Several years ago, I heard Jessica Willis Fisher do a writer's round with the Song Suffragettes. I was mesmerized by her heartfelt lyrics and angelic voice. She mentioned her recently completed book, UNSPEAKABLE: Surviving My Childhood & Finding My Voice, so I downloaded a copy because music biographies are my thing.
I was not prepared for her life story. How anyone could have survived her upbringing while performing to thousands as part of the famous singing group The Willis Clan was incomprehensible to me. Jessica Willis (now Fisher) was the eldest daughter in a controlling and abusive household. Still, she performed with her family band until her departure in 2016 at the age of 23.
Nevertheless, we are not here to talk about Fisher's childhood but about her music, which has helped her heal and even thrive while helping others find hope along the way.
Jessica Willis Fisher is a singer-songwriter-fiddler with a storyteller's heart. Raised playing traditional folk music from an early age, she performed with her family band in the Irish, Country, and Bluegrass music scenes and appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and America's Got Talent. Her Americana-leaning debut solo album Brand New Day (2022) features deeply autobiographical lyrics and foot-stomping anthems.
The song "Fire Song" is from that first album. It is a literal and figurative story about a house being burned down. Fisher did not know if she would survive specific periods of her life, and this song explains that. The folk tune features her fiddle, which is part of her signature style. Writing and sharing that song has helped in the healing process.
Her sophomore record, Blooming, is out now and is an ode to the power of now knowing who she is, with beautiful scars and vulnerable strengths included.
She stated, "My first album was about starting over and survival. Blooming is about thriving. I draw on so much of my personal life and my lived experience. Music, for me, is therapy. It's healing. It's extremely personal and meaningful to me. I think all my art and music will always have that element."
Besides being a gifted singer/songwriter, Fisher plays piano and guitar, but she mainly fiddles, which she deeply loves. Much like Alison Krauss, it is the perfect instrument to accompany her airy folk and sometimes Celtic and bluegrass style of music.
Fisher penned eight of the nine songs on the new album, which are part of the next chapter of her life.
Blooming opens with the courageous "Healing," a song that provides a sense of renewal, as in "Whenever we fall apart, love has healed my heart." Her ability to sing such a joyous anthem shows remarkable growth and strength. It is a beautiful ode to her current life.
Fisher has always been a huge fan of dogwood trees and flowers, especially since they often bloom on her birthday. Her song "Dogwood" is about embracing the uniqueness of who you are and accepting every part of yourself. She said, "Even our deepest wounds can have a special kind of beauty. The world is better for having all of us and our differences."
After her traumatic childhood, Fisher is now happily married and in a healthy long-term relationship. Her song "Build a House" is about companionship, commitment, and curiosity about the world.
She shared, "We can settle down. We can build a house. Or maybe we will travel the world and never come back. We don't know what the future holds or which adventure we wind up taking, but I do know who I want to do it with."
The most interesting song on the album (to me) is "Find A Lover," an Appalachian folk tune that sounds like it was written one hundred or more years ago. It's a fairy tale like Dolly Parton meets Snow White. Fisher said, "It's a little love song with nature themes."
Two of the most vulnerable songs on the records are "Seeds" and "Honest." With "Seeds," Fisher has no choice but to acknowledge the pain of her past as part of the growth process, but she is determined not to let it ruin her future.
She reveals her authentic self in the autobiographical song "Honest." She explained, "A single day can take you from the highest highs to the lowest lows. How do you find some balance and ongoing, rooted, grounded health while being kind, slowing down, while admitting that we don't have all the answers?"
"June" is a full-on joyous bluegrass proclamation where Fisher is basking in the fullness of her new life. Her fiddle soars alongside the lyrics: June, I hear you knocking at the door/Don't keep me waiting anymore/ Come take my afternoon… It reveals how much she has healed emotionally in the past few years.
The most sensual song Fisher has ever released is "One Of A Kind." Having been raised in a home where any kind of intimate connection was suppressed, it was important for her to embrace and celebrate the most natural part of the circle of life. The beautiful song showcases love as it was meant to be, and she croons, "Boy, your touch is one of a kind."
I love that Fisher included "The Fox" as the final song on her new record. It is a traditional folk song that she was fond of as a child. She cares about her past and wants to ensure future generations know where they came from and what has been passed down. As the fiddle sawing and plucking is vital to the tune, covering this song is her way of paying tribute to her Irish heritage.
If I had heard the songs on Jessica Willis Fisher's sophomore album, Blooming, before I read her tragic autobiography, I would have never believed she could write such a promising record about hope and healing.
She stated, "Hey, I'm here. I survived. You can, too. Everything's great. And it all sucks sometimes too. Both of those things can be true. I am very honored and passionate to be able to raise (mental health) awareness."
Fisher loves looking at nature and viewing the world positively, hopefully, and open-mindedly. Blooming is her way of giving back, providing hope to anyone who has endured the unimaginable. This exquisite, gorgeous record proves that thriving is possible for almost anyone.
Follow Jessica Willis Fisher on her website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and other streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X.
Blooming's track listing:
- Healing
- Dogwood
- Build A House
- Find A Lover
- Seeds
- Honest
- June
- One Of A Kind
- The Fox
To support her new release, Fisher will be performing shows in the following cities. Tickets are available through her website, www.JessicaWillisFisher.com
June 12: Franklin, TN: Franklin Theatre Songwriter Series w/Emily Shackleton, Zoee & James House
July 11th: Duluth, GA: Red Clay Music Foundry, Opening for Beth Nielsen Chapman
July 17-20th: Union, WA: Peace, Love and Union Festival
July 25th: Nashville, TN: Cobra Nashville (splitting bill with Calamity Jane)
August 19th: Milwaukee, WI: Shank Hall, Opening for Dan Navarro
August 20th: Tomah, WI: Gillette Park, Americana Music in the Park
August 21st: Madison, WI: The Bur Oak
September 27th: Easton, MD: Stoltz Listening Room at The Avalon Theatre, Opening for Alice Peacock
September 28th: Richmond, VA: The Tin Pan, Opening for Alice Peacock
