19-year old Jessica Lea Mayfield may just be on the brink of young adulthood but already has many years of performing behind her. Since the age of 8 she played in a bluegrass band together with her family called One Way Rider. At 11 she began learning the guitar and sequentially wrote her first songs. Four years later she recorded the EP White Lies in her brother’s bedroom which, despite only being printed in a 100 copies, managed to find its way to Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. Auerbach took Jessica under his wings and produced her first full length album With Blasphemy So Heartfelt (2008) which generated quite a lot of buzz amongst critics and music bloggers.

Obviously I wasn’t one of these bloggers as I just discovered Jessica’s music but better late then never, right? Jessica’s beautiful, but often also rather dark and sad songs truly are heartfelt, just as the album title suggests. The bluegrass roots from her family’s band are still present but softened, resulting in a stripped down folk-rock sound. What probably strikes me the most though is her rich, soulful voice. She sounds far older than her young age.

Jessica is set to perform at Sweden’s Way Out West festival tomorrow, so you lucky people who are going make sure you catch her.

~ “For Today”, “Call Me” ~