Introducing Jess Moskaluke

Hey Jess, how the devil are you?

Haha, I’m doing wonderfully, thank you so much for asking. Hope you’re well!

I’m very well today actually. So, easy question first, where are you right now, and what are you up to today?

I’m currently sitting at home answering this at my kitchen table here in Saskatchewan, Canada. I just got home last night so I’m spending the day doing exciting things such as unpacking, laundry, repacking, getting the mail, and answering emails in between washing the floors!

Introduce yourself to our campers.

Hey, my name is Jess Moskaluke! I’m a Canadian pop-country singer-songwriter, wife, dog mom, sister, friend, daughter, and most importantly, human. I love popcorn. I’m an introvert. I always change my coffee order. I’m a gemini (and I have no idea what that means). I wear a lot of denim and high boots. My childhood bedroom is full of awards I still can’t believe are mine, and the stage is truly my happy place.

I feel like we know each other now, so confide in me… tell me something about you that I don’t know.

Yep, we’re best friends now. I feel like I probably did just tell you some things above that you didn’t know. If I didn’t, you’ve done your research a little too well, haha! But just for kicks, here’s one more. I was the first Canadian female since Shania Twain (my favourite artist of all time) to have a platinum selling single.

How would you describe your recent single, ‘Knock Off’, in two sentences?

90s country flair with attitude! That was only one sentence.

What’s coming up next for you?

Right now I’m preparing to go on my very first headline tour, The Mapdot Tour this fall in Canada. Being that I’m not much of a goal setter by nature, it’s been literally the only goal I’ve ever set for my career to someday have a tour of my own. The fact that it’s only a few short weeks away is absolutely unbelievable. We’ve been working so hard on the show this year. Everything from the lights, to the music itself, to the merch, to the VIP experience, to the music played before we hit the stage, to the collaborations - I can’t imagine how rewarding that first show will be to have come to life.

Where’s the most exciting place you’ve played live?

I’ve been so fortunate to travel the world to play music everywhere from the Bahamas, to Australia, to England and Mexico. But one of the coolest experiences is when I get to play a full band show in my hometown. It’s a tiny town (1,000ish people) that doesn’t get to have full on country-pop-rock shows very often, so there’s honestly nothing quite like getting to do that, and then go home to sleep in your own bed at night.

You’re heading out on tour in late October, what’s your favourite thing about touring?

It seems so simple, but getting to play shows every single night is and always will be my favourite part. Right on par with that though, is spending time with my band and crew. They’re truly some of my best friends on planet earth, and the inside jokes, and late night deep talks on the bus are what I miss most about tour when I get home. Finding a really great cup of coffee on the road is also up there, haha.

And what’s the one thing you really could do without when you’re on tour?

I’m so scared to lose my voice. I sing hard in my shows. I leave everything I have on stage, and one strained note can be detrimental to the rest of the tour. That stress is real. Also, like, getting ready every single night in full glam I could do without sometimes. Is it time to normalise messy buns and sweatpants onstage?

What can you tell me about your hometown?

Honestly, I could tell you all about it. But everything you need to know is in the video for my song, ‘Mapdot’. We worked so hard to show real people, real places, and real emotions in that video and I can’t imagine changing a single scene. Check it out!

What kind of thing did you do for fun growing up?

I sang! My mom bought me a karaoke machine for Christmas one year and she ended up having to create a whole music room for me in the basement. I had my guitar, a little keyboard, and a library full of karaoke music- she had to come in and ask me to stop singing so I didn’t strain my voice. I was also a big reader as a kid. And a lifeguard- I loved to swim almost as much as I loved to sing.

With the poor $ numbers from streaming, what’s the best way for people to support you and your music?

There are so many ways. Of course, coming to a show and buying merch is always an option. But even simple things like following me on Instagram, telling your friends about my music, requesting it at radio, etc. All that word of mouth goes a long way. If you want to take things one step further and support other small businesses while supporting me and my music, check out my project, Handpicked by Jess. It’s a curated box full of my favourite products from local Canadian small businesses and you get it for a fraction of the value. (For example, the box costs $190CAD, but there are $470CAD worth of goodies inside. And we do ship internationally!) I’m always trying my best to come up with different ways to get the music out there, but when it helps growing companies with their passions as well, that’s a bonus.

If you could recommend one artist to listen to this week, who would it be?

Hardy! Check out ‘Wait In The Truck’ with Lainey Wilson and just try not to get goosebumps.

What’s the question I should have asked you today but haven’t?

You’re already in my good books, but if you asked about my dogs, that really would’ve solidified the friendship, haha! Their names are Nala and Blu, they’re both rescues, and they’re doing fantastic!

Finally, and you’ve touched on this, how do you take your coffee?

Haha, I accidentally already answered this one! Sometimes black. Sometimes sugar free. Sometimes loads of sugar. Sometimes hot, sometimes iced, but always almond milk.

To find out more about Jess and her tour dates go visit her website. You can also find out what she’s up to on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.