Jessica Jolia and then Malynda Hale each performed and then sat down for these interviews during the Winter 2017 NAMM show in California. Both are singer/songwriters based in that state. Jolia had a song placed in the film “Sister Code” and on Spotify’s “Fresh Finds Top Tracks of 2016 Playlist.” She is recording a new album, slated for release in July, and is also touring the country with Eric Benet and Johnny Gill. Jessica tells a funny story about something no one knows about her. Malynda Hale won Best Female Vocalist at the 2016 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. She is also an actress and is a SAG member, having even done national commercials and a Lifetime movie. She also co-hosted “The Vampire Diaries” after-show and was the main host for “The Walking Dead” after-show. She mentions having even done modeling and voiceover work. On top of all that she’s working on a new five-song EP for release this summer.
JESSICA JOLIA
“We actually didn’t intend to write that song when we did… and we probably wrote the song in about ten minutes but we stayed in the studio all night and 14 or 15 hours later the song was done.”
“In Hollywood, Chico DeBarge was performing and he pulled me on the stage to sing a duet with him and it just so happened that there was a filmmaker… who was in the audience and he was looking for music for his first film, so he approached me… and it was featured in the film ‘Sister Code’ … and I believe it’s on Netflix now.”
“It was an honor. It was just so super exciting because you put your music out and you never know how it will be received. But to see a curator from Spotify – who, they have so much music in their catalog – it was great.”
“You never know, the people you admire and look up to as musicians and songwriters, how you’ll end up one day maybe working in the same space to some capacity!”
MALYNDA HALE
“I’m not really a condoner of rioting and protests, but I think because I’m a musician, I love using that to spread my message and use my voice in that way.”
“I was trained in opera… I had no intentions of ever doing opera music but I wanted to have good training so that I could sing pop music for the rest of my life and it was really a very valuable thing that I did and I’m really proud of that decision that I made.”
“I talk about Chicago a lot in a lot of my shows because it meant a lot to me to help me grow as an artist.”
“I feel like if one person succeeds, we all succeed if we’re working together. And I’ve never been one of those people that tries to compete. I always want to help people. I always give people the tricks of the trade or things that work for me because I want to see my friends succeed, I want to see my peers succeed.”
“Everything for me does always go back to music. So – even if I do take on, ya’ know, I’ve done some modeling, I’ve done acting, I’ve done hosting – everything I will find a way to lead back to my music.”
Jessica Jolia
(live)“Spiritual Thang” (by Eric Benet)
“Make Room” (live)
Malynda Hale
“Gimme Love” (live)
“We Run” (live)