Jesse Labelle is a singer-songwriter from Toronto, ON who has found his place in Nashville, TN. Initially known as a pop artist, Jesse explained that his country music influences had always been a part of who he was as a performer: “My musical journey has always focused around the song. My earliest influences were Willie Nelson, Keith Whitley, Johnny Cash, and The Eagles…. In my early record deals, I was pushed toward a sound that I never felt truly fit the songs I was writing, which is why I made the move to Nashville. It’s been here that I’ve found the sound that my songs have always been missing…. I’m a songwriter, guitar player, singer, and dreamer. I wear my heart on sleeve and am not afraid to show it. I make music in hopes I can connect my life to any and all who choose to listen.”
In 2018, Nashville felt more like home than ever for Labelle who lost many of his belongings in an accident that caused his car to go up in flames. The support he received in the aftermath was overwhelming. According to Jesse, “The Nashville community really came to my side following that unfortunate event. Upon my return, I was shown an outpouring of support and love from so many incredible songwriters and artists. We threw a benefit show at The Listening Room and I was able to replace nearly everything lost in the accident.”
Throughout his career, Jesse has shared stages with some of the biggest names in music including Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks and even Sir Elton John! When asked about what stood out the most from these experiences, Jesse replied: “The most important thing I learned was from Garth and his team, which is that it truly comes from the top down. Gratitude, attitude, the whole vibe of a camp comes straight down from the top, and in that case it was Garth himself. He is a consummate professional in everything he does, and you can feel the energy and the positivity in every aspect of his show, his team--everything surrounding the guy is a shining reflection of himself.”
In the last year, Jesse has continued to work on his music as well as his social media presence. His 2019 single, “Call Me Up” was released with a phone number that he used in order to text with fans (via Community.com). “It was a great experience. I really enjoyed talking to the fans and getting to know them better! It was a great transition into the Facebook Live broadcasts we’ve since been doing! I encourage anyone reading this to head on over to my Facebook page and check out the next one scheduled whenever you’re reading this!”
Other artists like Hunter Hayes have also used the Community platform to reach out to fans. Labelle mentioned that this is a service that is likely to catch on: “I think you will see a lot more artists hopping on this bandwagon. There are so many great ways to connect in this day and age. I’m always working on new and exciting ways to learn more about the fans! Make sure to tune in to one of the monthly Facebook Live streams by visiting my page and making sure to turn on your notifications! … It’s all about connecting with the listeners and the fans and I couldn’t be more excited about diving further into that.”
Jesse’s Canadian fans will have to wait to see him here, but he said that those shows are coming, along with more music in 2020: “While I can’t tell you exactly when right now, stay tuned for that. It will definitely happen in the future.”
Finally, when asked for his advice for aspiring artists, Jesse Labelle responded with, “Listen to your heart and your gut. People everywhere will have opinions on what you should be doing, but your heart will always guide you down the right path. Trust yourself and create as much as you can as often as you can. Push yourself as hard as you can to create truly great work and everything else will come.”
For more information, please visit www.jesselabelle.com.
Photo courtesy of Jesse Labelle.
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