Released in late August, Jess Garland’s “I Tried (Live Again)” is the second single from her upcoming debut EP, Glow. A genre blending mold, this track’s live looped, harp tones encompass listeners with simultaneously distinct yet intimately familiar sounds that convey both comfort and reverence. Blending her classical training with an Avant-experimental mood and modern pop edge, Garland has collaborated with other producers and fellow artists to create a layered but harp-dominant musing which sits at the front of modern soundscape.
“I Tried (Live Again)” was recorded by Jimi Bowman at Klearlight Studios and produced in collaboration with Jonathan and Kierra Gray Thomas, whose layered beats and percussion instrumentations add an undeniably spiritual ambiance to Garland’s predominant harp and vocals stacks. “When I perform live, I’m basically conducting a live composition with effects pedals,” Garland said. According to the classically trained outlaw, she’s exploring music as a mode of being and creating that goes beyond the traditional rules. “I’m an ambient musician,” she says. “I don’t follow all the rules of music theory which allows me to have more control over the sounds I’m creating and space to express myself freely.”
Sequential to her first single, Glow, Garland’s “I tried (Live Again)” is a song about resurrection following a really challenging time in her life. “This is a transformational song about the process of rebirth during a time where I had to rely spiritually, emotionally, and financially on music – learning a whole new way of life along the way.” Whereas most people would have sought as much stability and security as possible, Garland not only embraced a new life, but she also endeavored to leave all that no longer served her behind. “I left my corporate America job to become a self-employed, independent artist collaborating with other musicians and community members to eventually create a new non–profit aimed at bringing racial equity to music education and healing,” she explained. “Now, I’m doing what I love and this song is a testament to that.”
Just announced winner of the Visit Dallas “Maverick, Can Do Spirit” Award in Arts and Entertainment, Garland is not only focused on creating art that uplifts herself, but also others in her community. Her new film, Behind the Strings: Amplifying Black Feminism in Guitar Culture, created in partnership with the Pegasus Media Project, will debut at the city’s upcoming Aurora Biennial Arts Festival. When she’s not composing music and creating films about racial equity in music, Jess Garland continues to serve as Founding Director of Swan Strings, providing free music education and therapy for those without access, as well as a board member for Friends of WRR, the city’s classical music station managed by KERA.