~Photos by Trish Cassling, Boots and Hearts, Canadian National Exhibition, CNE, country music, Dean Brody, Jessica Mitchell, Kiefer Sutherland, Lindsay Ell Awesome, Entertainment, Music
Sometimes you catch an artist during an upward swing in their career and smile as you watch them shoot forward into new opportunities and successes... that's exactly what's happening right now with Jessica Mitchell.
The country singer/songwriter has had a hectic summer, starting with that video ( you know the one), continuing with an opening slot on Kiefer Sutherland's tour (more on that in a bit), and wrapping up with full band gigs, plus a stripped down performance and a special guest appearance at Boots & Hearts on Sunday.
At 1pm on the fourth day of Boots & Hearts 2016 we saw Jessica hit the SiriusXM fan stage for a short performance with her guitar player Joel (he's really, really good) and though it was early, and the stage was small, it was pretty damn cool to watch. The stage in the woods was the perfect spot to listen to Jessica's strong voice carry and her songs connect with the country music fans at the stage.
In her short set we got to hear Jessica play 5 songs: Workin' On Whiskey, That Record Saved My Life, Quit Askin' Me, Scars, A Place Called Gone, and Grown Up Things and every one of them dripped with the same commitment and connection and emotion that we've come to know by hearing Workin' On Whiskey and getting to know her, even just a little bit.
We also sat down with Jessica Mitchell a little later in the afternoon, and got to talk for a few minutes about the summer she's had, what's coming up, and how her set felt... here are the highlights.
* Her Canadian Country Music Association award nomination for Roots Artist of the Year feels awesome. And we could tell by the smile on her face when she talked about it that she means it 100%.
* She's gearing up for a really busy CCMA week in her hometown of London, Ontario. There will be shows and events and parties and the awards show... but we agreed that there probably won't be very much sleep!
* Her recent shows with the full band have been really great. While many people saw Jessica this summer with a more stripped down sound, or have seen her strumming her guitar solo online, the full band shows bring a bigger, fuller feel and she's excited about that. And we're excited that we're going to see her with the whole supporting cast at the CNE in a couple weeks.
* Speaking of the CNE, Jessica will be opening for Dean Brody on Saturday, August 27th - and that show is free with the purchase of your regular entrance ticket for The Ex. So come on down to the grounds, wander around for the afternoon, try some weird food and then head over to the bandshell at 7:30pm to see the show!
* We asked about Kiefer Sutherland and touring with him and there were nothing but happy thoughts to share from Jessica. First she mentioned how great everyone was during the tour, making it fun and easy to be part of the group and play the shows. Second she pointed out just how great Keifer is... from his talent (what can't he do?!) to his kindness, she gave all kinds of love to the Not Enough Whiskey singer.
* We also pointed out to her that we could see people singing along to her songs when she was on the SiriusXM stage, and she told us that she sees it too. And every time it kind of makes her pause and catch her breath... we know we'll never know that feeling, but her description makes as much sense to us as any.
* There's a video coming soon for her breakout single, Workin' On Whiskey. We don't know exactly when, but plans are being made and ideas are being sorted and then we'll be seeing it all over CMT and the internet we're sure.
* The last thing she told us before the hugs and goodbyes was to keep an eye on Lindsay Ell's set, because there was a special surprise coming - and it was her. And we're glad we knew because Jessica came out to sing Chris Stapleton's Tennessee Whiskey (there's a lot of whiskey in this post) with Ell, and they were awesome on the main stage.
Here's what we can tell you about watching and listening to Jessica Mitchell... she's easy to fall for. The emotion we talked about earlier, you can feel it. The lyrics and the feeling and the way she cares and embodies the words that she sings adds something more to the music. Something more than just hearing a song that you sing along to in the car without thinking about it.
And the longer her EP, Hold Onto The Light is around and people are picking it up, the more people are going to be feeling those words and songs when they're singing along in the car and at her shows.
It's been a wild summer for Jessica, but we have the feeling it's just the beginning of bigger and busier things coming soon. Stay tuned!
