Event 20
Jess Childs
The Plaster
Venue: Richard Booth’s Bookshop
The Brecon-based singer brings her blend of Americana and soulful acoustics to the festival in an intimate gig playing songs from her new album The Plaster.
Jess Childs is a local singer/songwriter who, give or take a few years studying and working abroad, has been living in the shadow of the Black Mountains since she was a little girl. Inspired by her surroundings, her family and Welsh life in general, her soulful, acoustic songs combine the emotional stresses growing up can bring with the light-hearted, quirky musings of a woman who has learned to love life, whatever it brings.
Formerly a solo artist, her musical outlook has been enriched in recent years by former professional blues guitarist Julian Lewis. A well-known face on the mid-Wales rock circuit and formerly a veteran of traditional French music, Julian was playing session when Jess hired a local recording studio in 2006 and bought his first acoustic guitar soon after. Since then they have appeared on Mal Pope's BBC Radio Wales show together, supported Eva Cassidy's brother Dan, Radio 2 Bob Harris favourite Angie Palmer and 60s group Wishbone Ash, and also enjoyed regular stints at the Brecon Jazz Fringe Festival and How The Light Gets In philosophy festival, among other things.
2010 has brought a different level of exposure, however, with the release of Jess' debut record The Plaster EP, which made its debut at the National Audio Show in Silverstone earlier this year and was officially launched in Hay-on-Wye earlier this month. The Hay Winter Weekend Festival will see her perform a range of original material, alongside tracks from The Plaster.
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