A bohemian troubadour for well over a decade, Jesse Sykes came to some critical acclaim with her album Oh my Girl in 2004; the release was packed with heart wrenching vocals and gothic tinged beats. the alt country queen soon drew enough attention for folks to begin to sit up and take notice.

Depicted as a songwriter to be taken seriously, Sykes tempestuous and heart-rending songwriting conjures a visual aesthetic that has never been more evocative, especially when dealing with crestfallen issues such as isolation, fragility, and the yearnings for an unravelling love.

The new album, Like Love, Lust and the Open Halls of the Soul  has a rugged, often world-weary eminence, which blossoms upon each listen.”I think this album is more personal, with this record I really am a lot more of a character in the songs” she explains.

The album has received honorable reviews, being hailed as a country gothic masterpiece. A sprawling album, deep with musical and lyrical texture, yet even with her work being sprinkled in gold, the singer wont be pigeonholed. “I don’t consider it an alt country record, I feel there are some elements of that in it. But I treat it almost like orchestral pop with pinches of country and gospel. You make a record and you really have no expectations.”

Jesse has come forward full force as one of the most distinctive singer/songwriters of this generation, and with audiences opening up more to dark balladeer folk mistresses such as Neko Case, Marissa Nadler and francoiz breut (that French Chanteuse), it seems like almost perfect timing for Jesse and her band The Sweet Hereafters.

Sykes is no stranger to the poetry of the human condition, yet what strikes me as beautiful about the singer is her own devotion to her message and her authenticity.
“The album is dealing with pretty heavy themes that are to do with matters of the heart and reconciling with the notion that I’m not gonna be here forever, that a lot of people I love aren’t gonna be here forever, even by giving it a long title I didn’t want to be afraid of anything. I wanted it to have a certain celebratory feel even though some of the themes might by a little darker, I feel like it’s cloaked in a really warm hopeful blanket.”  

The album also features some guest appearances by some notoriously legendary musicians including Scandinavian cult songwriter Nicolai Dunger. “It was really inspiring, he just played on a couple of songs but it was such an honour, because he’s literally my favourite living singer/songwriter peer; I think he’s a genius and so under appreciated.”

With a plethora of talented female solo artists around today. How does someone like Sykes distinguish herself as a unique voice?
 She explains: “Im starting to get some of that critical claim in America, but it’s so abstract that ultimately I care more about what my peers think, than whether or not we sell lots of records. To me if other cool songwriters are inspired by what I’m doing, then that means allot to me and people who fall in love with it. I mean, it’s really the individual contact that you make with people, it’s like planting little seeds, and you never know what’s going to come of it.”

Jesse Sykes has released her new album Like, Love, Lust and the Open Halls of the Soul, now out through Barsurk Records. Produced and mixed by Tucker Martine (Laura Veirs) and Martin Feveyaer (Mark Lanegan, Kings Of Leon).