Jessica Winter is a Brixton-based singer/songwriter whose pop music ranges from Barbara Streisand to Death Grips. Her infectious tropes of pop are chewed apart before being unleashed onto neon stages – witness dance-in-the-rain single “Choreograph”.
Sad Music transcends genre, scene and band affiliation; defined instead by song rather than sound.
The Story
At an early age, Jessica Winter was crippled with hip dysplasia which required her to spend much of her childhood sitting in a wheelchair or hunching over piano keys. Through these long intervals of sitting stillness or piano key playing time, her imagination flourished into an entire universe all its own.
By age 14, Winter had decided to pursue a musical career. Unfortunately, the road to professional success proved much longer than anticipated. She spent years trying different styles in different bands before discovering one that perfectly captured all that she envisioned doing with music.
Sad music was her forte and is now synonymous with her name. Sad Crance music, the term she coined to describe music she composes specifically for people who cry while dancing (hence its moniker), has never been more in fashion than now.
While her debut EP “Sad Music” and its follow up “More Sad Music” both boast numerous notable qualities, one thread connecting them as part of a larger whole is their distinct use of sound levels – an intricate layering of noises which demands repeated listens in order to fully appreciate its delicate, often somber beauty.
Winter’s style of music is mesmerising and intoxicating; an inescapable dream-like sequence that seduces us to come obediently within its spell. And this sense of immersion is exactly why his live shows draw such huge audiences.
Winter makes an impressionful performance, disguising her studio-based production skills with an array of synths and drum machines in her Brixton home studio. Her magic becomes most evident on stage; whether she be donning royal blue boots that spew out onto the pavement like she did at Rebecca Black’s set last year (whom she is touring alongside now) or dancing through raindrops and pulling shapes to strobe lighting displays like in her new video for “Clutter”.
Limerence
Limerence is an intense infatuation that resembles true love, marked by thoughts that consume one’s mind nonstop and can become painful if they go unanswered or the relationship dries up. Limerence usually lasts from weeks to years depending on whom it affects; it could develop through interactions alone, or evolve from an existing bond; however, unlike real love it typically only affects one person at a time.
Limerence can become an obsession; all day and every night you find yourself thinking about someone specific. From their beautiful features to how their eyes crinkle when they laugh, every detail becomes important as your thoughts revolve around making this person happy and saving them from what appears to be difficulties in their life. Your productivity at work decreases significantly as all that occupies your thoughts is finding ways to spend more time with this one person.
Limerence can be overcome. Although it takes time to overcome your feelings, you can learn how to break down barriers and focus on other aspects of your life – such as taking up new hobbies and activities that distract from what initially triggered your limerence. Therapy may also prove helpful if necessary.
A key to overcoming limerence lies in realizing that your feelings aren’t real; rather, they’re caused by trauma from your past or dysfunctional tendencies that need to be addressed. Realizing this will allow you to see people more objectively and recognize they may not be compatible partners for you; even though it may be hard to let someone go who once brought so much joy, recognizing they’re no longer good fits may increase chances for healthy relationships down the road; you may even discover they remain part of your life but in a healthy capacity!
More Sad Music
Ten years have passed since London-based singer Jessica Winter first picked up an upright piano out of sheer necessity – in order to accommodate her hip dysplasia brace – and Jessica Winter has come a long way since. Since then she’s written with Clipping (experimental hip-hop group), Infinite Coles (Ghostface Killa’s son Infinite Coles), alt-pop star Jazmin Bean, as well as co-running Hate The Haus events benefitting charitable causes; yet she never lost her original motivation: passion for music!
More Sad Music marks her latest endeavor and showcases how far she’s come since 2020’s Sad Music EP, using her trademark magic carpet voice to craft genre-defying styles that cannot be easily placed into labels or scenes; they lie somewhere between indie goth, electro pop and punk rock rawness; she calls this sound ‘crance’ music – perfect for both crying and dancing at once if desired!
Although More Sad Music is darker than its predecessor, many of its hallmark features can still be found here. From Giorgio Moroder meets Kate Bush shimmer on opener ‘Play’ to Alex White from Fat White Family featuring on title track (mixed by Roya label mate Redinho) there’s no lack of innovative ideas here.
Winter excels at crossing these wires seamlessly and turning dark concepts into dancefloor-ready bangers, which truly sets her apart. Her music ranges from an upbeat, synth-driven rendition of R&B classic ‘Do You Do You’ or even darker pieces such as the dark yet funk-influenced ‘World On Fire’ which are irresistible.
With her impressive resume and growing interest in her music already making waves, it is clear that this promising talent will quickly rise through the ranks. If she represents what lies ahead for pop, we are all in for an incredible treat!
The Forty-Five
Winter’s signature voice soars through the sky like an unrivaled magic carpet ride, while her skill at writing hooks rivaling any on the charts today make her an expert at creating dancefloor-ready sad bangers. Dubbed ‘The Queen of Crance’ (music for crying and dancing simultaneously), her latest release features darkly sultry tracks that explore feelings of loss and loneliness with its combination of synths, beats and haunting vocals; making this record both her strongest and most personal to date.
Jessica Winter was born with hip dysplasia and spent most of her early years hospitalized for hip operations, which left her unable to run or jump and therefore turning instead to music as an outlet. From singing and piano playing lessons as an early child, but ultimately found true solace in composition – something which electro and dance music inspired. She wanted her music to be as captivating and hypnotic as its songs were for inspiration.
Big Finish Productions took an innovative approach to commemorate Doctor Who’s 45th anniversary by offering four loosely linked one-part stories by different authors instead of staging a multi-Doctor extravaganza.
The Forty-Five kicks off promisingly, as the Seventh Doctor and Ace team up to solve an archaeological crime committed by Howard Carter (Benedict Cumberbatch). Although Carter may not be an easy character for us to connect with, Cumberbatch embodies him with such gravitas that we find ourselves warming to him nonetheless.
Stephen M. Grant’s ‘The Word Lord’ takes place at a secret Antarctic base during the mid 20th century, featuring Hex and Doctor taking on an alien race that looks similar to both Daleks and Cybermen – an intriguing premise, but its beats seem out of place here. Steven Hall’s Radio Free Europe takes place during 2024 international conference where Doctor and Hex encounter an equally terrifying threat; again the beats don’t seem appropriate to this story’s tone.