A Quick Chat with Jessica Fortuin

‘The Devil’ is an incredibly vulnerable but powerful track. Thank you for sharing this track with the world! How do you try to keep that vulnerability while also maintaining your strength as an artist?

There is so much strength in vulnerability, and learning that set me free. Putting myself out there regarding sensitive subjects and being open to ridicule, but going through with it anyway, has been the biggest exercise for me in self-acceptance, self-confidence, and rejection exposure therapy. There's nothing more empowering than showing the world who you are and what you've been through unapologetically.

What inspired the track, and can you share more about the personal experiences that shaped it?

The women that shaped me into who I am today, all were completely different, and I learnt so much from each of them. The only similarity they shared was they all had a story of either sexual assault or domestic violence. Hearing their stories and how, at one point in time, they all felt so alone in their experience was so eye-opening. They went through the same thing but all felt like they were the only ones to have ever gone through this. I wrote this song to share how sexual assault or domestic violence long-term changed my life and theirs as a means of breaking the facade that the violence perpetrates—that you will be alone in what you went through and no one will ever understand. It's simply and sadly not true.

How important is it for you to address issues like sexual assault and domestic violence through your music?

I feel like for me, it's important to be honest in my songwriting. An audience can spot disingenuous art from a mile away, and what is art anyway without a connection? I try to be as real as possible when writing songs because I just can't connect with it unless there's something honest about it. Writing for me is super selfish, and I use it as a way to heal what I'm going through. I think it's important to address the taboo in my art because I grew up feeling so alone; subsequently, singing about it has made others feel less alone. It's a beautiful cycle.

Can you describe the creative process behind ‘The Devil’? How did you and Fletcher Matthews collaborate on this track?

I brought the track to Fletcher fully written in 2022 and played him a demo I had made. I remember being kind of unsure with the production direction I had brought with the demo, but he loved it, and I think we both got really excited about how big we could make the song sound. He was super respectful with the story I was trying to tell in the lyrics and didn't want to change them. I remember him saying something like, "Don't get a big head about it or anything, but writing that song at 16 is impressive." This most definitely gave me a big head. The production for the song was done in one day, and I remember listening back to it on the bus home, kicking my little feet because I knew it was going to be my favourite song on the EP. It still is my favourite.

What advice would you give to other artists who want to tackle difficult and personal subjects in their music?

Be honest. Write the song like no one else will ever hear it, and it's just for you. Write the first thing that comes to your mind; write the thing down you are second-guessing. Set parameters for yourself. Write a song about the whole topic, then write another song about what you talked about in the first verse of that song. No one will ever need to hear it if you don't want them to. You are in the driver's seat, so give yourself a safe space in your songwriting sessions to let go. Remember that people listen to your music because they want to hear what you have to say.