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Today, we get to learn more about Tennessee-based singer-songwriter Jess Kerber. The bio from her site tells us more about her origins noting, “Nashville’s Jess Kerber first picked up a guitar at the age of 12, and her precocious drive to experiment with different tunings and picking styles – influenced by kindred spirits like Joni Mitchell and Susan Tedeschi – led to the development of a unique sonic palette and authentic, personal approach to songwriting. Inspired equally by her upbringing in Louisiana and her studies at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, her compositions highlight the dynamism and depth of her gorgeous voice and thoughtful, humanistic lyrics, as well as the refined intricacy of her guitar playing. While performing in and around Boston and Cambridge, Kerber encountered fellow songwriter Will Orchard, who quickly became a partner and collaborator. Working together on debut album From Way Down Here, Orchard’s production prowess, intuition, and multi-instrumental talents helped push Kerber’s beautiful compositions to a new level of fullness, while retaining the disarming purity of the core elements. Kerber’s rich, emotive tenor and accomplished writing radiate a profound warmth, while varying arrangements of pedal steel, Wurlitzer, drums, and ambient guitar create the surrounding sparkle. The influence of her musician parents – along with a certain nostalgia for what she lovingly calls the ‘way apart from the rest of the world feeling’ of the Deep South – shines through in the honest, straightforward, and timeless qualities of her composition.”
Now that we’ve gotten to know a bit more about Kerber, let’s check out the press release for her new album, “…Jess Kerber announces her new album, The World Is Dark, but I Want It to Be Funny, out November 6th on Felte… Jess Kerber focuses her songcraft on the profound resonances of simple moments. Pairing delicately dextrous acoustic guitar lines with her rich, captivating tenor and knack for serpentine melodies, second album The World Is Dark, but I Want It to Be Funny is a deeply affecting collection of homespun poetry and natural artistry. ‘Everything is written by me, alone in a room,’ she notes, ‘and when I start to think too much in the moment, I often lose what I’m trying to say, so that singular focus is an essential part of the process.’
Love that, so far. The release continues, “On her debut, From Way Down Here (2025), Kerber gazed upward, ruminating on the scale of the cosmos and the human desire to belong; throughout The World Is Dark, she delves her own inner depths to a cellular level, reflecting on personal history, the emotional intricacies of relationships, and the value of healthy perspective. The World Is Dark was recorded primarily at her home studio with partner Will Orchard. Kerber reflects, ‘Recording in our home studio can be a long process, but it matches our pace of life; we’d clean up after dinner, make some coffee, and then record a few takes… we didn’t need or want to push anything.’ Throughout The World Is Dark, Kerber navigates an emotional tightrope, fully aware of the ills of the world while trying to find connections and peaceful corners. Even with all their nuances and challenges, she suggests, our relationships are essential to staying grounded, even when we lose them. ‘Much of my writing is about facing the struggles head-on, balancing what you need to do to survive while remaining true to yourself,’ she says. There are echoes of influences like Joni Mitchell, Gillian Welch, and Lomelda, though Kerber injects her own unique wit, wonder, and humility into every passage, allowing the listener into her head for a spell while quietly taking up residence in theirs.”
After listening to it myself, I can confirm that there’s a lot to like about the album, so I definitely recommend listening to the entire album after you leave this Spotlight today. It was difficult for me to choose just one song. But let’s focus on one of, if not my favorite, songs on the album, the titular song, “The World Is Dark, but I Want It to Be Funny (feat. Emily Hines)” as it is a gorgeous song from start to finish. From the opening piano notes that resonate the strings like only a piano can in the best ways, to Kerber’s first captivating vocals, to the pedal steel interlude, to Emily Hines’ softer backing vocals paired with Kerber’s. The piano paired alongside the steel instrumentation combine in melody to paint the lyrical picture beautifully. It’s a song that will stick with you and leave you wanting to add it to your playlists and listen on repeat regardless of season, but for many listeners, especially on a fall day.
Don’t just take my word for it; press play and listen to “The World Is Dark, but I Want It to Be Funny (feat. Emily Hines)” for yourself!:
Here’s the cover art for The World Is Dark, but I Want It to Be Funny album:
The track list for The World Is Dark, but I Want It to Be Funny:
- Familiar Strangers
- Louisiana Song
- When You Look Down
- The World Is Dark, but I Want It to Be Funny (feat. Emily Hines)
- A Size 2 Big 4 U
- My Very Best Friend (feat. Constant Smiles)
- Who Do You Know
- Changing
- All I Wanna Do Is Shine
Giving credit where it’s due via the album’s Bandcamp page:
- All songs written by Jess Kerber
- Produced and mixed by Charles Dahlke at Ashlawn Recording Studio (tracks 1, 3, 5, & 9)
- Produced and mixed by Will Orchard at our home (tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, & 8)
- Mastered by Andrew Goldring in Nashville, TN
- Photography by Will Orchard
- Art design by Austin Arias, Jess Kerber, and Cassidy MacAdam
- PERFORMERS:
- Jess Kerber – vocals, nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar, piano
- Will Orchard – background vocals, slide/electric/bass guitar, piano, drum programming, synthesizer, additional percussion
- Emily Hines – vocals (track 4)
- Constant Smiles – vocals, additional percussion (track 6)
- Nora Meier – background vocals
- Nick Larimore – pedal steel
- James Goodwin – percussion
- Charles Dahlke – piano, synthesizer
- Sam Bonney – percussion
You can connect with and listen to more of Jess Kerber at the following links:
- Website: jesskerber.net
- Linktree: linktr.ee/jesskerber
- Instagram: instagram.com/jess.kerber
- Bandcamp: jesskerber.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-dark-but-i-want-it-to-be-funny
- YouTube: youtube.com/@jesskerber
- Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/jesskerber.bsky.social
- Apple Music: Jess Kerber on Apple Music
- Facebook: facebook.com/jesskerbersounds
For Jess Kerber’s latest tour info, check out her Songkick page here.
Check out more of this wonderful Singles Spotlight series here.
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
