Kat Harlton
Lead Photo provided via PR team
Emerging Canadian country artist Jessica Sevier recently released her incredible new single “Legends of the Summer” on May 19th via all streaming platforms.
Produced by Matt Koebel and written by hit songwriters Emma Lee, Karen Kosowski, Jessica Cayne and Maddie Walker, “Legends of the Summer” is a nostalgic country-rock tune, perfect for summer and reminiscing on the memories of past relationships.
Since releasing her debut single “Ghost of Tom” in 2019, Toronto-born Jessica Sevier has been making her mark on the Canadian country scene, accumulating over 1 million total combined streams.
In 2022, Jessica released her singles “Confetti” and “See You There”, recorded in Nashville with Grady Saxman (Luke Combs, Tenille Arts). “Confetti” gained rotation on Canadian country radio as well as SiriusXM, and reached the #1 spot on the Canadian Indie Country Radio Charts. Followed by “See You There”, which charted on Canadian Radio as the 3rd most downloaded song on its first day and was the 9th most active single from an independent artist.
Jessica’s talent has not gone unnoticed, as her original music gained her a spot to compete on the TV show The Shot: Remastered in 2020. She was also in the Top 7 To Watch at the 2022 CMW (Canadian Music Week), an Indie Week 2021 exhibitor, and was in the Top 12 of the CNE Rising Star Competition in 2020.
Jessica has spent most of her career touring around Ontario, and recently headlined the legendary Lee’s Palace in Toronto. For more details on Jessica’s upcoming show dates, please visit here.
I had the opportunity to chat with Jessica about her new single, her journey so far and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your new single “Legends of the Summer”?
Jessica: To me, “Legends of the Summer” is a song reminiscing on first loves when everything feels so intense. The euphoria of teenage romance makes you feel unstoppable, even legendary – until it falls apart. This song unravels the rose coloured ideals we have in the back of our minds from those times. I think we all know that these relationships aren’t real life, it’s a freedom we will never have again and that is what makes young love so legendary.
Kat: What do you hope fans take from the new track?
Jessica: I hope my fans can see my growth in myself as an artist. “Legends” is a project where I really stayed true to myself and brought in lots of inspiration from the 70’s – guitar reminiscent of The Eagles, vintage visuals and raw vocals. As well, I hope this song brings a little bad ass attitude to all my fans. I like to say we’re starting our legend era, where we strive to find our best selves and once again live like we are “Legends of the Summer”.
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of your creative process?
Jessica: The most challenging part of my creative process is probably trying to incorporate my own style into the typical country “formula” that is so prevalent these days. I grew up listening to songwriters such as Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp who write elaborate story songs. To me “Legends” is my mix between the storytelling of the 70’s and the country style we have today. I wanted to relate to those who are looking for something mainstream while also satisfying the ears of the fans who want to expand their listening styles or are looking for a modern twist on a style they have previously loved.
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far? What have you learned along the way?
Jessica: I think a career highlight for me was opening for Jason McCoy in 2022 at LIVE LAUGH LOVE music festival. I got to have some great conversations with Jason, and he was very inspiring. He is someone I learned a lot from in just one day. He complimented me by saying “you have one of the most beautiful voices, I had to put my drink down and come watch” and that is something I will always remember.
I have learned a lot of hard lessons in this industry but I think the best one is to not care what others are thinking about you. I personally used to worry about what people might think of me, do people think I am copying this person? Am I not good enough? Do these people like me? Those thoughts can become overwhelming and start to diminish creativity because you will start to suppress your true self.
Kat: What can we expect from you for the balance of 2023?
Jessica: 2023 is going to be another busy year for me. I have lots of shows lined up for the upcoming months, here in Toronto, throughout Ontario, and hopefully back down to Nashville as the summer wraps up. I am still in the process of recording new music to hopefully keep your summer stacked with new tunes and lots of opportunity to see them live. My instagram and facebook are always the best places to stay up to date on new shows.
Instagram: @jessicasevier
Facebook: /jessicaseviermusic
Website: jessicasevier.com