Jessie Lee Thetford: Lullaby

Originally from California now living in Leadville Colorado, Jessie Lee Thetford is a star in the making. She brings a certain kind of unique soul to her music and songwriting that, in her own words, describes her as “a storyteller”. Much of her music falls within the indie-alternative or pop-folk genres, yet her lyrics often draw on the wild nature we live in and capture a certain kind of tension in our relationship with it. 

Being inspired by Sarah McLachlan, it was her 1997 album, ‘Surfacing’, that made Jessie fall in love with songwriting. In fact, this was one of the first CDs she ever owned aged 10.  McLachlan ignited a burning desire in her to write songs that express her deepest and most honest thoughts. Moving forward Jessie also states that she is inspired by the simultaneous freedom and fear she experiences surrounding music:  freedom to embody expressive individualism and fear of the vulnerability in sharing that very expression. There is something poetic about that; it’s a beautiful way to express your inner self.

Now Jessie brings us her wonderful track ‘Lullaby’. This is an elegant tune and tells the story of her time growing up in California, being by the Pacific and camping on the beach - this becomes clear as we dive into the start of the song. I love the calm drum beat and the soft guitars before the vocals come in; it’s reassuring and almost reminds you of the sound of waves crashing on the shore that complements the lyrics. As someone who has also grown up on the coast and still sees it very much as home comforts, I can definitely relate. In a nutshell, the track is about reminiscing as Jessie explains. “We used to roll down the windows when we’d get close to see if we could smell the salt in the thick air and the faint scent of oranges. Thinking back to the sea was almost a meditative practice for me, a way to consider something so much larger than myself grounding me in a time where I needed an anchor”. Yeah, the ocean will do that.

‘Lullaby’ starts to build as the drum beats increase and the tempo quickness. It’s a track that just brings joy and a sense of bringing yourself back to yourself. In a world that has so much fear and uncertainty, ‘Lullaby’ is something that, when you listen, soothes your mind and forces you to recognise the beauty in the world.  

Check out Lullaby below.