Get To Know: Jessy Blakemore

Jessy Blakemore’s music feels like a confession laid bare, the kind shared with great introspection, unfiltered and honest. A singer-songwriter from Reading, her sound exists somewhere between alternative R&B, indie, and soul, who was introduced to listeners by posting stripped-back covers and originals online.

Jessy built a fanbase with visceral vocals before signing to Black Butter Records. In June 2025, she released her first official singles, 'burna' and 'shiloh type beat', mindfully crafting her recording career shaped by emotion first, and genre second, working towards her first album if you need me, i'm a few miss calls away.

Now, she has found some time to chat with New Wave Magazine in a conversation that touches on the financial barriers in music, which led to a more DNY approach, the importance of home, her debut project and why she calls her music "moody, sad girl stuff".

When shaping her 7-song debut project, Jessy says that a heavy factor that went into her creative decision was the music she held closest to her heart. “I went into it like ‘okay, what songs do I love, why do I love them, how do I make a song like that. That was kind of my thought process", she explains.

She also leaned into the raw, stripped-back approach by framing her artistic intent and choosing the right collaborators to bring her sonic vision to life. She said, “If I love what they're doing, love their talent, sound, then it's easier to make stuff work.” Choosing a mix of session types to protect how she thrives in her creative zone, she reveals how collaborating remotely can “feel like a layer of protection.”

An aspect that Jessy loves from when she was a kid is writing. She fondly remembers making up "little songs" when she was playing. Her relationship with creative wordplay is something that she has carried into her music career.

“I always loved poetry. I used to go to this poetry club at my school. I’ve always just loved writing stuff and reading," she said.

However, she reveals that despite the early creative pull, as a self-proclaimed natural introvert, singing didn’t always come easily; “I was always super shy about singing,” Jessy admits, “I didn’t really sing in front of anyone until I was like 16 or something.” Describing herself as a late bloomer, she reveals proudly, “I’m self-taught in singing, writing, production… everything."

Jessy's journey into music wasn’t shaped by formal training, but by not giving in to circumstance and being committed to progressing with self-guided education.

“Music lessons are expensive,” she says plainly, “my mum was a single mum who had to look after me and my sisters, so there wasn’t a lot of spare money going around.”

For a long time, Jessy felt like she was playing catch-up, “There were times I’m like, ‘Oh my God, if I knew this music theory, I’d be able to write a better song.’ But then I realise actually, it’s kind of a unique perspective,” reframing experiences to her advantage and embracing her own path.

A university graduate, Jessy studied philosophy, later focusing on philosophy of physics; a background that subtly informs her skill for songwriting. “Philosophy has so many transferable skills,” she explains, “even just being able to read stuff and take away meaning from everything, it helps.” That search for meaning extends into her sense of story-building so beautifully portrayed in her art.

Of British and Zimbabwean heritage, Jessy speaks candidly about belonging and the evolution of it. She said “Culturally, I’m very British. I don’t have the biggest cultural connection to Zimbabwe, which I’m sad about,” yet she sees this as an ongoing process of growth. “It’s kind of like discovering for the first time… that part of the journey feeds into the creativity", she added.

That feeling of expanding self-identity and embracing different aspects is something she carries with quiet confidence and openness. “You always feel like there’s this feeling of being out of place, maybe,” she reflects, “there’s things about British culture that I don’t agree with, and there’s stuff that doesn’t really agree with me.”

This honest exploration will only take Jessy to further heights, sonically and personally. Firmly based in Reading, the town she proudly claims and where she has lived her "whole life”, Jessy has so far resisted the pressure to relocate and values the significance of diverse voices in the industry.

“London isn’t the centre of the world,” she affirms, “I’m proud of where I come from.” One day, she hopes to flip the narrative, with her own studio set-up and building networks both in and outside the capital, “I want to be like, ‘Yes, you can travel to me.’”

Jessy’s musical references span generations and genres. Growing up, her dad played blues and jazz, while her childhood soundtrack included early-2000s indie and alternative pop. “I loved Arctic Monkeys and The Kooks so much,” she says, smiling. But one influence remains central: “Lauryn Hill’s MTV Unplugged is a massive reference for me… just how emotional and raw it is. That’s always something I want to capture.”

With that inspiration, Jessy’s music is intentionally stripped back; “It’s super guitar-heavy, super vocal-heavy, no drums.” When someone once described her sound as “hood folk,” it kind of stuck. “The folk part is the guitar,” she explains, “and what I’m singing about is kind of standard R&B stuff. So maybe that’s the hood.”

Her current playlist includes Svn4vr, Sade and Mk.gee, reflecting her love for timeless and emotionally rich genre-bending sounds. Evoking chromesthesia, Jessy’s songs exist across the senses; “Especially this project (if you need me, i'm a few miss calls away), the songs feel kind of dark blue or purple to me,” she says, “moody, sad girl stuff. Alternative R&B that’s indie-leaning.” 

Jessy’s songwriting often begins with listening to the world around her. “I’m so nosy,” she laughs, “I travel into London a lot, so I’m on public transport all the time, just listening to people talk.” These moments stick. “Sometimes people say really profound stuff in everyday conversation, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s a lyric.’” She pulls inspiration from many forms: “I love reading. If you’re going to be a writer, you have to read.”

She has a love for drawing and painting, even if time has made those practices harder: “It’s something I really want to get back into.” When it comes to writing, Jessy admits some subjects come easier than others, “It’s always easier to write songs about love and heartbreak, it’s more immediate.” But lately, she’s been pushing herself further, with some songs taking longer to surface.

“For my next project, I’ve been writing more about identity, what it’s like to be a woman, a woman of colour in the UK, and police brutality,” she says, “but they’re harder to write. They’re harder to get out than a love song.” Deeper levels of vulnerability come naturally when she’s alone; “I write basically on my own in my room 99% of the time. Showing demos or being on stage, that’s the harder part.” Still, she believes sincerity creates connection, “If you’re really honest, people lean into that. They give back.”

Staying authentic hasn’t always been a straightforward journey, admitting, “That’s something I’ve really struggled with this past year.” After working in multiple sessions with different producers, something didn’t feel right.

Jessy reflects, “I wasn’t present. I wasn’t writing anything that felt authentic,” so she paused, “I had to ask myself, ‘What do I actually want? What do I want to represent?’” Now, her process is more inward-facing.

“If it feels wrong in your gut, it’s probably not right.” She’s learned to value collaboration rooted in respect. “It’s always great when people credit you properly,” she says, “I’ve had people take my stuff without asking and put it out, it’s really rubbish.” What matters most is alignment and mutual understanding; “People who really love the music and care about it, that’s everything.” 

Recently supporting Naomi Sharon on her Autumn/Winter The Only Love We Know 2025 tour marked a shift in how Jessy views herself as a performer. “It was honestly life-changing, but getting the budget together really felt impossible.” But once on the road, something clicked, “I just felt so confident… I felt like I had nothing to lose.” Overcoming pangs of performance anxiety, the experience changed Jessy’s relationship with the stage, “I’ve always hated performing,” she openly admits, “but that tour made me think, ‘Oh… this is kind of fun.’”

Treasuring the experience, Jessy continued, smile beaming, “Just being around women who were all just really good at what they do- so inspiring. And learning to stay positive.” Moments of connection with her audience and listeners continue to inspire, drive and ground her. One message, in particular, stayed with her, “Someone messaged me after the Paris show,” she recalls, “they’d just found out their partner had been unfaithful. They were listening to my song in that moment.” It was a sobering realisation, “I was like, ‘Wow, this is actually real and connecting for people.’”

Looking ahead, Jessy’s goals are rooted in longevity, not hype, sharing, “I want people to be listening to my songs in like 50 years and be like, ‘That’s beautifully written.’” She dreams of leaving a quiet but meaningful mark, “To have a stamp in time on British music, that would be really cool.”

With sights firmly set on a new creation, expect Jessy’s signature with a change of pace, as she details, “Going forward, I want to have more going on regarding the production in my tracks. For this current project, it was basically all guitar and vocals. I want to have drums, layers of keys, maybe synths.” 

Beyond music, her values remain clear and uncompromising: “Free Palestine. Free Congo. Free Sudan,” with both empathy and command in her voice, “everywhere I go, I’ve got to say it.”

Jessy Blakemore’s artistry is built on conviction: honesty over super-polished, feeling more than a copy-paste formula. In her if you need me, i'm a few miss calls away, a world of dark blues, purples, and the softness that resides within vulnerability, there is a strength of self-reckoning and solidarity of our shared experiences that shape us in both love and life. With an ability to translate complex emotion into a shared emotional lens, Jessy is undeniably one to watch. 

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