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Jessica at 5 years old
photo credit : Mark Schoenberg
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:: Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Jessica started her artistic career at the age of seven in film and television. She starred in her own television series, Harriet’s Magic Hats, and worked alongside television actor Paul Gross, of Due South fame, in a made for TV movie. When her acting days were over, Jessica found herself drawn to music. She very briefly tried her hand at piano and classical guitar. But with an older brother in music-college, and regular rock-out sessions shaking the family’s basement, Jessica’s musical path was destined to change. Her classical guitar was no match for the crazy, electric guitar licks of "Rush" and "Metallica."
Over the next couple of years Jessica found her singing voice by performing John Denver, Carol King and Beatles tunes at high-school events and open mics. But once it was time to make the Big Decision, her mind was made up.
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Jessica's 1994 cassette release
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She traded in her acoustic guitar for a pen and some paper and set out to pursue her Commerce Degree at the University of Alberta.
By the time she had earned an honors degree in Business, it was clear where Jessica’s heart was. She would graduate and become . . . a musician. She launched her own independent record label, Sway Gypsy Records, in 1994. And the real journey would begin. Jessica was born with the name "Jessica Schoenberg". And she released her first acoustic cassette, Sounds Like a Plan, (which is no longer in print) in the fall of 1994, under her given name. Jessica received three Alberta Recording Industry Association nominations based on the strength of its success.
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The JSB in 1996
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The JSB's 1996 CD debut
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Not fully satisfied as a solo, singer/songwriter, Jessica ventured into the world of pop/rock and the Jessica Schoenberg Band (JSB) was formed in April of 1995. The original band members were Mike Binnendyk on electric guitar, Cory Papirny on drums and Chris Brzezicki on bass. The JSB released its self-titled, debut album in January of 1996 and immediately set out on the road to promote their new CD. Fans, venue owners, college & university event programmers and festival organizers all started raving about the electrifying performances the band was giving to their audiences. The JSB earned another nomination from the Alberta Recording Industry Association in 1996.
After a year and a half on the road, saying farewell to Mike Binnendyk and welcoming guitar player, Steve Pady, the JSB headed to Hollywood in August of 1997. They were chosen to compete in the final round of the Demo Derby; the first on-line battle-of-the-bands contest for unsigned North American talent (sponsored by TicketMaster, Billboard Magazine and Callner Music). And they WON!
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The JSB's 1997 CD release
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The JSB in 1997
photo credit : Brenda Bastell
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Jessica in 1999
photo credit : Ian Brown
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With the promise of a record deal in their guitar cases, the JSB headed back to Edmonton to release their 2nd album, Tiniest of Bones. Recorded over 9 days at Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver, BC, Canada and produced by Dale Penner (better known for his work with Nickelback and Canadian recording artists Holly McNarland and Econoline Crush) the 6 song CD demonstrated a huge artistic and professional leap for the band. In 1997, Jessica took top honors at The Alberta Recording Industry Association Awards, walking away with the award for Best Alternative/New Music artist on record.
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Jessica's 1999 CD release
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And so was the beginning of the end of the JSB. The road had finally taken its toll on the band members. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Jessica decided to call it quits for the JSB. Armed with the spirit of adventure, Jessica headed to NYC. Born in Canada to American parents, Jessica is privileged to have both Canadian and American citizenships. She went back to her singer/songwriter roots and started quietly performing at small venues and open stages. She was writing with a new enthusiasm and positive outlook. Her songs were more personal and introspective.
It became clear that it was time to make another record to reflect Jessica’s new direction. Jessica decided to team up again with producer Dale Penner, and Humanisms was recorded in 12 days in Toronto, ON, Canada. It was released in the United States in June of 1999 and started receiving positive reviews right away. The quality of the album and Jessica’s commitment to her career grabbed the attention of Jim Beam Bourbon and the B.E.A.M. program (Benefiting Emerging Artists in Music). The B.E.A.M. advisory board (Chaired by Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens) selected Jessica, in late 1999, to receive a B.E.A.M. grant to help support her touring efforts. Jessica was out on the road more than ever, playing in front of some big names, in big venues. She was successfully getting her songs placed in film and television and all the while contemplating the who, what, where, why, when and how of her next album.
In 2001, Jessica was introduced to the NYC-based production team of Andrew Hollander and Robert L. Smith. Making her newest CD, ever-so-slightly rearranged (ESSR), proved to be one of the most difficult yet gratifying creative experiences Jessica has had to date. Making money and then recording . . . making some more money and then recording some more . . . ESSR took over a year and a half to complete. The production team wanted to delicately balance both the singer/songwriter and pop/rock appeal of Jessica’s music without compromising its integrity. It was a formidable challenge but well worth everyone’s time and effort.
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Jessica's 2003 CD release
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Recording ESSR at
Company X Studios, NYC |
With the impending release of a new album, Jessica was faced with the decision of whether or not to change her last name. A nagging issue, industry feedback and good old-fashioned experience had proven that her given name, "Schoenberg", wasn’t going to cut it in the competitive, ruthless world of developing artists. So, with the help of some great friends, many brainstorming sessions and whole lot of soul searching, she finally decided on "Jessica Owen"; Owen being the cream filling of Sch"owen"berg. Jessica had the artwork for "Humanisms" redone to reflect the name change (but there are still some limited "Jessica Schoenberg" editions available) and released her newest CD, ever-so-slightly rearranged, under the name, Jessica Owen.
Since the release of ESSR, Jessica has brought together a group of very talented musicians (Jeff Allen on bass, Tony Mason on drums and Dave Patterson on electric guitar) to back her up in live performances. They play regularly in NYC and offer listeners the in-person version of what they’ll hear on her new CD.
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| The Band at The Bitter End, NYC |
At ease behind her acoustic guitar, Jessica still performs as a solo artist. She travels regularly to Nashville, TN, where she performs in legendary venues and co-writes with some of Nashville’s hottest "up-and-comers".
Jessica has just recorded acoustic-demos of nine new songs and is excited to discover how her next CD will emerge. She’ll keep you posted. Please sign up on the email list if you would like to receive the latest news and tour dates.
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:: © 2003 Jessica Owen/Sway Gypsy Records