed with here in the UK.
“Oh yeah, the last time I was there, I think I had it like five days in a row.”
I could eat curry every day too but thank you so much, it’s great to catch up and we'll definitely try and come and see you while you're over here next month.
UK Tour dates (supporting Colin Blunstone)
Thu, May 7 Newport (Isle of Wight) Strings Bar & Venue
Fri, May 8 Canterbury Colyer-Fergusson Hall
Sat, May 9 St Albans Pioneer Club
Tue, May 12 Milton Keynes The Stables
Wed, May 13 Manchester Stoller Hall
Thu, May 14 Stroud Sub Rooms
Sat, May 16 Gateshead The Glasshouse (Sage 2)
Sun, May 17 Glasgow St Luke's, Glasgow
Tue, May 19 Lytham Lowther Pavilion
Wed, May 20 Leeds Howard Assembly Room
Fri, May 22 Bristol Bristol Beacon (The Lantern)
Sat, May 23 Cardiff The Gate
Sun, May 24 Coventry Warwick Arts Centre
Tue, May 26 Wimborne Tivoli Theatre
Wed, May 27 Worthing Pavilion Theatre
Thu, May 28 London Union Chapel
The new single “Woke Up In LA” from Jesse Lynn Madera is out now and is available HERE. Jesse heads over to the UK next month for sixteen dates with Colin Blunstone with full dates shown above whilst you can find ticket information on her WEBSITE and keep in touch with her socially on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK & FACEBOOK.
