Jessica Andrews

THE HISTORY
“I think people are going to be surprised when they hear this record,” says Jessica Andrews of her third album, Now (released April 15, 2003, on DreamWorks Records). “I feel like it represents a whole new me.”
In fact, 19-year-old Jessica has come a long way in a short time. Since launching her career with 1999’s Heart Shaped World and achieving a major chart breakthrough with 2001’s Who I Am, the big-voiced Tennessee native has emerged as one of country music’s brightest stars. In that space of time, she also won the Academy Of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist award, scored her first #1 single, with “Who I Am,” and shared stages with the likes of Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Trisha Yearwood.
The progress of Jessica’s musical career has coincided with the universal challenges of young adulthood, and the insights she’s gained from her recent experiences are reflected in Now’s expanded emotional palette. Produced by veteran hitmaker and longtime Andrews supporter Byron Gallimore, Now finds the singer-songwriter venturing into mature lyrical territory while preserving the youthful energy and openhearted exuberance that first endeared her to fans.
“This album has a very different feeling for me,” Jessica reiterates. “It’s a lot more personal and there’s a confidence that wasn’t quite there on the first two. I feel especially connected to this group of songs because there’s a substantial piece of me in each one of them.”
Jessica co-wrote two of Now’s standout numbers, the infectiously assertive first single, “There’s More To Me Than You,” and the playful, upbeat “Good Time.” Elsewhere on the album, she traverses an emotional spectrum marked by depth and conviction. Tracks like the soul-searching “I Wish For You” and “Windows On A Train” and the ardent “I Bring It To You” and “You’re The Man (That Brings The Woman Out Of Me)” are balanced by songs like the liberating “Now” and “Sunshine And Love.”
Andrews credits recent developments in her offstage life with influencing Now’s more seasoned outlook. “I didn’t want to repeat myself,” she explains, “and I’ve had some big changes since I made my first two albums – I’ve taken the reins of everything in my life. I’ve moved out on my own, and I’ve met someone who’s become my best friend and who has opened my eyes to a new life. It’s only natural that when there are big changes in your life, you want to reflect that in your music.”
The drive to express herself in song has been a constant in Jessica’s life ever since she won a talent contest in her hometown of Huntingdon, Tennessee, at the age of 10, singing the Whitney Houston rendition of “I Will Always Love You.”
By the time she was 12, word of her talent was already spreading throughout Nashville. Among those who heard the talk was Gallimore, whose production resume includes work with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Jo Dee Messina. After calling the young newcomer in for a meeting, Gallimore became an immediate convert. He signed on as producer of Jessica’s debut album and introduced her to DreamWorks Records head James Stroud, which led to a deal with DreamWorks’ Nashville division.
Heart Shaped World announced Jessica’s arrival in fine style, spawning a radio hit in “I Will Be There For You” (which also appeared on The Prince Of Egypt – Nashville). After touring tirelessly to promote her debut disc, Jessica demonstrated greater versatility on follow-up Who I Am. The album debuted at #22 on the Billboard 200, was certified gold a month after its release, and yielded the heartfelt title track, which hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. These triumphs set the stage for the artistic evolution that is showcased on Now.
“I didn’t want to make a record that was a big, drastic change,” Jessica continues. “But I did have a very distinct vision of how I wanted to come across.” Song choice was paramount in realizing that vision. “I said, ‘Let’s really take the time to find the right songs,’ and everyone around me was very supportive of that,” Jessica says. “They had to be just the right songs to represent me and what I wanted to say. I didn’t care if I was out of the limelight for a year because I knew it would be worth it if I could come back with really powerful music with genuine depth to it. It was worth the extra work – I think I’m singing better than I ever have because I feel these songs so profoundly.”
Jessica is equally serious about pursuing her own songwriting. She attributes her increased passion for this craft to the influence and support of her significant other. “He’s a songwriter and he’s really encouraged me in my own writing,” she attests. “I had written songs before, but he’s fully opened my eyes to songwriting as a vehicle to express what I’m experiencing at this moment in my life – and whatever might greet me down the road.”
Indeed, Jessica is feeling as enthusiastic about the future as she is about Now. She reaffirms: “I feel like I’m just beginning and that this album is the start of a completely new world for me. There’s a lot more I want to accomplish.”
“Music is great therapy for the people making it and the people listening to it,” Jessica concludes. “It’s a healing force and that’s something the world needs now more than ever. I believe I’ve got something to contribute, so I don’t ever want to stop making music.”

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Heart Shaped World, DreamWorks, 1999.
Who I Am, DreamWorks, 2001.
Now, DreamWorks, 2003.