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Singer resists pull of Nashville
Jess Moskaluke is beginning to discern a bit of a pattern in recent interviews.
The singer-songwriter born in Langenburg, Sask., is among the very few Canadian country artists to opt out of moving to Nashville to further their careers. While she understands that this sets her apart from many of her peers, Moskaluke really doesn’t get why journalists keep pointing this out.
“It’s so funny, because it feels like in the past year it’s been brought up so much,” she says from her home in, you guessed it, small town Saskatchewan. “I don’t see it as a disadvantage, because I’m still less than two hours from the airport, so I can get anywhere I need to.”
Considering her status as one of Canada’s up-and-coming country superstars, with six Canadian Country Music Award nominations this year (including Album of the Year and Single of the Year), Moskaluke will be spending a great deal of time in airports in the next while.
Currently riding her most recent single, Camouflage (from late 2017’s Past the Past), Moskaluke first made her mark with the platinum certified Cheap Wine and Cigarettes back in 2014. Since then, she’s been a constant presence on the Canadian country charts with such singles as Kiss Me Quiet, Take Me Home, Drive Me Away, and her Top 10 collaboration with Paul Brandt, 2015’s I’m an Open Road.
Moskaluke took some time from helping at a friend’s wedding to speak with us about her CCMA nominations, living the small town life, and her canineinspired wardrobe choices.
Q Was it a calculated decision, resisting the pull of Nashville? A Not really. I mean, I guess I could be living in Vancouver, Toronto or Nashville, but the nature of touring means that you’re always travelling, so it actually doesn’t matter where you live. I’ve never been a big city kind of girl, so why not stay where I’m comfortable, close to family and friends?
Q Is it also because you’re focused on Canada at the moment?
A There are days where I think we should tackle the U.S., for sure, but the truth is that I feel like I have a ways to go in Canada, and I love the fans here. It’s not as though I’m Paul Brandt or Dallas Smith, there’s still room to grow. It’s such a big market, and I’m always up for challenge, but I’m also at a point in my life where I don’t know if that’s what I want. I’m getting married next month, and I’m eventually going to want to have kids, so there’s the challenge: having a career and a family.
Q You’re tied with Brett Kissel for most CCMA nominations this year, so probably the career is going to take precedence at the moment.
A I really am speechless about that. Every year, more and more new talent is coming out, and the Canadian music industry is just getting stronger, so I’m thrilled that for the last five years, I’ve been included in these awards. It’s so exciting to be part of this community.
Q I think it’s significant that you’re part of a small contingent of women making it on the main stage at Big Valley Jamboree this year.
A That’s something I do think about, but I’m not so sure that it’s because I personally see it, or because it’s talked about frequently. You do see fewer women performing at music festivals these days, but that’s probably a direct correlation with fewer women on the radio. Social media and streaming numbers also affect who gets booked at festivals. So yeah, it sucks, but I’m thrilled to be on the bill this year.
Q It has to be a battle (rest of question obscured by dogs loudly barking). Sorry, the dogs have decided they want in on the interview.
A (Laughing) That’s no problem at all, I get it. You can’t see it, but I’m literally wearing a shirt that says “Dog Mom Life.” But yeah, I sometimes wonder if all of this is cyclical. You look at the ’90s with Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Terri Clark, so many others. At that point it seemed like women had the upper hand. Maybe right now it’s time for the men to shine, and in a couple of years we’ll get ours again. I really don’t know the answer, and I guess if I did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Q Are you in the midst of planning a new album?
A We’re always working on new music, whether recording, writing, or just experiencing life so that I can have something to write about. I’m just not sure about whether I want an album, an EP, or just singles. To answer the question, I do have a selection of songs, I just don’t know when they’ll be released or how. The landscape keeps changing, so we as a label and as a group of artists and managers are trying to find out the best way to go with it. So, yes to new music, but no information on when it will come out. I can tell you that I’m really excited about it, though!