Put ears to the ground and there’s Jess Connelly
Her name doesn’t ring a bell to many people and for Jess Connelly, that’s dandy. She is, after all, from the underground music scene whose music “grew on the internet” then in “hidden” clubs around Manila.
And while other people might remember her for her stint on “Pinoy Big Brother” in 2010, she is more at home being an indie artist.
“The underground scene is not something new din naman eh. It’s just that people don’t see it unless you are part of the scene itself,” she said.
Jess has no plans of becoming a mainstream artist. She believes being independent does not lessen her capabilities as singer-songwriter.
“Sometimes local mainstream kasi, they feel that an audience will only accept the usual routine of what celebrities or artists have to do. But there is real artistry here. I think it’s time we start embracing our own local artist. On our part, we want to show them that the indie scene is very much alive,” she maintained.
The singer behind the songs “To The Side” and “Radar/2am,” among others, detailed her songwriting process.
“Ako kasi I definitely have to work well with producers, I have to trust their sound, their aesthetics 100 percent. The music comes first and then I write (lyrics) to that. Everything was on the spot and whatever I feel comes out to that randomly,” said Jess.
Asked to give advice to aspiring musicians, Jess said they should take advantage of the reach of the internet.
“If you want to prove something, you should believe that you can do it. A lot of artists, if they think it’s going to work, they take to the internet and it (sometimes) works,” she said. “You don’t have to fit into some sort of role – you