Jessie Frye

We've all had that one day, where every moment was so perfect we wished it never had to end. For Denton singer Jessie Frye, that day was Edgefest 2014, when her band won the opportunity to play the music festival ahead of artists such as Beck and the Avett Brothers.
"It was our biggest show to date. It made us realize this is what we wanted to do," she says. It was an almost ineffable feeling, so naturally the 26-year-old wrote a song about it.

The deliciously pop tune is called "One in a Million" and it's the first single from Frye's forthcoming EP, entitled Boys' Club, out Oct. 9. Right out the gate, it's obvious this is a song about empowerment, and the video, which you can see below for the first time today, is a literal depiction of harnessing positive energy.
Frye appears as a warrior princess, a life size incarnation from a young girl's comic drawing, who's come to help battle "darkness, depression, all the things that get in your way," the singer says.
The "One in a Million" video has real life implications, too. Sophie Shipp, the young actress featured in the video, is one of Frye's students at the Hall Music Productions studios in Southlake. The bond they have as student and teacher is one of the things that made the song's message come alive, Frye says.
"One in a Million" by Jessie Frye

Frye, who recently signed with local label Metaledge, will be playing a Boys' Club pre-release party at Harvest House during Oaktopia music festival Saturday, Sept. 26. And if you want to join her in the fight for good, Frye will be offering face paint to whomever wants it at the show. - Dallas Morning News & Guide Live

Words by : Molly Mollotova

In what could only be described as an all-encompassing organic experience, Dallas-based artists Ashley Whitby and Jessie Frye have found a way to use both of their respective mediums to create a living, breathing collaboration of the soul. Their mutual respect for one another, as well as their constant drive to grow as artists can be witnessed in this Nakid-Exclusive editorial, “Queen of Something”.

Ashley Whitby is a force to be reckoned with. The 21 year-old Rowlett native has been toeing the line between whimsical design and avant-garde creativeness with her all-inclusive makeup and styling skills and because if that, she has managed to become one of the most in-demand creatives in the D-FW.

While many may doubt such a young artist’s abilities, Whitby’s resume speaks – quite loudly – for itself. By simply perusing her portfolio you will run into names such as RAW Artists, Univision and CBS Radio. However, Whitby is not one to rest on her laurels. While building her network, she manages to continue crafting her own ever-evolving style by delving into live events, high fashion, airbrush body paint and even sacrifice-themed events – so, there’s something for everyone.

Whitby also seems to have picked up a few notable supporters on her journey to success. The young renaissance woman credits local photographer,Sterling Steves, RAW Artist’s Sarah Badran and Brandy Adams of WAAS Gallery as being the driving forces behind her artistry and explains that she wouldn’t be where she was without their support and belief in her skills.

With no signs of slowing down, Whitby has temporarily turned her focus to makeup and styling live music events. As Whitby puts it, “I went to UNT for about a year-and-a-half. I was going for photography at the time and I joined up with a magazine called Method Seven Magazine. It was not associated with UNT, but it was run by UNT students and they had mentioned that they needed a makeup artist, I had a small kit at the time – and I ended up really loving it. Later on down the road I joined a haunted house called Zombie Manor and they taught me blood, gore and prosthetics, which has benefitted me greatly.”

Following the seasonal apocalypse, Whitby’s work was recognized by RAW Artists – a nationally recognized artist showcase – and the rest is history. Whitby has since been a featured artist in four separate RAW Dallas showcases, which has only lead to eve more opportunities, which lead to her full-time production gig in the Dallas area and her position on Jessie Frye’s creative team.

A few months back, Whitby was contacted by Brent Camp, manager of Denton’s leading pop-punk diva, Jessie Frye. At the time, Camp expressed his enthusiasm and appreciation for Whitby’s work and requested her services to be apart of Frye’s team. Whitby agreed and was enlisted to do the makeup for her upcoming album Boys Club.

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On the heels of 35 Denton, SXSW, KXT’s Summer Cut and even landing her first major sponsor, MAC Cosmetics, it’s clear that Frye is a young performer on the road to stardom. Frye has been a staunch supporter of feminism, women in the music industry and positive views on sexuality; three things one wouldn’t necessarily think of coming from a small Texas college town, yet here she is. And earlier this year, Frye helped create a panel for 35 Denton, called Cherry Bombs, which focused on the importance of women in the music industry and featured other local songstresses who share the same views.

Aside from her activism though, Frye has been steadily living up to her her reputation as an all-encompassing entertainer by blowing away audiences each time she mans the stage. Now, her career is ready for yet another leap into the spotlight with the promise of her upcoming release of her new EP Boys Club on October 9. This past weekend, we here at NAKID had the opportunity to collaborate on an exlusive editorial with Jessie and let her tell us like it is.

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Molly Mollotova: In your own words, tell me a bit about how you got started with writing your own songs and performing.

Jessie Frye: The cool thing about it for me was that it was never a decision, in terms of the emotional side. Of course, you get to a point when you get older where you decide that “this” is what you’re going to do with your life, professionally.

My mother was very, very nurturing when I was a child – and you know – had me dressing up as Madonna, dancing around the house, singing inappropriate songs at five years old- and the Cure has been my favorite band since I was an infant. And my mom introduced me to a lot of really weird stuff like the Cure and Nine Inch Nails.

So, performing and being kind of the center-of-attention was something that I was really into as a kid. Not in a pageant-y way though. When I was eight, my mom put me into voice lessons and I loved it – that’s also when I started to write poetry – a lot. I wrote some really shitty songs, just vocally, because I didn’t know how to play an instrument.

Then when I was 11, my mom introduced me to Tori Amos. So, when I saw her perform I realized that was the missing ingredient, and I learned how to play the piano. So, learning the piano, I was classically trained, and learning it is really how I started to really write songs and really explore music theory and understanding how to write songs and stuff like that – on an educational front.

From there I just kept taking lessons. I got a job at a music store when I was 16 and I met some people in the music scene that way – I started teaching music when I was 17. Kind of around 18, I was at the point where my songs weren’t totally shitty and in 2008 I released this little EP called The Delve. Then in late 2008, I submitted my music to SXSW to perform at the festival that spring, in 2009, and I got accepted.

MM: You mentioned that your mom has been a huge influence on your musical taste, but who would you say are your biggest musical influences or mentors?

JF: Totally. I met my friend Michael Garcia when I was like 14 and he was the first person I shared my music with. He encouraged me to pursue my ambition of wanting to start a band one day. So, he’s a large reason as to why I had the guts to do that. I’ve been lucky enough to have support and belief from everyone in my life, but he was an active role by being there with me – he even gave me my first studio time.IMG_3731 copy_nakid

MM: So, you’ve got a new album coming out soon. What can you tell us about it?

JF: My new EP, Boys Club, is coming out on October 9 and The premiere of my single “One In A Million” should be any day now. It’s a five song EP – I just really wanted to write a really fun record that conveyed our energy live. We’re pretty rock live. And this is the first record where I feel like I’ve definitely found the direction that I want to go. And I don’t really care how many songs are on an album anymore, I just care about how strong they are.

I called in Boys Club, because I read in an interview somewhere that the music industry is just one big boys club. And I thought it would be kinds of funny to name a record that. I think sexism in the music industry is getting better in a lot of ways, because the “girl power” thing is coming back – and look – we’re never going to get rid of it, it’s always going to be here. It’s just how you handle it. And I think in the rock world, at least, I have mostly male fans because I kind of cross the line, image-wise and sound-wise, of sometimes heavy rock and pop. I mean I grew up listening to fucking Gwar and Nine Inch Nails, so of course guys are going to be into my music.

So, I love that I have a large male fan base, because I grew up with an older brother and I’m a tomboy and I love dudes. And to me – feminism is about including people, not being exclusive. That is why I have a large male fan base; because guys respond to that kind of energy – and a lot of females put up a barrier. So, I just thought it would be kind of fun to call my record Boys Club for a multitude of reasons – for feminist reasons, for personal reasons of being a tomboy and a commentary on the music business – plus it’s a catchy name.

MM: So, what’s next for Jessie Frye?

JF: Basically there’s going to be a lot of content. We’ve got Oaktopia coming up, I’ve got a lot of music videos coming out, I’ve couple of MAC tutorial YouTube videos and we’re planning on touring in 2016.IMG_3655_NAKID

MM: As far as your musical career goes, where do you see yourself in five years? What image are you trying to portray?

JF: Playing stadiums! To be totally honest with you, I advocate feminism; I created a panel called Cherry Bombs for 35 Denton, at which I spoke on the importance of sexuality and women and sexuality in the music industry. So, it’s definitely apart of what I do, but that’s not all I am. I think the best way to say it is that feminism is a part of my personality and when it comes to my music, that’s going to be clear in the way that I dress and how I speak.

But when it comes to what I want for my band and where I want us to be in five years, I want us to be a band that people follow and have a hardcore loyal fanbase full of people who feel like they’re apart of something. I’m more concerned about creating a fan base that doesn’t just care about the music, but is interested with who I am as person and can connect with me that way.



Creative Director: Ashley Whitby

Artist: Jessie Frye

Photos by: Charis Kirchheimer

Wardrobe courtesy of: Circa 77 - Nakid Magazine

#9 Jessie Frye, ‘Obsidian’

The tireless singer-songwriter, who categorically refuses to dream small, didn’t disappoint with her hotly anticipated debut LP, Obsidian. Working with producers Matt Aslanian and Jordan Martin, Frye’s boundless vision was brought to lush life — Never Been to Paris all but begs to soundtrack some stylish cinematic vision of subterfuge — and the Dentonite’s full-throttle vocals practically pin you to your chair. - Star Telegram

Did I tell you I stumbled upon the music of Jessie Frye on The Wall Street Journal website? Yeah, it's true. The Wall Street Journal knows good music. And I know this, because they introduced me to one of our favourite new singers of the year, Jessie Frye, who hails from a place called Denton which is in the state of Texas in the U.S.A. I can't say I know much about Denton, but I know that "you don't mess with Texas" and I'm going to extend that to "you don't mess with Jessie Frye". On 'Dear' she is a bonafide rock star, absolutely owning the moment and backed up by roaring guitars and rocking drums. It was a standout moment on her 2014 album, Obsidian and if you're loving this (and why wouldn't you?) you should definitely go give that album a listen. (Matt Bond)


The thing is, I live in Australia and although I’d be quite happy to travel almost anywhere in the world, I never really had a reason to go to Texas until this year. This year was the first time I heard the tremendous sounds of Jessie Frye who gave me every reason to want to fly all the way over a big ocean and visit her homeland. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not thinking of stalking, I just love the idea of knowing where these sounds came from, the huge chords and solid guitars, the driving percussion, the perfectly positioned keys and that voice, oh that voice! Everyone I know is aware of my secret not so secret dream of being an angry rock girl and ‘Dear’ is like all of those dreams rolled into one. And it’s a really angry, really awesome dream that one. (Jo Michelmore) - It's My Kind of Scene

You need a cold shower after watching this video. Frye's unstoppable sexuality takes over this cloying video about, well, yeah. Dropped during another blazing hot summer, but shot during a rather chilly winter, this video is not only the female empowerment version of the "Wicked Game" video, it's a clear statement that Frye knows who she is, and she's going to use it to throw you off balance every chance she gets. - Dallas Observer

With local singer/songwriter (and admitted Tori Amos worshipper) Jessie Frye in tow, I made my way into the hoity confines of the AT&T Performing Arts Center on Tuesday evening to catch the flamboyant theatrics of Tori Amos. Bringing along an Amos expert like Frye was my ace in the hole.

See also:
Quiz: Tori Amos Lyric or Dallas Bathroom Poetry?
Tori Amos: "Being 50 Has Been a Huge Inspiration"

You see, I've never been a big fan of Tori Amos. In college, several former girlfriends assaulted me with Amos' music on a daily basis. Amos was their feminist hero, a poetic, bombastic, immensely talented musician who I really didn't care for. In fact, her music kind of annoyed me. I remember sitting in a bar back in the early 90's with John Reznik of the Goo Goo Dolls and since Amos' debut album Little Earthquakes was all the rage, I asked Reznik what he thought of her. "She's so pathetic that she ought to marry a Kennedy," was his response.

So being a relative Amos novice, I was joyful to have a true fan sitting next to me. Frye not only knew each song word for word, she treated each one like a new and different religious experience. And so did the crowd. The show was more like an evangelical revival with many fans crying and moaning as each song began. To these people, Amos' songs are mini soundtracks to their lives. In all my years, I have never seen such a crowd response.

Dressed in what looked like a studded bathrobe tossed out from Graceland, Amos was the consummate performer. For two hours, she held these peoples' emotions in her hands. Beginning with "Parasol" and ending with "Hey Jupiter," Amos took the audience on a journey through her entire career. Playing only two songs from her latest album Unrepentant Geraldines, Amos concentrated on playing requests sent to her via Facebook. Highlights included "Another Girl's Paradise," "Sweet Sting," "Snow Cherries From France" and "Winter."

But honestly, there wasn't a bum track in the bunch. Overwrought on occasion, the songs still carried a literate weight and a faith in the power of imagery. Opening the encore with "Take to the Sky," Amos used her piano as a percussion instrument, hitting the fall board in order to set the beat and punctuate the song's message of emotional freedom.

As I watched Frye and the 2,000 or so people that packed the AT&T Performing Arts Center, I was taken aback by the transforming effect that music can have on the true fan. Hell, I am still not the biggest fan of Tori Amos, but that woman can sure engross an audience. It's as if she's written a novel based on their lives. Amos has made a mystical connection that goes beyond the common relationship between artist and admirer.

Afterwards, Jessie and I were two of the 10 people who got to go backstage and meet Amos. More often than not, these meet-and-greet sessions are nothing more than a quick (sometimes begrudging) autograph session. But like everything else on this evening, this was different. Frye told Amos that it was because of her that she became a musician. Frye gave Amos a copy of her own CD and Amos promised to listen to it on the trip to Austin. Amos took Frye aside and gave her advice on how to win over an audience. I stood there, stunned, while Amos instructed Frye.

"You go on stage and you fucking kill it," said Amos. "I know I'm going to be hearing about you. I've done this a long time, honey, and you're a superstar. I truly cannot wait to listen to your CD."

As I walked away from the venue, I thought about all of the shows that I have seen, all of the music that I have heard and all of the drunken debauchery that I have witnessed. Yet, I have never seen a fan connect with her idol as Frye did with Tori Amos. OK, now I am a big fan. Excuse me for having feelings. - Dallas Observer

Jessie Frye kicked ass at breaking the Edgefest ice on the mainstage earlier this year.



Now she's back with a video that would make Fiona Apple blush, and a sound that harkens Tori Amos and Joan Osborne collaborating overnight at a piano with a big bottle of Cognac. It's been fun to watch Jessie grow as an artist and songwriter, seeming to make all the smartest decisions along the way to protect her art and image to something that's entirely her own. Now, somewhat sadly for me, we're seeing her blossom from a pretty cool kid-gal into a full grown, fearless and sexy Texas woman who doesn't settle for half-ass. The new video and song, "Shape of a Boy" is nothing less than hot, and doesn't hold back. It's a taste of what's on her new LP, number 2 for Frye, Obsidian.



BTW....the "boyfriend" in Jessie's new video is actually her friend Chase Ryan, who is no slouch of a musician himself. He used to play for Memphis May Fire...now he plays murky, gritty blues in his own outfit, Chase Ryan and The Grave, and co-fronts one of the most tremendous hard rock bands in Dallas: The Virgin Wolves. - The Edge

Denton, Tex., has a thriving music scene, but there’s nothing else there that sounds quite like Jessie Frye. The singer, songwriter and pianist has a robust, versatile voice that she showcases with a wide-ranging pop sensibility on her upcoming full-length debut, “Obsidian.” The album includes the song “Dear,” which Speakeasy premieres today.

“Obsidian” follows a pair of EPs and an invitation to perform at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Tex., in 2009, before she had ever played a concert. Frye started writing songs for “Obsidian” following a particularly bad breakup, which is part of what inspired “Dear.” A sturdy beat from drummer Chad Ford anchors the song, and guitarist Jordan Martin adds a sweeping, overdriven riff that Frye adorns with piano lines and vocals that build from an understated murmur to booming recriminations.


The song was one of the last she wrote for the album, and it came together in a hurry one night when she was playing piano, Frye told Speakeasy.

“The lyrics also happened quickly, and I was taken aback by their honesty,” Frye said. “The emotions behind this song came from a very angry place, so I was apprehensive at first about sounding vindictive. But it’s definitely been cathartic. This song is about leaving someone but feeling like they left you for dead long before it was over. I felt like I had been a victim of someone else’s cowardice so I needed to purge some demons.”

Frye will release “Obsidian” herself on Feb. 11. What do you think of “Dear?” Leave your thoughts in the comments. - Wall Street Journal

Local singer/songwriter Jessie Frye is in the studio recording a new EP with producer John Congleton at the helm.

Seems like an odd pairing at first--especially since Frye's debut EP, The Delve, was such a meticulously mellow affair. But Frye is adamant about expanding her musical horizons and claims the guy behind The Paper Chase is the right guy at the right time.

"We started recording in July and we are going back in the studio around Thanksgiving," says Frye. "Electric guitar is definitely more prominent in the new stuff and the songs have more attitude and are less safe."

Frye's instrumental prowess and top-notch vocalizing made The Delve one of the surprising local debuts of last year. But Frye still felt the need to break some new ground this time around.

"Sometimes when I listen to the old record, I think, 'Oh my God, I am playing it way too safe,'" she says. "And I don't want to be pegged as the nice, sweet, acoustic singer/songwriter."

But hooking up with Congleton was a bit of a surprise for Frye, who recently relocated to Dallas from Arlington.

"Actually, John Congleton approached me a couple of months ago," she says. "He said he liked my stuff and wanted to know if I wanted to work with him. I didn't know who he was, so I looked up his credentials and went 'Holy shit!'"

Besides the new EP that should be finished by year's end, Frye is prepping her band for a series of upcoming gigs. The first of those is Frye's 21st birthday show this Friday at Opening Bell Coffee. Hunter Johnston, from Matthew and the Arrogant Sea, has joined Frye's band on bass and will take part in Friday's show and also when Frye opens for Eric Hutchinson at the House of Blues' Cambridge Room on December 6th.

Pretty busy schedule for a pretty talented lady. - Dallas Observer

http://www.mydentonmusic.com/upcoming.php?page=template&story=jessie_fry9.17.09 - Mydentonmusic.com

http://www.dallasobserver.com/2009-04-16/music/jessie-frye - Dallas Observer

http://www.sxsw.com/node/1188
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We recently caught up with Arlington, TX songstress, Jessie Frye, who will be in Austin for her first SXSW.
"I feel immensely honored to be given this opportunity. Music is really about being a part of something that is bigger than yourself. And five days of so much talent and so many people who love music-it's like a huge celebration.

I feel like this music has a chance to reach out to a lot of people, and what better way to do that than at SXSW. I hope SXSW opens a lot of doors and gets people interested. I'm excited about meeting people who want to help move this music forward.

I think people who come to the show will get a really good variety of sound. Lots of acoustic intimacy, but some really hot electric stuff, too. Because I want to give that to the listeners. I want them to be moved not just emotionally but also musically.

As a band I know we are going to have a blast not only playing SXSW, but also seeing all the music there. There are a lot of bands I am personally looking forward to seeing. Tori Amos, of course. Does it get any better than that? Castledoor is a band I'm dying to see. I really want to check out Tinted Windows, too."

She'll be performing Thursday, March 19 at 18th Floor at Hilton Garden Inn as part of an eclectic and international bill including Australia's Andy Bull who has a voice you don't want to miss, "Belfast's Bob Dylan" Andy White, harmony laden Australian brothers The Kin, Tulsa pop-rockers Stars Go Dim, Philadelphia's Good Old War, and former Northern Pike, Jay Semko, from Saskatoon, Canada. - SXSW

http://www.dfw.com/117/story/109793.html

AUSTIN -- I'll admit I was less than familiar with Arlington singer/songwriter Jessie Frye before settling into a chair at the 18th Floor at the Hilton Garden Inn a little past midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning. That mystery probably served me well, as Frye fairly exploded the conventions of penning and crooning your own tunes, alternating between sassy defiance, wide-eyed vulnerability and sultry beckoning during her tight, eclectic set.

The slightly ragged nature of the whole thing -- one of the joys (and drawbacks) of the Hilton Garden Inn setting is that audience members can hear everything, so some of the giggly, between-song banter put a bit of a damper on the otherwise gripping mood. That said, I think she'd kill in a quiet, acoustically sharp NTX venue like McDavid Studio or the AllGood Cafe. - dfw.com

Another SXSW vet who made quite a mark at last year's festival, this fearsomely talented, Dallas-based singer-songwriter (she previously made her home in Arlington) is wrapping up work on a new, as-yet-untitled, five-song EP, recorded with ubiquitous producer John Congleton. Her smoldering, keenly felt, piano-based pop (see: Birthmark) pulls you in close; Frye is playing multiple gigs in Austin this year -- always a promising sign -- and should connect with fans of Fiona Apple or Tori Amos. (The Hideout, 8 p.m. Thursday) - dfw.com

link to article:

http://www.fwweekly.com/content.asp?article=7157


Arlington singer-songwriter Jessie Frye sounds older than her 19 years on The Delve, her recently released debut EP. But the precocious talent on that record, however impressive, has precedents. The soft ethereal vocals that sail unexpectedly into passionate falsettos, the lyrical obsession with love affairs that enchant and betray, and the gorgeous, diffuse melodies that the player casually plinks out at the piano keys — they all recall the early tuneage of Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell.
Except that Frye doesn’t regard female pop music giants like Nyro and Mitchell as serious influences. Again, this story has a familiar ring — those artists also refused to restrict their sound to a predictable gender ghetto. Rather, Frye counts her earliest mentors as Robert Smith of The Cure and Dr. Frank-N-Furter (a.k.a. actor Tim Curry) from the VHS edition of 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
By the time she started grade school, she “had listened to The Cure and watched Rocky Horror a million times over,” said Frye with a husky laugh. “I guess you could say my mother is hip. She was definitely lenient. My parents got divorced when I was young, and that sets you apart to begin with.”
There was something about the intersection of decadence and melody, theatricality and serious musicianship that corrupted Frye in the most wonderful way. “Expressionism,” she claims, became her guiding principle before she knew what that label meant. But the seeds of her creativity were not mysterious. Frye’s first concert was thrashy goth rockers Type O Negative — she went with her mom.
Frye’s mother and aunt had taken classical piano lessons when they were teenagers, but that was the closest Jessie got to a hands-on musical influence in the family. Instead, she found herself scribbling bits of poetry and prose and singing along to the stereo tunes she heard around the house. The urge to express herself — even in her own small, immature voice — overpowered everything else. At the age of nine, she requested and received voice training. By 12, she was taking intensive private piano lessons. Just a year later, her mother agreed that she would be homeschooled rather than attend an Arlington public high school.
Blame it on Marilyn Manson, she half-jokes about her abrupt conversion to home tutoring. “It wasn’t like I was saying, ‘I’m so fabulous and deep and fucked-up, I have to withdraw from the world,’” Frye said. “I was a cheerleader in sixth grade. I always had friends. I had an intense relationship with a guy. … But I heard the weirdness of Manson, and I loved it. I decided I wanted to learn in my own little world. Luckily, I had a mother who let me.”
Toward the end of her formal education, Frye was already getting in trouble for skipping homework to read the florid literature of writers like Oscar Wilde, Anais Nin, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Wilde and Nin, in particular, taught her to view the world from a sensual perspective, to believe that the worship of beauty and artistic expression could easily compete with anything offered by organized religion. (Frye, by the way, can verify her claims of literary devotion. When I randomly mentioned Wilde’s rarely performed play Salome, she dropped quotes from it effortlessly.)
Two people in the Fort Worth area proved to be more practical influences. Michael Garcia of the prog rock outfit Parallax View met her at a CD Warehouse location when she was 16, and he was the first professional musician with whom she shared her songs. As co-producers, they recorded the earliest demo of The Delve’s “Behind the Footlights” in 2004.
By then, Frye realized her attention span was too tiny for the ultra-competitive world of classical music. Every European composer bored her but Chopin. She went to work as a “sheet music girl” at Mr. E’s Music, where she met guitarist and classical instructor Jeh (pronounced “Jay”) Horton. Based on her music theory chops, he convinced her to teach beginning and intermediate piano lessons at his Mansfield studio.
She continues to tutor piano students, but the stars — or maybe just the local connections — have aligned so that Jessie Frye can see beyond the horizon. Together, Frye, Horton, and Garcia co-produced The Delve at Garcia and Bart Rose’s newly revamped Fort Worth Sound studio. It’s a sultry, thoughtful, but too-well-behaved debut by an artist who’s just beginning to assimilate her extraordinary influences.
“I am ‘neon-green’ as a musician,” she said frankly. “It’s all new to me. I was thrilled when we got the songs on iTunes. Now I want to make a lot of music and be heard, like Ryan Adams. I want to poop out great songs like he does.”


- Fort Worth Weekly

Featured track: "Like a Light," featured on CultureMap's Texas Music Sampler

Country/City of origin: Denton, Texas

Genre: Pop

In one sentence: "Frye carries an intense passion and delivery in her voice that is well beyond her years... Frye's latest EP, Fireworks Child, is a distinctive and eclectic mix of emotional opposites, mercurial and impetuous, yet intimate and constantly drawing you in." - Laurie Gallardo, KUT Austin

Why we chose her: We can't cover SXSW and not give a nod to the little town up I-35 that is, in its own right, a music mecca. Denton, Texas-based Jessie Frye's pop-influenced music career was distinctly shaped by her first SXSW acceptance in 2009. That acceptance was the catalyst for Frye to find a band to back up her original, sultry, well-developed sounds — and she's been back on the showcase roster every year since.

SXSW official showcase: Saturday, March 16th at 512 - Austin Culture Map

We all know that our goals usually line up with what we’ve experienced in our lives, and the same goes for Jessie Frye, the lead singer and songwriter of The Jessie Frye Band. Frye hopes that her music creates a connection with her listeners and their lives. “I know how wonderful it feels to connect with someone’s music. I want to keep that cycle flowing.”

After joining together in 2009, Frye along with Matt Olmstead on drums, Michael Garcia on guitar, and Paulo Castillo on bass, have opened for acts such as Pat Benatar, Eric Hutchinson, and Joan As Police Woman. They’ve also performed at the SXSW music festival hosted in Austin, Texas three years in a row. Frye realizes the important influence of each band member and believes it’s just as important to get along with your bandmates and have a good time together. She says her bandmate’s “creative input brings even more potential to each song.”

Jessie Frye currently has two EPs, The Delve released in 2008 and Fireworks Child just released this April, 2011. It’s difficult to truly place a genre on her music since it varies from easy piano music and country on The Delve with an edgier sound on Fireworks Child. Apparently Jessie Frye likes the fact that her music is genre-less. She says “I try to stay away from [genres], personally. I don’t like barriers. When I am creating in my own little world, I ignore expectations and contexts that genres imply. It is a real mind opener if you practice listening to music with your heart, instead of worrying about fitting into a box.” Although Frye’s music can seem similar to Vanessa Carlton and Sarah McLaclan, the true uniqueness of the music lies in Frye’s soothing vocals and poetic lyrics.

It’s easy to see why another of Frye’s goals is to “write music all across the spectrum” since her musical influences vary from genres such as classical, acoustic, and hard rock. Her list includes Chopin, The Cure, Tori Amos, T. Rex, Ryan Adams, Michael Jackson, VAST, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie. She even mentions Oscar Wilde and Anais Nin since their writings “helped shaped [her] perspectives on art.”

This seems to be only the beginning for The Jessie Frye Band. When asked where she sees herself in the years to come, Frye answers with a determined, positive air, “Hopefully a lot of great tours, festivals, working with other talented musicians, and constantly challenging myself to create music that has both quality and excitement.” Her EPs prove she can and already has accomplished the latter, but the future holds many opportunities for this up-and-coming band.
- Sonic Eclectic

http://melodic.net/?page=interview&id=391 - Melodic.net

http://www.thegirlsare.com/2012/03/14/introducing-jessie-frye/ - The Girls Are- UK Magazine

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/us/some-400-texas-bands-like-bright-light-social-hour-are-at-sxsw-2012.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimesmusic&seid=auto - New York Times

http://frontrow.dmagazine.com/2012/02/mountain-goats-tune-concludes-35-denton-cover-series/ - Front Row D Magazine

http://melodic.net/?page=interview&id=391 - Melodc.net

Like A Light is de openingstrack van haar (gratis te downloaden) EP Fireworks Child. Een lekkere opgewekte middle-of-the-road track waarin haar stem prima naar voren komt. Ze klinkt heel vriendelijk, met misschien iets te weinig scherpe randjes. Maar muzikaal zit het wel in orde en ook de rest van het plaatje klopt. Al met al gewoon een prima tussendoortje. - Duurt Lang- a Netherlands Blog

After a smashingly successful Kickstarter campaign, Denton songstress Jessie Frye has emerged with a beautifully directed clip (by Cameron J. Smith) for Like a Light, a surging track from her excellent new EP Fireworks Child. It was plainly shot in and around Fort Worth (I detect some locations on the Near Southside and downtown) and culminates in a semi-Eyes Wide Shut sort of soiree in a backyard. At any rate, enjoy this gorgeous video and hope that Frye tackles another sooner rather than later. - dfw.com

....And that’s how you properly use Kickstarter. - Dentoneer

Denton singer/songwriter Jessie Frye has been on our radar for some time. She caught our eye when she opened for Pat Benatar in August 2010, and she's been popping up ever since. Her songs are warm and catchy, yet she comes across as unassuming in others.

Frye's latest video, "Like a Light," the first video from her new album Fireworks Child and the main radio single, combines that unassuming air with a strength that builds toward the end of the song. She goes from wearing a drab gray coat in the beginning of the video to a masquerade ball by the end, and we watch her blossom through it all. The inspiration of the song is to access your inner self, and Frye chose to play that out through the metaphor of stumbling upon a group of masked people at a party.

The video was directed by Cameron Smith, a twentysomething director from Burleson who works for Retrofuture Films. It was shot partly in Frye's backyard and partly in downtown Fort Worth. The money to pay for the video -- about $2,000 -- was raised via Kickstarter, and most of the extras were friends. "Look closely and you'll catch a lot of Dentonites!" Frye said. - Pegasus News

Up next, we had Denton based Jessie Frye. When I saw her setting up, I got ready to head for the patio to hang out with the smart people. Cute girl and a piano -- all I could think was that Diaz had booked another damned Sara Bareilles copycat.

Alas, Diaz has excellent taste, so I took a chance and hung around. I'm glad I did.

Frye plays piano and sings. Her backing band is Matt Olmstead (drums), Michael Garcia (guitar) and Paulo Castillo (bass). She has a big voice with a certain torch-singer quality. While performing, she is constantly in motion, even at the piano, where the bench was on two legs at times. Those suggestive moves made those of us in the audience feel just a tad dirty. (She was also wearing a short skirt and fishnets.) The band was tight and punchy, and there was a definite chemistry.

Toward the end, Frye crawled around and laid on the stage for a bit, which I don't think anyone would do if they had seen what I've seen on that stage. Clone of Sara Bareilles she is not.

JJ and the Rogues were up next, and they performed brilliantly, as expected. Then, to close out the night, we had Luke Wade and No Civilians.

The last few times I've seen Wade perform it has been as a solo act, so it was good to see the new band. In addition to Wade on vocals, there was also Scott Lee (bass), Justin Barbee (keys, trumpet), David Wade (sax, flute) and Aaron Haynes (drums). Oh, and Fort Worth's queen of violin, Marian Brackney.

Wade has an amazing voice, and his songwriting skills had a similar effect on the girls in the audience as Frye did on the guys. He has been touring out of state lately, and his following continues to grow along with his talent. I expect great things from this guy. The full band with horns really filled out the sound, and Brackney's violin playing was nothing short of angelic.

Aside from great music, you never know what to expect from The Good Show Live Music Series. It may be punk one month, hard rock the next, but it's always a blast, and I never regret going to one. - dfw.com

I hope you checked out the video above already. If not, go ahead and do it now. You probably won’t even need to read anything below this once you have. It’s a great film made of footage from a CD release show featuring one of the state’s great rising talents. Jessie Frye.
The quality of female talent that has been gracing the stages of North texas in recent years continues to grow. Not that it’s even been a wasteland for the fairer sex, musically speaking. It’s just that people beyond our state’s borders are taking notice too.
Sarah Jaffe and former Dallasite Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) are easily the most notable names to be bandied about these days. But one would be missing a ton if they were to forget about Amber Farris (the powerfully doulful lead singer of Somebody’s Darling) and relative newcomer Madison King, who might be the indie-heir to Miranda Lambert’s tough, Texas country throne.
While the list could continue for a while, for now, we’ll stop with Denton’s Jessie Frye. Having just released her second EP, Fireworks Child, Frye’s sweet voice seems to suit any style, but especially the eclectic indie-pop that her and super-producer John Congleton have dreamed up for this release. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Congleton has produced the much-lauded recent works of two ladies we previously mentioned, St. Vincent and Sarah Jaffe. Either way, the EP is a pleasing listen that impresses with each track.
Male or female, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is the way in which you’ll find yourself either leaving the disc in your CD player, or how you’ll likely be smashing the repeat button time after time, once the record ends. - The Squawker

I hope you checked out the video above already. If not, go ahead and do it now. You probably won’t even need to read anything below this once you have. It’s a great film made of footage from a CD release show featuring one of the state’s great rising talents. Jessie Frye.
The quality of female talent that has been gracing the stages of North texas in recent years continues to grow. Not that it’s even been a wasteland for the fairer sex, musically speaking. It’s just that people beyond our state’s borders are taking notice too.
Sarah Jaffe and former Dallasite Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) are easily the most notable names to be bandied about these days. But one would be missing a ton if they were to forget about Amber Farris (the powerfully doulful lead singer of Somebody’s Darling) and relative newcomer Madison King, who might be the indie-heir to Miranda Lambert’s tough, Texas country throne.
While the list could continue for a while, for now, we’ll stop with Denton’s Jessie Frye. Having just released her second EP, Fireworks Child, Frye’s sweet voice seems to suit any style, but especially the eclectic indie-pop that her and super-producer John Congleton have dreamed up for this release. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Congleton has produced the much-lauded recent works of two ladies we previously mentioned, St. Vincent and Sarah Jaffe. Either way, the EP is a pleasing listen that impresses with each track.
Male or female, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is the way in which you’ll find yourself either leaving the disc in your CD player, or how you’ll likely be smashing the repeat button time after time, once the record ends. - The Squawker

Please review link. - Observer

Please review link. - Observer

Please review link. - Observer

We all know that our goals usually line up with what we’ve experienced in our lives, and the same goes for Jessie Frye, the lead singer and songwriter of The Jessie Frye Band. Frye hopes that her music creates a connection with her listeners and their lives. “I know how wonderful it feels to connect with someone’s music. I want to keep that cycle flowing.”

After joining together in 2009, Frye along with Matt Olmstead on drums, Michael Garcia on guitar, and Paulo Castillo on bass, have opened for acts such as Pat Benatar, Eric Hutchinson, and Joan As Police Woman. They’ve also performed at the SXSW music festival hosted in Austin, Texas three years in a row. Frye realizes the important influence of each band member and believes it’s just as important to get along with your bandmates and have a good time together. She says her bandmate’s “creative input brings even more potential to each song.”

Jessie Frye currently has two EPs, The Delve released in 2008 and Fireworks Child just released this April, 2011. It’s difficult to truly place a genre on her music since it varies from easy piano music and country on The Delve with an edgier sound on Fireworks Child. Apparently Jessie Frye likes the fact that her music is genre-less. She says “I try to stay away from [genres], personally. I don’t like barriers. When I am creating in my own little world, I ignore expectations and contexts that genres imply. It is a real mind opener if you practice listening to music with your heart, instead of worrying about fitting into a box.” Although Frye’s music can seem similar to Vanessa Carlton and Sarah McLaclan, the true uniqueness of the music lies in Frye’s soothing vocals and poetic lyrics.

It’s easy to see why another of Frye’s goals is to “write music all across the spectrum” since her musical influences vary from genres such as classical, acoustic, and hard rock. Her list includes Chopin, The Cure, Tori Amos, T. Rex, Ryan Adams, Michael Jackson, VAST, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie. She even mentions Oscar Wilde and Anais Nin since their writings “helped shaped [her] perspectives on art.”

This seems to be only the beginning for The Jessie Frye Band. When asked where she sees herself in the years to come, Frye answers with a determined, positive air, “Hopefully a lot of great tours, festivals, working with other talented musicians, and constantly challenging myself to create music that has both quality and excitement.” Her EPs prove she can and already has accomplished the latter, but the future holds many opportunities for this up-and-coming band.
- Sonic Eclectic

..."The evening started with a set by local chanteuse Jesse Frye. Absent her complete band, Frye, accompanied only by guitarist Michael Garcia, delivered a fine set showcasing her truly lovely voice. Garcia's guitar work was especially sly, with delays and effects making for an extraordinary sound, including a great "cello" solo.." - Dallas Observer

When Denton’s Jessie Frye played the basement of J&J’s Old Dirty Basement during 35 Conferette, she carried on as if she might have been at Carnegie Hall.

That’s a good thing.


Courtesy photo
Denton’s Jessie Frye hosts a CD release party for her new EP, Fireworks Child, Friday night at Dan’s Silverleaf.
The capacity crowd — not hard to do, really, in the creaky basement of J&J’s Pizza — was sweating on a muggy spring night, and Frye was strutting, vamping and beating the tar out of her keyboards.

The Denton pop-rock darling just released her EP, Fireworks Child, as the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival was prepping Quakertown Park for a weekend gig.

Frye has built a consistent following since her 2008 debut EP, The Delve, and showcases at South by Southwest and 35 Conferette. Last summer, Frye opened for Pat Benetar at Dallas’ House of Blues, plucked from a roster of Dallas-Fort Worth favorites by Benetar herself.

Frye knows how to burn rubber, artistically speaking, and the indie artist is shopping Fireworks to a discriminating crowd. Frye’s latest EP was produced by John Congleton (who’s worked with Sarah Jaffe and the Polyphonic Spree) and Joe McGrath (Ryan Adams).

Frye set out to make a record that had an edge to it. She wanted to make a pop record that was rock around the edges, if you will. The recording is an autobiographical account of this home-school girl-turned-musician, and the work she had to do to earn rock ’n’ roll cred.

If “Prepared,” the real standout of a solid recording, is any indication, Frye earns that credibility honestly.

Details: Frye performs a CD release party at 10 p.m. Friday with Spooky Folk, Tiger Darrow, and Bravo, Max! at Dan’s Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St. Cover is $3, and the show is open to all ages.

—Lucinda Breeding

- Denton Record Chronicle

A -

Jessie Frye (Self-released)

You don’t need to read Jessie Frye’s bio to hear the Tori Amos influences. Frye, a 22-year-old Denton singer, songwriter and pianist, is all piano-driven drama on her second EP, Fireworks Child. Drama with substance, that is. She wrote all five songs, and plays all the piano parts. We get potent autobiographical vignettes that showcase Frye’s powder-keg voice and the chops of her five-member band. Explosive on “Prepared” and then introspective on “Sleeping Tornadoes,” Frye has all the qualities of a compelling artist. Next time give us 10 tunes, Jessie.

- Dallas Morning News

By Preston Jones

Posted 12:54pm on Thursday, May. 05, 2011

Denton singer-songwriter Jessie Frye is a fascinating study in contrasts. On record, she's deceptively demure, purring into the microphone in a husky, come-hither voice. In concert, she's a perspiring, kinetic wreck, unable to stay seated at her piano for very long, often appearing to teeter on the edge of a complete nervous breakdown. Either way, Frye is in total control, conveying her intimate compositions with skill, placing her at the forefront of area songstresses.

Her new EP, Fireworks Child, comes closest yet to fully capturing that dichotomy. Produced by John Congleton and following 2008's well-received EP The Delve, Frye finds the subtlety in love's pursuit (Fortune Teller) just as she elegantly captures the slow death of romance in the big city (Red Angel White Devil). Backed by a crisp, more-than-capable band (drummer Matt Olmstead, bassist Hunter Johnson and guitarist Simon Stipp), every track on Child is captivating, gorgeously rendered stuff. (Startlingly intimate closer Sleeping Tornadoes may be the track that will linger the longest.)

Frye has been steadily playing around town and at South by Southwest over the last three years, landing opening slots for high-profile shows such as Pat Benatar and Joan as Police Woman. Fireworks Child is just the sort of appetizer the unconverted need as motivation: Become intrigued by the stylish, richly observed songs on record and fall completely head over heels in concert. Provided she maintains her relentless work ethic and continues composing songs that reward repeated listens, Frye is bound for big things.

She will celebrate the release of Fireworks Child at 10 p.m. Friday at Dan's Silverleaf, opening for Tiger Darrow, Bravo, Max! and Spooky Folk and again at 9 p.m. May 13 at Dallas' La Grange, with Salim Nourallah, Chris Holt and Manned Missiles.

- DFW.com

By Preston Jones

Posted 12:54pm on Thursday, May. 05, 2011

Denton singer-songwriter Jessie Frye is a fascinating study in contrasts. On record, she's deceptively demure, purring into the microphone in a husky, come-hither voice. In concert, she's a perspiring, kinetic wreck, unable to stay seated at her piano for very long, often appearing to teeter on the edge of a complete nervous breakdown. Either way, Frye is in total control, conveying her intimate compositions with skill, placing her at the forefront of area songstresses.

Her new EP, Fireworks Child, comes closest yet to fully capturing that dichotomy. Produced by John Congleton and following 2008's well-received EP The Delve, Frye finds the subtlety in love's pursuit (Fortune Teller) just as she elegantly captures the slow death of romance in the big city (Red Angel White Devil). Backed by a crisp, more-than-capable band (drummer Matt Olmstead, bassist Hunter Johnson and guitarist Simon Stipp), every track on Child is captivating, gorgeously rendered stuff. (Startlingly intimate closer Sleeping Tornadoes may be the track that will linger the longest.)

Frye has been steadily playing around town and at South by Southwest over the last three years, landing opening slots for high-profile shows such as Pat Benatar and Joan as Police Woman. Fireworks Child is just the sort of appetizer the unconverted need as motivation: Become intrigued by the stylish, richly observed songs on record and fall completely head over heels in concert. Provided she maintains her relentless work ethic and continues composing songs that reward repeated listens, Frye is bound for big things.

She will celebrate the release of Fireworks Child at 10 p.m. Friday at Dan's Silverleaf, opening for Tiger Darrow, Bravo, Max! and Spooky Folk and again at 9 p.m. May 13 at Dallas' La Grange, with Salim Nourallah, Chris Holt and Manned Missiles.

- DFW.com

“Hurry up/I am ready,” sings Jessie Frye on “Red Angel White Devil,” and so is the North Texas music scene. Frye’s Sophomore EP entitled Fireworks Child is an edgier, sassier departure from her 2008 EP, The Delve. Frye’s music harnesses a sophisticated brand of pop that simultaneously achieves a mature lyricism and fresh, youthful melodies.

The slow, gripping guitar on “Fortune Teller” is composed with young-adult angst and recorded with an overflow of attitude. This collection of songs chronicles experiences that all 20-somethings must deal with, like a post-schooling play-by-play. “I have not left you yet/I still got the scars to prove it well,” Frye confesses on “Sleeping Tornadoes,” a hypnotic track that evokes lying in bed all day, ruminating on the aftermath of a relationship gone wrong, and imagining how the other person has moved on. Coupled with melancholy piano, Frye’s truthful spite reverberates throughout the five-track EP, available now.

Listen to this: “Prepared”

- You+Dallas

Click the link to read an extended interview with Jessie. - BlogCritics/Kirsten Coachman

We don't often have the time to explore the local music scene as much as we'd like. When we do, however, it's generally to focus on exceptional local talent -- and that is certainly the case when it comes to 22-year-old Denton chanteuse Jessie Frye.

Frye, who released her sophmore EP Tuesday, is a native of Arlington but now calls Denton her home. Since her 2008 EP The Delve, she's received a modest amount of press and played the last three years at both Austin's South by Southwest music festival and Denton's 35 Conferette.

Over the last two years she's been hard at work crafting her latest offering, a five-song EP dubbed Fireworks Child (available online here) that marks significant growth as an artist from the slow-tempo, heavy piano-laden tracks of her first record into a more polished and mature, up-tempo and radio-friendly offering. Don't read radio-friendly as a negative, these are songs you'll quickly be hearing in your head and humming on your drive to work for a very good reason. They're good, infectious songs with catchy hooks and great, sometimes abstract, lyrics.

"The Delve was written with a sense of innocence. The piano is my heart, where I go to hear myself. So with my first release I wanted people to see that," said Frye. "The biggest difference about Fireworks Child is personal transitions. My life was changing. Plus I started playing guitar...and I felt this spark. It just worked. I saw my musical personality have potential blossoms where I never imagined. So, a level of confidence made it's way on to Fireworks Child. I am not as naive as I once was."

In short, the EP shows Frye has a lot of range and writes with primarily positive messages about seizing the moment, realizing your own potential and not letting yourself down, no matter how unfortunate things may seem. She preaches making the most of those "personal transitions."

On the EP, she drops out of the gate with Like a Light, an up-tempo song that's arguably the most radio-friendly of the lot, and therefore the most likely candidate to grab the interest of newbies. The contrast between the first and second track, Prepared, which is also the first single off of the EP, is unmistakable. Prepared is a well-executed, edgy, alt-rock cut that is a departure from the infectious poppy opener and light-years beyond The Delve.

"I chose Prepared as the first single because I wanted to surprise people," said Frye. "I wanted to show them that I can create really organic material (The Delve) and then do something completely opposite. To show people that you can't exactly peg me right now."

Nailed it.

Of the final three tracks, Red Angel White Devil, Fortune Teller and Sleeping Tornadoes, two are slow, piano-driven numbers with Fortune Teller being the odd man out of those three. Yet, it's placement is ideal as it creates a nice flow between the tracks and never allows the piano-driven tracks to get too heavy and slow your senses. As much as she favors it, she trusts her instincts and doesn't wedge the piano in where it doesn't belong. This discipline gives the songs that are more piano-driven that much more poignancy.

"I like the fact that that not every song absolutely must have piano," said Frye. "It gives me (and the listener) room to digest the emotional intensity that I often put in songs that have piano. If both guitar and piano call to me, then why don't I listen, and just respond naturally to what the song needs?"

With its sultry delivery and slow progression of the back and forth arrangement between the piano and string instruments, Sleeping Tornadoes is probably my favorite track followed by the lighter Like a Light. That being said, Frye's EP is solid back to front and definitely worth more than a few listens.

Perhaps it's a bit autobiographical when Frye sings about "playing hide-and-seek with fate." Fate is bringing success and it's time for her to be found.

- Frank Heinz/NBCDFW.COM

Though her brand of melancholy is more akin to Jenny Lewis than St. Vincent, local singer-songwriter Jessie Frye is likely to draw more comparisons to the latter, thanks to her decision to enlist John Congleton as the engineer and co-producer for her latest EP, Fireworks Child.


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Jessie FryeJohn CongletonDentonCongletonArts, Entertainment, and MediaThat's mostly a shame. The bolder, more electrified pop sound Frye showcases on her new release stands as a fine, logical step forward from the careful precision displayed on her previous efforts. Credit Congleton if you must, but it's clear that the Denton native has grown plenty on her own since the release of her 2009 debut EP, The Delve.

Sure, songs like "Sleeping Tornadoes" still feature her meticulous piano playing and remnants of the hours she spent practicing classical piano as a youth. But now they're also tempered by slick arrangements and interesting bits of eerie string swells.

If there's a knock here, it's that the disc comes off almost too perfect, too polished. While decisions to add small amounts of distortion to Frye's vocals on "Prepared," especially when they are otherwise delivered with AutoTune-like precision, do a lot to liven up the track, one can't help wonder if their purpose is rather to distract from the album's otherwise seeming infallibility.

No, her lyrics and vocal delivery aren't a problem for the young songstress: Biting lyrics such as "How do you grow without sunshine? / How do you know without giving things a try?" on the track "Fortune Teller" are delivered in a cabaret-like snark as Frye is able to show off her sassy personality and allow her seductively captivating attitude to shine through.

But hey, we can't all be perfect. And when Frye fully realizes this fact, little will stop her from releasing a wonderfully potent full-length. Or from altogether blossoming into a full-fledged monster in the pop world.

- Dallas Observer

http://ourscatteredwords.com/2013/08/18/jessie-frye/ - Our Scattered Words

On the heels of her performances at 35 Conferette and South by Southwest, Arlington native musician Jessie Frye is preparing for the April 26 release of her next album, Fireworks Child.

Fireworks Child is Frye’s second album, following 2008 release The Delve. In the album, she hopes to demonstrate the lighter and darker tones of her music.

“Sonically, it’s a lot more different than the last EP,” Frye said. “It’s a lot edgier. More electric.”
Frye said the experience she gained in the last few years colored her approach to Fireworks Child.

“When I made The Delve, I was very green,” she said. “I’m still green now, but I knew absolutely nothing about playing shows or recording. I’m still figuring some things out.”

One major difference between the two albums is the people involved. While Frye used local talent to record The Delve as a one-time performance, she now plays with a regular band, which formed in 2009. Her bandmates include music education alumnus Matt Olmstead, who teaches as an assistant band director at Arlington High School.

Olmstead, the band’s drummer, described the group’s sound as “if Tori Amos sang for Led Zeppelin.”

“There’s all this heavy influence in the band, and you can hear it when we play, but the music isn’t heavy,” Olmstead said. “We’re up in your face without being nasty.”

Also in the line-up is Michael Garcia, interdisciplinary studies junior and lead vocalist and guitarist for 2010 Battle of the Bands winner Waking Alice. The differences between the bands seem huge, but Garcia said they’re not that different.

“We tend to have these real basic pop sensibilities about it,” he said. “We kind of go about her songs with a set structure in mind from a songwriter’s point of view. Where we deviate is our instrumentation with how heavy it is at times. Jessie has more of an intimate sound.”

Though her website lists her genre as pop-rock, Frye works hard to defy definition. Her goal is to create a sound distinctly her own. It starts with her writing, which is sultry and seductive.

“If the lyrics are horrible in a song, I cannot listen to it,” she said. “I try to be abstract and interesting. I always want to maintain a style that’s a style, not a genre. At the end of the day, I want to be unbound by genre. I think Fireworks Child is the first step.”

Between her live performances and the album release, it’s been a busy year for Frye. She plans to perform May 6 in Denton with Spooky Folk, Tiger Darrow and Bravo, Max! She returns to Dallas May 13 to play at La Grange in Deep Ellum.

Out of all her band’s performances, she said her set at 35 Conferette during spring break best captured the spirit she strives for. In the cramped basement of J&J’s Pizza, the force of the music beat out the production of the show.

“I think that was one of our best gigs we ever played,” Frye said. “We were at capacity. It wasn’t about how professional we sounded. It was about the energy. And we had a lot of energy.”

- UTA Shorthorn

link:

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2009/02/arlington_singersongwriter_jes.php - Dallas Observer

DALLAS — “Are there really that many people here?” Jessie Frye asked in a nervous but endearing way late Thursday afternoon at the House of Blues in Dallas. We had just wrapped up our pre-show interview and I was telling her about how crowded the place was getting, even though it was a full two hours before the show started. A huge smile appeared on her face as she walked to the dressing room.

This was, without question, the biggest show of her short but eventful career. Frye, who is originally from Arlington, currently resides in Denton and is hashing out what appears to be a bright future for herself in music. The 21 year-old singer/songwriter has only one EP to her name, The Delve, released last year, but is already considered one of the best young artists in DFW. That’s thanks to the overall stunning quality of The Delve, as well as back-to-back years playing at sets at NX35 and South By Southwest.

“I haven’t really played that many shows,” Frye said before the biggest one of her career. “I’m excited. My friends and family are all here.”

If there were any nerves before the show started, they were gone by the time Frye took the stage. She seemed more than comfortable opening up for a four-time Grammy winner in front of a massive crowd. It helped that headliner Pat Benatar hand-picked Frye as the opener.



After Benatar wrapped things up and the crowd of 40somethings filed out of the venue, I ran back into Frye at her merchandise table. She was engaged in a conversation with a teenage girl and her dad after they purchased Frye’s album. And in the five minutes I chatted with Frye, she sold three more.

It’s safe to assume Frye made a good impression. Keep an eye and ear out for her upcoming release Fireworks Child, out sometime this fall.
- Pegausnews

http://www.theshorthorn.com/content/view/19068/243/ - UTA Shorthorn

Jessie Frye is obviously in her 20s, but she appears as though she could have stepped into the present through a rip in time from 1994, when The Crow was in theaters and Brandon Lee’s death was fairly recent news. Frye laughs at the notion, but admits that she is staring at a theatrical poster of The Crow as she speaks. Her look does not come across as cartoonish or contrived, and her persona is genuine. This is probably because some of her first memories are of listening to The Cure.

“My mom is a badass,” Frye says, and laughs. When she was young, her mother was playing Nine Inch Nails, Front 242 and Tori Amos. The Cure has been her favorite band since she was 5, and some of her earliest memories are of watching their videos. She has a specific memory of seeing The Cure’s frontman, Robert Smith, in a music video: “This creature with these red lips and black eyes and big hair,” Frye says. “I understood him.”

When Frye was 10, her mother took her to see Type O Negative perform in Deep Ellum. If you are not familiar with this band, we are talking about some really tall guys best known for the scary gothic metal they recorded in the '90s. “My mom was super open-minded and very liberal,” Frye says. “She exposed me to some things at a young age that some parents would have a heart attack over. But I have my mom to thank for a lot of the parts of my personality that are very real and honest.”

She remembers the show was darkly lit in a dive bar and everyone was wearing black. She vividly remembers watching Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele, who was 6-foot-7, perform. “It was creepy and sexy, definitely an otherworldly experience. It was heavy. But I was not out of my element at all. I was totally in the right place.”

Frye is a great performer and her recent set in front of a huge crowd for Oaktopia showed that she is ready for the festival circuit. She also believes the intensity of her live performances has finally been captured with her new album, Boys’ Club. Now she is preparing for a show at House of Blues this week to celebrate the album’s release. After testing out a few different sounds with previous efforts, Frye seems to have found her place.


She has kept the visual aspect of goth, but this is ultimately pop rock. With a background as a classical pianist, Frye belts out pop anthems. She is also a big fan of Madonna and Michael Jackson, and as a live performer and songwriter, Frye is interested in how they are thought of as both entertainers and artists.

Boys’ Club is fun music. “I love really catchy melodies,” Frye says. “The power of a melody is something I’m really attracted to.” The title references a few different things. “It has multiple meanings that are personal and a little political,” she says. It acknowledges sexism in the music industry and also gives it the finger. She likes the sound of the name and thinks it’s appropriate for a fun album. But she is also a bit of a tomboy.

Frye picked out a single, “One in a Million,” leading up to the release of her new album, but initially struggled to develop a concept for a video. One day she sat in her car, listened to the song, and thought about how it made her feel. “I was like, ‘Man, this makes me feel like a fucking superhero,’” Frye says. “It gives me this larger-than-life feeling.”

She started piecing together an outfit on an indie budget. There’s some influence from Gwar, Xena: Warrior Princess and especially goth. Frye learned how to sword fight and suited up for a video about a depressed teen who draws comics. Frye plays the teen's creation, a superhero brought to life to battle an evil character that symbolizes the negative thoughts. By the time the smoke clears, the bad guy is gone. “I guess I won,” Frye says, with a laugh. Leading up to her performance at Edgefest last year, Frye had been sad. But after an enthusiastic response to her first performance in a stadium, she felt inspired and hopeful about her future in music. Frye remembers exactly where “One in a Million” came from. “I can’t write songs when I’m sad,” she says. “I was really weak and then I found strength through writing a song.”

The odd combination of gothic rock, classical piano and pop music works for Jesse Frye, and her wardrobe keeps getting more elaborate. Some of the clothes are edgy to the point of having spikes. “It does get a little more involved,” she says. “The more people respond positively to it, the more thought I have to put into my stage outfits. I can’t just wear blue jeans onstage now. I have to dress up like a Gwar creature.” - Dallas Observer