100 Bands in 100 Days Presented by Verity Credit Union — Day 45: Jess Lambert
Music fans of the Pacific Northwest, hello and welcome back to our third annual year-end daily countdown, 100 Bands in 100 Days, where every day until December 31st, we’re showcasing a new band or artist you have to know about, presented by Verity Credit Union. Follow the #100Bands100Days hashtag on Twitter to stay on top of all the bands featured and make sure to follow Verity on Twitter as well. Some days the featured act could be an established and locally-adored northwest-based musician that perhaps you haven’t been turned onto yet, and other times they could be a band with a small following that just hasn’t had their deserved time in the sun yet. Either way, we’re fairly confident you can come away from this daily segment with plenty of new favorites. We’ve been rocking out for a few days in this showcase so for day 45 let’s tone it down with one of the best singer-songwriters the northwest has to offer, Jess Lambert.
The northwest is perhaps best known for its heavy, down-tuned guitar driven style of music and even though that type of music is still pretty prevalent around here, we also have a deep pool of talented northwest singer-songwriters. Jess Lambert clearly belongs in any conversation about that genre. There’s little doubt she has one of the best voices in these parts and her songs, although well crafted with superb instrumentation, need little else beyond her vocals to make them special.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Jess Lambert’s music often mimics the shifting and moody tones of her natural surroundings. With heartfelt songs full of raw personal emotion and gripping melodies, Jess Lambert creates a sound that may best be described as moody alternative-folk.
Jess stepped on a stage for the first time in October of 2009 at High Dive-Seattle after a booking agent found her music on Myspace. The following year she opened for indie artist Jeremy Messersmith. In April of 2011, after months of struggling with headaches and facial pain, Jess was diagnosed with a cerebral aneurysm. She was forced to set music aside and focus on her health and the treatment of the aneurysm. In February 2012 she returned to music and began performing again.
In 2013, Jess began recording her first EP titled Creature of Fear. She decided to undertake the recording process, which would allow her to create at her own pace. After a few scrapped beginnings, the recording process was finished in late 2014. Creature of Fear was released independently on September 25, 2015.
Creature of Fear is a story of growth, wrestling demons, and facing fear. For Jess Lambert this story involved crumbling relationships, self-discovery, and facing the realities of mortality with the diagnosis of a brain aneurysm in her twenties. In time, chaos and vulnerability gave way to strength, understanding, and determination in the face of fear and the uncertainty of life. This four song EP is a glimpse into and through the struggle… a reminder of what was, and hope for what can be.
With a voice like Jess’s we expect to be hearing huge things out of her in the future.
(You can check out Jess Lambert on Facebook and Twitter and you can purchase Creature of Fear at Bandcamp and stream “Roll Little Boat” below.)
Submissions for 100 Bands in 100 Days are still open to any Pacific Northwest band interested in submission. If you would like to have your band submitted for a chance to be featured in this segment, consult this link for more information on how you can do so.
