Jesse Jo Stark Just Made Your Next Cry In The Car Album
“It’s spooky, classic and a little mad,” the artist shared of her latest project, ‘MUSE.’
“Jesse Jo Stark is for the girls at home drinking a bottle of red, or white if you must, crying to sweet, soft, sad music.” It’s a pretty fitting description of the singer-songwriter, multidisciplinary artist and Chrome Hearts It-girl, whose signature blend of dark romance and melancholic rock has always made room for a little heartbreak. Now, Stark unveils her latest album, MUSE, a deeply personal project that sees her embracing vulnerability and some of her most honest songwriting yet. Ahead of its release, Hypebae caught up with the artist to discuss her musical influences, studio snacks and rather dramatic pre-recording rituals, all with a good dose of her dry, dark and deadpan sense of humor.
When asked to describe her sound, Stark offers a characteristically candid response: “It’s like taking a drive while crying. It’s spooky, classic and a little mad,” before adding, with a wry smile, “Just listen to the album, I don’t know.” As for MUSE specifically, she describes it as “Americana, indie rock, femininity, heartache and anger,” capturing the record’s balance of sweetness and emotional intensity.
Written over three snow-covered weeks in Aspen, Colorado, the album finds Stark stripping back her typically cinematic sound in favor of something more raw and intimate. Its first release, “Colorado,” set the tone, with melancholic guitars and exposed vocals taking center stage. When asked what she hopes listeners take away from their first listen to MUSE, her answer is simple: “The need to be honest.” There’s little interest in overexplaining herself here, and that’s precisely the appeal. Speaking about writing “Colorado,” she adds, “The words just came quickly because of where we were. I didn’t overthink it. How can a place that looks like that not become your muse?”
Away from the heartache, Stark doesn’t take herself too seriously. Her ideal studio spread? “A vegetable platter, red wine and some Hot Tamales. That’s it.” And her pre-recording ritual is less meditation and more emotional breakdown: “having a panic attack and screaming and crying.” We’ve all been there.
Finally, because every good crying playlist needs a soundtrack, we had to ask what Stark actually listens to. Her answer spans everything from Mazzy Star, Zach Bryan and Cleaners from Venus to Disney soundtracks. An eclectic mix, and honestly, we’d expect nothing less.
