Jess Hitchcock Bloodline for NAIDOC

On NAIDOC week, Melbourne based award winning singer-songwriter, Jess Hitchcock releases her muchly anticipated debut LP of original music, Bloodline. Drawing on her Saibai Torres Strait Island and Papua New Guinea origins, Hitchcock is breezing into the Australian folk music scene with the sweet-sounds of her ukulele and mesmerising vocals.

Weaving hints of folk, country and pop, Bloodline takes you on a journey, exploring love and loss and finding one's sense of self. The acoustic-based love-album was created for Hitchcock's mum – who loves nothing more than Jess's voice with just a guitar. A vintage photo of her young mum at a similar age to what Hitchcock is now makes the perfect cover for the earnest and raw collection of 11 songs, as an ode to Hitchcock's heritage, identity and femininity.

Growing up in Sydney's south in a tiny, but full-of-life house, Jess Hitchcock and her five siblings spent most of their time in the dedicated music room (lounge-room), which was home to an abundance of instruments including a violin, double bass, piano, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpets and guitars.

Stumbling upon her vocal talent as a teen, Jess has spent the last decade exploring music from all angles - writing, composing, and performing. In 2017 she toured nationally with Opera Australia's The Rabbits, which saw her win a Green Room award, and Pecan Summer which saw her win a Broadway World award, both for Best Supporting Role in an Opera. In 2019 she continues to work with Melbourne-based Short Black opera, and also remains as Kate Miller-Heidke's sole backing vocalist, which saw her perform at Eurovision in May.

Whilst Hitchcock has been busy touring and collaborating with some of Australia's most respected musicians, she has quietly worked away on her first solo project. Bloodline was written and recorded between travels in her new hometown of Melbourne, and draws on inspiration from her favourite artists Ben Abraham, Sara Bareilles, Bruno Majorand and Paul Kelly's Death's Dateless Night album.

Hitchcock felt it was important to be able to share her story this NAIDOC week, and she (and her mum) are thrilled to be able to finally share this honest and endearing collection of original music.