Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Ross.
Jess, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My website will give you the full breakdown of how I got here but if I’m being honest, I’ve always been a misfit and music as always been my savior. None of my family are creatives, I came out of nowhere writing poems and songs at 8 years old. Despite my family’s attempts to persuade me in other directions, music was a consistent force in my life and although my resources were severely limited, I got it anywhere and anyhow I could. Growing up that meant public school choir and handbells. I received a double letterman for my work in high school and set my sights on college, I was fortunate enough to get loans for Berklee College of Music. I ended up working for them after I graduated and then eventually I dropped everything I was doing there in 2011 and moved to “The Live Music Capital of the World” to be closer to family in Texas. I had never visited Austin before. I haven’t left since. I started frequenting dive bars like “Sam’s Town Point”, waiting all night for the good ole’ boys to get me up to sing. I would hustle gigs anywhere I could get them and even had a weekly residency at Voodoo Donuts on 6th when they first opened. I worked for Strait Music Company for a while and in 2020 while the world was falling apart, I decided to quit music all together and go into non-profit to help my community. I landed at the legacy local non-profit Austin Free-Net and within a year, I was formally requested by the board to become their new Executive Director. I saved the organization from shuttering, established “Tech For All Fest”, now in it’s 5 annual celebration and I cemented the non-profit’s future by obtaining a $500,000+ grant for 5 years from the City Of Austin. Then I resigned. I loved my work, I loved helping the community— but I was burned out and I missed music so much. So, with the help of my mentor, Soul Man Sam Evans– I returned to music full time in 2025 and haven’t looked back. You can usually find me most nights of the week at the best music spots in town, supporting and sometimes sitting in with my friends, the best of the best in Austin local music. I am currently working on my debut album Heart Scars–to be released at the end of the year. I also just found out a project I sang on has been nominated by the JMA’s for SONG OF THE YEAR (blues/jazz category). The buzz about me around town right now is.. that I am definitely the one to watch in Austin local live music. The buzz would be right this time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel like this is a loaded question. All the music business is.. are obstacles and challenges. I’ve always been amused at how much stuff needs to be done that has nothing to do with music, so that I can simply ..do music. From funding to finding the right venues and events to support to.. to social media and simply existing as a women in music. There are endless obstacles and challenges. I’ve had more than my fill of them, as many local arts have. All I can say is, obstacles and challenges may slow me down, they may even redirect me completely, but they haven’t stopped me. They won’t at this point!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am currently working on my debut album titled Heart Scars. It is a collection of songs I wrote years ago and never professionally recorded with a band, for various reasons (including challenges and obstacles!) but mainly because someone I cared about told me they weren’t good enough and that I should scrap them and start over. I thought I had lost the songs a while ago but found them and just listening to the rough drafts brought me to tears. They were always really good songs and now I have the experience and the determination to put them on an album I can be proud of. I read somewhere that when your heart is damaged it will heal itself with a tiny scar. It won’t beat the same but it keeps things going. Too many heart scars can be fatal and significantly limit a person’s ability to live a normal life. It made me think about how we all figuratively have tiny scars on our hearts. A person..place or thing that changes our heartbeat forever. Each of the songs on this EP represents a heart scar in my life. I am beyond emotion to be able to share my heart scars journey with you but whatever else the universe brings my way. I hope to finish the album and release it by the end of the year 2026!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Simple. Being able to say I’m a creative.. a multi-dimensional artist who gets to do music and art and support the community for a living, everyday.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jessrossboss.com
- Instagram: @jessrossboss
- Facebook: @jessrossboss
