Jessie Baylin is a Nashville based singer/songwriter born April 4, 1984, in Gillette, New Jersey. Her debut album You was produced by Grammy Award winner Jesse Harris and is distributed only through iTunes.

Jessie and her band have toured with and performed with Marc Broussard, James Morrison, Dolores O'Riordan, Brett Dennen, Animal Liberation Orchestra, Teitur, and Newton Faulker.

The song "So Hard" from You was recently featured on the popular television show, "Army Wives" on Lifetime.

Baylin signed her first major label record deal with Verve Forecast. 'Firesight' was released on June 24, 2008 and debuted #34 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart.

Early life

Born in Gillette, New Jersey, Baylin hung around in the bar and restaurant her parents owned throughout her childhood. “The energy in there is powerful,” Baylin relates. “We got some shady regulars, and I grew up completely enchanted by their stories.” Her mother would join her in singalongs of classic pop music, but by age 13 young Jessie had discovered some of her greatest influences – Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. She was also inspired by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland and their emotional intensity electrified her. "They just let it all hang out," she notes. "Something about artists who looks vulnerable enough to break but at the same time are so powerful... I love that fine line. That’s why I put so much into my stage performance, because that’s what inspires me."

Baylin moved to Los Angeles after high school to escape her "comfort zone", and admittedly, "to escape New Jersey". Baylin wrote her first song with a friend and immediately knew she’d found her calling. Afterward, she cut some demos, resulting in a residency at the Mint, which led to a growing interest in her work in the record industry. Jesse has since moved to Nashville to live with her fiancé.

Discography
Baylin opens for James Morrison at Toronto's Mod Club Theatre, April 5, 2007

"You" is an intimate, stylish amalgam of pop, jazz, blues, Western swing, and other rootsy styles. The album is "a melting pot of all the music I’ve ever loved", according to Baylin. The album was produced by Jesse Harris with Norah Jones, who co-wrote most of the songs. Upon meeting Jesse Harris, their chemistry was immediate.

"On the first day we wrote two songs, and then we were cutting demos; then we were cutting a record, and five days later it was done," Baylin remarked. "It’s a snapshot of my life at that moment."

"You" is a showcase for Baylin’s "smoky, evocative" vocals. Aided by Harris and musicians as drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Lee Sklar, guitarist Anthony Wilson, jazz performer Diana Krall, keyboardist Larry Goldings James Taylor, Norah Jones, John Mayer, and Van Dyke Parks guesting on accordion, Baylin sings on covers that include "Leave Your Mark", "Contradicting Words” and "Sparrow". Says Baylin, "I’ve waited my whole life to sing with players like these". She continues to say that the quality of the supporting musicians created an environment where she could dig deep and provide her best work.

“A lot of You is about wanting to be good, and also about self-sabotage. I fell in love while writing this record, which really changed me. It brought up a lot of deep emotions and very deep fears. I was very lonely for a long time in L.A., and that played into this record too. But I’ve felt a lot of love throughout: love for the process and the people I’m working with, and a strong desire not to mess it up. Fear and love are the two forces that balance out me. I’m grateful for both of them."