New artist Jess Urwiler’s EP roots is a six song introduction to Urwiler and her music showcasing vulnerable songwriting about teenhood, past relationships, and school memories.
Released in late September, the EP features Urwiler’s acoustic guitar work and vulnerable, visceral lyricism taking listeners on a journey as Urwiler finds herself. Urwiler’s debut is the culmination of years of songwriting, studying music production, and overcoming setbacks.
Urwiler grew up in Bucks County attending Neshaminy High School where she was involved in a number of music programs, including multiple choirs, Wind Ensemble, symphony orchestra and marching band. She was also manager of the school Jazz Band, which she credits as her path into music production. In between Urwiler’s long hours at school, she wrote songs.
The EP features two songs Urwiler wrote in high school. The first song titled “meet me” is about not being herself when meeting people. Urwiler began writing “meet me” in high school before finishing it in college. She completed the EP’s debut single “teen” while in high school, capturing the angst of transitioning into adulthood.
“That’s just kind of what I hope, that if anyone can feel something from the music, or find any comfort in it, or even if you don’t care about any of that and you just like the way it sounds, like that’s cool too,” Urwiler said.
Now, Urwiler attends Drexel University where she has gained the skills and the confidence to produce her own music. Like high school, Urwiler dove into the music scene at Drexel. She is music director of the Treblemakers a cappella group, partnered with Drexel’s Mad Dragon Music Group, interned at recording studios in Philadelphia, and built a personal recording studio in her room.
“There’s been a lot of setbacks and things that maybe in the past would have made me not release this EP, but I’m really glad I was able to actually persevere and keep working on it.”
Prior to attending Drexel, Urwiler had only recorded and produced the songs she applied with. As a music industry major, Urwiler has learned more about the technical side of music producing, but says she still has a long way to go.
Urwiler faced obstacles along the way ,including spilling water on her MacBook with all of her songs and going through a number of health issues while trying to record.
“There’s been a lot of setbacks and things that maybe in the past would have made me not release this EP, but I’m really glad I was able to actually persevere and keep working on it,” Urwiler said.
Urwiler has been wanting to make an EP for a long time, but never felt confident enough to release music. Harsh criticism and negative opinions about her music would have “destroyed” her before, she said, but now Urwiler feels ready to share her work.
“I feel a lot more secure in my art and my creations that I don’t place that much worth on other people’s opinions,” said Urwiler.
Often Urwiler’s songwriting helps her work through strong emotions, which can be felt by listeners. The vulnerability in Urwiler’s songs made it scary for her to release the EP, she said.
“But I feel like for me, that’s the whole point of my music is to process my emotions, but also to make other people feel things,” Urwiler added.
The track “my red guitar” is a favorite for both listeners and Urwiler, but it also helped her process the end of a five year relationship. Urwiler was inspired to write the song after attending an Adrianne Lenker concert.
“There were a lot of emotions when writing that song and I feel like the best songs come from a place of intense emotion,” said Urwiler.
Lenker and artists like Phoebe Bridgers have been sources of inspiration and influence for Urwiler’s acoustic sound and lyricism. She credits Bridgers as the reason she started making music.
“She definitely gave me my voice and is … overall, my biggest inspiration,” Urwiler said.
As a young singer-songwriter, Urwiler said some of her earlier songs tried to sound like her influences rather than herself, but roots reflects her personal growth as an artist. The EP’s last song “make it out” concludes Urwiler’s journey where she comes to terms with life’s hard truths and comes out on the other side.
The EP went through many forms before Urwiler finished writing the project’s final song in March. Once it was completed, Urwiler had a clear direction for her debut music. This clarity gave her the motivation to finish and release roots.
“It gave me a clear vision of everything and it kind of like, wrapped everything up,” said Urwiler.
Urwiler announced the release of her EP with the music video for “teen”. Urwiler added more visuals with recorded live sessions with Mad Dragon Music Group where supporters get a live look at Urwiler’s guitar skills.
To celebrate the release of her EP, Urwiler hosted a listening party using her apartment as a makeshift venue. Friends of Urwiler’s performed for the intimate group before Urwiler played roots.
“My whole living room was full of people who came to listen to it and it was so sweet,” Urwiler said. “ It was definitely one of my favorite memories of college so far.”
Friends have continued to support the EP by posting to social media and recommending it to extended friends and family.
“So the support has been amazing, and I’m so grateful for all of the amazing people that I am surrounded with,” she said.
Urwiler says her next step is working on her senior project which will likely be an album. Whether or not Urwiler releases the album herself is the question.
The university senior says she knows producing an album will be a long process, but she feels the experience of producing and releasing her EP will help. For now, the new artist is focusing on her producing and mixing skills before starting anything new.
“I want my next project to be better than what I just released and I think it will be because I’m still learning and there’s always room to improve,” said Urwiler.
