An Interview with Jessie James

Southern siren, Jessie James has done a lot of growing up in the two years that followed the debut of her self-titled album. She told me, "I've learned more about myself. I've had break-ups, I've been dating new people and musically I know what I want to do a little bit more." And because she has done the necessary soul searching James has rediscovered a lighter side of life. The young songstress is now poised to release her second album with Mercury Records entitled Daughter of a Gypsy. The first single "Boys In The Summer" has already garnered the attention of CMT among others because of it's feel good Southern/Pop vibe. And the warm-weathered anthem is as youthful as it is catchy.

Born in a military hospital and raised traveling and moving as often as the stationing of her family required Jessie said prepared her for a career in music. "When I get on tour and I move and I travel all the time, it's nothing, it's what I'm used to and I was kind of raised to do it." And the effect of that upbringing also resounds in the music she writes, "I've written about all the experiences, I've written about being the new girl at school and about meeting new people and the title of my album is Daughter Of A Gypsy."

The 22 year old singer credits a lot of her recent growth to the break off of a bad relationship she was in elaborating, "I was in a serious relationship for awhile that kind of held me back from developing, especially my artistry, because he's in the music industry himself, so it kind of held me back. I think that has been the greatest change I've experienced in a long time." And from those lemons she created lemonade in an album she calls a good time. "It's very much similar to my life and what I've done my whole life, which is pick up and move and leave something behind, it's perfect."

Having as much heart as she does an explosion of vocal endowment, Jessie counts one of the most rewarding and defining moments of her life as going overseas with Kid Rock to sing for the troops saying, "Even if this were to stop tomorrow and I would be done with my career for some crazy reason, I would think that [singing for the troops] would be something that would have been the best experiences of my life." Concluding, "Because I am a military girl and that was my whole life. It was an amazing deal to give back to the boys over in Iraq and the women over there."

Daughter of a Gypsy is due out in late August but you can catch a glimpse of 'Boys In The Summer' below. Jessie summarized what we have to look forward to well when she said, "It's just a fun record. Everything is so much fun on this album."