Jessie Kilguss is a singer, songwriter and performer based in Brooklyn, New York.
She has released 5 albums, most recently What Do Whales Dream About at Night in 2022.
She sang harmony and played the harmonium with Freddie Stevenson, opening for the Waterboys all over Europe on their Modern Blues tour.
Kilguss is a former actress who made the switch to songwriting after working with some of her musical heroes, Marianne Faithfull and Mary Margaret O’Hara, in the London and Sydney productions of The Black Rider, a musical written by Tom Waits and William Burroughs, directed by Robert Wilson. This experience inspired her to start writing her own music. Other acting highlights include a UK production (and subsequent UK & US tour) of As You Like It, directed by Royal Shakespeare Company founder, Sir Peter Hall and the film adaptation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, starring Daniel Day Lewis and Winona Ryder.
I came to Fish Factory with the goal of writing 8-10 new songs. I’m happy to report I finished 9 new songs while there. I felt very lucky to have the use of Studio Silo, including all the instruments, to myself for the month. The view of the mountain, the fjord and the sky out the window was in constant flux and was mesmerizing and inspiring. I found the 24/7 daylight energizing. I started every day around 6am and headed straight to the studio to sit in the window, watch the view and write.
I usually write on acoustic guitar but was thrilled to have the use of a couple of electric guitars and a piano while I was there. I wrote most of my new songs on electric guitar and will be making the switch to this instrument now that I’m back in Brooklyn. It’s so much cooler than an acoustic guitar. I also brought a couple small synths with me and was writing on those as well.
I found the dedicated time and space for writing incredibly productive. When I’m at home I usually reach a certain point with a song and put it down to deal with various things in my day-to-day life. At Fish Factory, I had the luxury of time and space and was cut off from the demands of everyday life. I felt that I was able to go deeper with the process of songwriting by having this uninterrupted time. I also found it freeing to experiment with different instruments.
Stödvarfjordur is incredibly beautiful and peaceful. I especially enjoyed Petra’s Stone Museum and became and amateur rock collector while there, as did everyone else in my cohort. I really enjoyed getting to know the other participants in the residency and was inspired by their various disciplines and projects. I feel incredibly lucky to have had a month at Fish Factory and hope to return one day.
Thank you to Fish Factory’s wonderful staff: Kris, Vid and Lukas and to my fellow residents: Jane, Ayano, Kiley, Kate and Brian.
Now that I’m back in New York, I’m looking forward to sharing my new songs live starting with on August 6th at Sid Gold’s Request Room.
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