Jess Hitchcock Bloodline Interview

Performing In MRC's Salon Wednesday 25th of September

Melbourne based award winning singer-songwriter, Jess Hitchcock releases her muchly anticipated debut LP of original music, Bloodline. Drawing on her Saibai Torres Strait Island and Papua New Guinea origins, Hitchcock is breezing into the Australian folk music scene with the sweet-sounds of her ukulele and mesmerising vocals.

Weaving hints of folk, country and pop, Bloodline takes you on a journey, exploring love and loss and finding one's sense of self. The acoustic-based love-album was created for Hitchcock's mum – who loves nothing more than Jess's voice with just a guitar. A vintage photo of her young mum at a similar age to what Hitchcock is now makes the perfect cover for the earnest and raw collection of 11 songs, as an ode to Hitchcock's heritage, identity and femininity.

Growing up in Sydney's south in a tiny, but full-of-life house, Jess Hitchcock and her five siblings spent most of their time in the dedicated music room (lounge-room), which was home to an abundance of instruments including a violin, double bass, piano, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpets and guitars.

Stumbling upon her vocal talent as a teen, Jess has spent the last decade exploring music from all angles - writing, composing, and performing. In 2017 she toured nationally with Opera Australia's The Rabbits, which saw her win a Green Room award, and Pecan Summer which saw her win a Broadway World award, both for Best Supporting Role in an Opera. In 2019 she continues to work with Melbourne-based Short Black opera, and also remains as Kate Miller-Heidke's sole backing vocalist, which saw her perform at Eurovision in May.

Whilst Hitchcock has been busy touring and collaborating with some of Australia's most respected musicians, she has quietly worked away on her first solo project. Bloodline was written and recorded between travels in her new hometown of Melbourne, and draws on inspiration from her favourite artists Ben Abraham, Sara Bareilles, Bruno Majorand and Paul Kelly's Death's Dateless Night album.

Hitchcock felt it was important to be able to share her story this NAIDOC week, and she (and her mum) are thrilled to be able to finally share this honest and endearing collection of original music.

Interview with Jess Hitchock

Question: How would you describe your music?

Jess Hitchock: I guess it folky, but really it's about the stories.


Question: Can you tell us about Bloodline?

Jess Hitchock: Bloodline is my first EP it's a combination of songs about my life and my identity as an Indigenous artist.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Jess Hitchock: I love to tell stories and express emotions through my music, sometimes it hard to figure how you are feeling but it comes out more easily in song. There is a little bit of truth to all my songs.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Jess Hitchock: Both have their excitement, but there's nothing quite like the energy of an audience.


Question: What should we expect from your upcoming shows?

Jess Hitchock: Well you will feel all the feels (I hope), but mostly it will just be a night of easy listening and storytelling. I'm fond of a beautiful melody.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Jess Hitchock: Collide, it's my favourite story and it really touches people in a way that I couldn't have expected it to.


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?

Jess Hitchock: Sara Bareilles - she is amazing on so many levels!

Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Jess Hitchock: Bruno Major.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Jess Hitchock: I hadn't originally planned to be in the music industry I have a degree in Anthropology and I wanted to work for an International NGO. But music kept coming back into my life so I decided I would move to Melbourne and give it a proper "go" until I was 30 and if I was at where I wanted to be then I'd just keep going. I'm 28 now and going pretty well.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Jess Hitchock: I'd love to collaborate with Sara Bareilles, or Joni Mitchell.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Jess Hitchock: Oh man, busy! Currently on tour with Kate Miller-Heidke so there is a lot of driving or flying, soundchecks and shows. But there are a lot of balls in the air at the moment so lots of COFFEE and emails.


Interview by Brooke Hunter