Boots & Hearts 2014 Preview – Jess Moskaluke: Exclusive Interview

Boots & Hearts has become one of the biggest country music festivals in Canada. And this year Saskatchewan’s own Jess Moskaluke will be taking the stage to show country fans just what talent is coming out of the prairies these days.

I will fully admit that until Boots & Hearts made their latest line up announcement, I hadn’t heard of Jess or listened to her music. However, since March 3rd I’ve been a frequent visitor to her YouTube channel to listen to Good Lovin’ and the wide selection of covers (both country and other) that she has posted.

Because we all know that I’m excited about Boots & Hearts and I love Canadian country music, I sent a message to Jess and asked if she would answer some questions. She said yes, so here we are. Check it out and learn a little about Jess Moskaluke before she takes the stage in Bowmanville this August long weekend.

Q. As a small town girl from Langenburg, Saskatchewan, where did you start playing music for people and when did you start to think that the dream of making a living playing country music was something that you could turn into a reality?

A. I started just by competing in radio competitions. Eventually I won a competition that allowed me to be performing at different functions often and I think that’s when I realized it was something I wanted to do professionally.

Q. Before Little Big Town blew up with Tornado, they made some waves on YouTube with their off-genre covers (Scattered, Smothered and Covered). What makes you want to cover songs like Daylight (Maroon 5) and Drops of Jupiter (Train) to share with your fans online?

A. A good song is a good song regardless of its genre. My musical influences are all over the map, and YouTube was a great way for me to express creativity without having to stick strictly to the country genre. Although I realize that even the pop songs I covered came out sounding country! Haha.

Q. Which country artists influenced you when you were growing up. The singers that you sang along to on the radio and shaped the kind of music that you wanted to make?

A. Shania was a huge one for me. I also loved Martina, and Faith. The 90’s were a great year for females in country music!

Q. There’s a lot of talk, and justifiably so, about the lack of women on country radio and the country charts right now. Do you think we’re just in a cycle, or is there something that needs to be done to bring balance back?

A. I’m not entirely sure. It could very well be a combination of both. My theory is that women want to see hot men sing about the kinda girl they want and apply that to their life. Something I really tried to do on this album was have a bit of a “tomboy” approach to it. I wanted the album to be the cool thing to listen to, so it’s not all fluffy love songs and man-hating songs. It’s real, and it’s relatable to both men and women. I would love to be the one that breaks the door down in Canada and makes it easier for women to gain popularity in country music.

Q. In 50 words or less, tell us what we should expect from your set at Boots & Hearts 2014 🙂

A. You should expect a fun country/rock set with a bunch of new songs, and a whole new attitude!!

Big thank you to Jess for taking the time to answer my questions. And congratulations to her on the release of her new single, Cheap Wine and Cigarettes.

Her new album, Light Up The Night, drops on April 15th and I am confident that Jess will be happy with the results and feedback… because I have a feeling that Canadian country music fans are going to be impressed with what they hear.

And as an extra feather in her cap, keep your eyes open for her new lip gloss line, named after her album, created with Sexton In The City.   

Find out more about Jess and what’s coming up for her at her website: jessmoskaluke.com

And remember, I’m always looking for great new country artists, so send your recommendations my way!

Work Hard. Play Harder. Be Awesome!