Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Helios.
Hi Jess, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2018 I graduated from Hastings College in Nebraska with a degree in Saxophone Performance. I then moved to Austin, TX for music and better weather. Upon arriving I got sucked up into the Austin tech world and lost myself for around four years, but in 2022 I realized I needed to make the jump. I quit my job, put a band together, and put my focus into one goal, making an album. It cost me four years and multiple versions of myself, but here we are. It’s 2026 and the debut album, Apollo 95, is set to release on August 22nd.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. I wrote my new album to process experiences I had already had with grief, shame, guilt, heartbreak, acceptance, mortality, loneliness, time, limited beliefs, and presence, however, when I went to record and produce these songs, I relived all of these concepts again. Sometimes the reliving of these themes was actually more painful than the original experience. Through this, I learned how important it is to not dwell on the past, and to spend most of your focus on the present and a little bit on what’s to come.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Through my career I’ve used many words to describe myself and what I do, producer, musician, instrumentalist, etc., but to be honest after bouncing between these for a while the truest word I’ve found is that I’m an artist. That’s true in everything I do. Art is a way of life. It’s a way of seeing the world and relating to it. I specialize in my awareness of this relationship, and I’m known for the way I experiment with reality. I’m most proud of my unyielding determination to see things through, and it is my undying pursuit of the truth that sets me apart from others.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Well first and foremost my parents and my sisters deserve a ton of credit. My Mom taught me to always tell the truth and to treat other with compassion, my Father taught me to hold myself with honor and integrity, and my sisters taught me to keep things light and fun when you can.
Secondly, I owe a vast amount of credit to Stephen King and Pete Legasey. They have both pushed this project far further than I could have on my own. Stephen (The Animal) is my drummer and every show he brings this raw and uplifting energy that can make anyone smile upon a glance, and Pete is my bass player. As a Vinyl DJ, he is extremely knowledgable in songwriting and arrangement, and he’s also the foundational glue that just makes everything make sense.
There’s also a whole bunch of people that have played with The Crew or have seriously supported the project. To name a few, Landon Priddy, Sydney Wright, Jonathan Gonzalez, Greg Ruda, Nabil Ghaddar, Alexandra Scott, Mikey Machinist, Dave Machinist, Di-Ren Chen, Jonah Yohana, Wyatt Corder, Renu Jayasinghe, William Wright, Peter Vandendriessche, Natalie Yanez, Cheri French, Joy Ream, and of course there are many more.
And finally, I have to thank my dog, Apollo. He came into my life when I was hopelessly lost and showed me how to find my own way. Without him, this album never would’ve been finished.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Jesshelios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesshelios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jess.helios/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC53hXzeXdBB-UrTOiWWeElw
