Meet Jessie Demaree | Musician and Bandleader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessie Demaree and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessie, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?

The most difficult decision I’ve made when it comes to my business and my art isn’t super obvious. Deciding to sacrifice the benefits of signing to a label and remaining an independent artist to maintain complete creative control has had its challenges. Initially, we just didn’t want the headache of a company manipulating us in any certain creative direction. When JFUNK, my band, was smaller and lesser known we had a great time booking fun local shows and doing our own albums, but it proved to be exponentially more difficult as we grew. There was a higher pressure on whether it was a success or failure. I arrived at a decision to start my LLC, Desert Breath, and seriously support where Chris’s and my musical dreams were heading. That manifested into me having more focus on the business and financial responsibilities rather than the creative. It’s a fine sacrifice to make, because I like to draw out the creative talents of my bandmates and showcase their skills. Keeping our vision and passion in-house fortifies the spirit of the band, and that’s all success is to me.

There are other challenges in regards to booking and promoting without label representation. I have invested in shows by paying promoters and free-lance booking agents over the years, and it fortunately has worked out for the most part, but it stings my pride and my wallet if the event flops. Outsiders may see the end product of a show or an event, like my Music Merch Market or a club show I put on, and take for granted that this is all built from scratch. There’s not a big corporation cushioning us with financial and legal safety nets. This is truly the passion and creativity of a few individuals, and I will take that authenticity any day.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I’m immensely proud to announce that my group, JFUNK, has been selected to perform at the International Clarinet Association’s Clarinetfest in Dublin this upcoming summer. This opportunity feels like the culmination of a lifelong journey, marked by specific steps I’ve taken to reach this point. I take a lot of time during the week to practice in preparation for that tour, to keep up correspondence with the association, and to continue booking more shows and artists to fill out our travel schedule. JFUNK isn’t my only priority, though. I perform in many groups in the valley: Pijama Piyama, Kabarett, Paula T & Co. and my solo project Desert Breath, and you’ll also find me recording features on albums. I love spending my creative time improvising with others and collaborating on new tunes.

I have used my business to create my private lesson studio and community events, such as my Music Merch Market: a market especially for local musicians to come, mingle, and sell their wares. My goal is to grow the fanbase of all the participating musicians at the market by giving them their opportunity to hold a conversation with consumers about their music outside of the venue setting. I’d like to start holding these community markets quarterly so the pressure is on. Balancing life as a musician and band manager is not where I would have ever pictured myself, however I am having a great time coming up with fun events for Phoenix to come socialize and be creative.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Arizona’s natural beauty is, in my opinion, the star of the show in this state. When friends visit I always suggest places that show off the diversity of wildlife and tell the history of this land. The land is a part of who we are, and being born and raised in Phoenix, AZ it is a duty of mine to acknowledge that we are on Piipaash and O’odham ancestral land. There are little gems around the valley that I like sharing with people to help tell the story of the people who have continued to steward this land for generations, and many of these places are just a web search away. I also love taking friends hiking/camping in Tonto National Forest, Rio Salado, Oak Creek Canyon, Lockett Meadow, and Madera Canyon; all breathtaking, vastly different from one another, and just a few hours from Phoenix.

For eats, I love showing off the old or just unique spots that are surviving through this current growth spurt Phoenix is experiencing. It’s like telling the lore of the city through gastronomy. Restaurants I always have to take a group of people is El Riconcito Del D.F. to try a quesadilla de huitlacoche, Organ Stop Pizza to show off that wondrous pipe organ, The Farm at South Mountain to prove farm-to-table is possible even in the desert, and Casey Moore’s or Hanny’s to freak my guests out a little bit… If you don’t know you gotta go find out! I usually make the trip out west to Litchfield Park so I can show my friends Blue Sky Organic Farms, where I am the market manager. It’s a powerful way to demonstrate the disastrous urban sprawl to outsiders, and bring awareness and gratitude to the local farms that are trying so hard to feed us! We’ll grab some fresh-picked groceries hang out with the goats for a little bit and then head back to the city.

I love nightlife that is magical and energizing because we little desert rats tend to become pretty nocturnal in the summer months. Being a musician, I would obviously take my guests to a bunch of shows. Places you’ll find me at Bikini Lounge on Tuesdays for Djents’ 602sdays, Thursdays at Cornish Pasty Downtown for the Jazz Jam, The Carriage House at CIBO, Linger Longer Lounge where we will also eat Der Wurst hot dogs and get a pie from the Pie Snob vending machine, The Trunk Space, and Rebel Lounge. Outside of the entertainment spots I also like to hang around pretty obscure tunnels and canals with great natural echo, check out the James Turrell SkySpace at sunset, and cruise up South Mountain at night to take in the enormity of the valley and all its glimmering lights.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

So many people light up my life and deserve recognition here in my silly little life. Shoutout to my darling and bandmate Chris Del Favero who has stuck with me through all the glory and the muck. If I could I would name every musician that I have ever played with I would because I’m so grateful for the music we have made, but I’d like to highlight the other current members of JFUNK: Elliott Fox, Alan Acosta, Max Schwimmer, Bailey Zick, and Jeremy Lentz. Mike De La Torre and Zack Parker are not currently performing with us live, but still deserve props for making our sound extra special.

I’ll thank huge supporters of my music: My parents, who trusted me enough and they dove blindly into the role of parents of a musician, spent a lot of money on instruments and my music education, and spent countless hours getting me to early rehearsals, concerts, and competitions. Chris’s parents have dedicated so much time to supporting our dream and I’m so thankful for their love. Jason Brock is always there supporting me and my band, and is a shining light in the Phoenix DIY community, Thanks to Cocoe the owner of Grand Ave Records and Oracle Recording Studio who saw our potential and helped produce, release, and promote our record JFUNK. Lastly, I’m grateful to many members of the Low Clarinet community and the International Clarinet Association for giving me a professional outlet for my unconventional and far-out musical ideas. Clarinetfest 2024 in Dublin is going to be exceptional.

I also need to shout out to my friends and community members as a whole. Here’s to you, the music community, and its fanbase, for your unwavering passion, your unyielding support, and your enduring love affair with the universal language of music.

Website: www.jerusafunk.com

Instagram: @jfunk.world. @desertbreath.wav. @musicmerchmarket

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jerusafunk/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DesertBreath

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3t1IcniWgGrdnihQAQGsij?si=cgOSTvO9TDyRbYMgL8S0Fw Bandcamp: https://jerusafunk1.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Elaine Thomas Campbell Mayte Mendoza Mike Buckius