Saskatchewan country /pop singer Jess Moskaluke has come a long way from releasing her music on Youtube to winning a Juno award for her last CD “Kiss me Quiet,” which spawned several hit singles including the title track and “Take Me Home.”
Her new single, “Kill Your Love” a preview of her upcoming third album, due out in October, is currently shooting up the charts.
Moskaluke, who plays Whoop Up Days on, Saturday, Aug. 26, never expected she’d win a Juno award so quickly.
“The music business is so unpredictable. I started writing songs with a woman Tiffany Vartanyan and we decided to put them up on Youtube. I wanted to work with Tyler Ward and ended up doing so. I set a list of goals and winning a Juno was on the list, but I never expected to achieve it so soon,” Moskaluke said from her Saskatchewan home.
“I actually went to university for two years. I was planning on becoming a parole officer. Music was just a hobby, but it took over,” she said.
In addition to the Juno award for Country Album of the Year”, she won a variety of awards including CCMA female artist of the year for three years in a row, several Saskatchewan Country Music Association awards for fan’s choice, female vocal of the year, single of the year, song of the year and video of the year for “Take Me Home” and that was just this year.
“ There’s a lot more to the business than singing. There’s songwriting and business meetings and marketing plans, recording and a lot of different things,” she said,” adding she doesn’t know what her next goal is.
“I’m pretty content. I’d like to win another Canadian Country Music award because they are in Saskatoon this year on my mom’s birthday. (The awards are Sept. 7-10 this year.)
Another exciting thing Moskaluke is involved in is a new hour long CMT documentary. “Jess Moskaluke Home Movies”
Her first full length CD “ Light Up the Night ” has a harder, more Miranda Lambert edge.
“I’ve never heard the Miranda Lambert analogy,” she said.
She noted her new album will be in a similar pop-country vein.
“My fans have grown up with it, and it’s who I am. If I were to do anything different, I wouldn’t be being true to myself creatively,” she said adding she is already playing the new songs live.
“ A song called ‘Camouflage‘ is pretty popular and, of course “Kill Your Love’ is doing pretty well,” she observed.
She said female musicians are gaining popularity in country music again.
“it’s pretty sad we even have to have this conversation, isn’t it,” she asked.
“It’s sad that some stations refuse to play two female artists in a row, but have no problem playing four or five male artists in a row.But these things are cyclical, in the ’90s we had Michelle Wright, Terri Clark, Martina McBride, Shania Twain and a lot more,” she said.
She noted she played Lethbridge before, but couldn’t remember the details. She is bringing her band to accompany her. She didn’t want to spoil the surprise as to what she’ll be playing in Lethbridge.
“You’ll have to come to the show and see for yourself,” she laughed.
Jess Moskaluke plays Whoop Up Days, Saturday, Aug, 26 at 9 p.m. on the Gas King Stage.
Theo Fleury and the Death Valley Rebels are on the stage at 7 p.m.
Dory and the Weathermen kick things off at 5 p.m.
