Jess Williamson

“Yes, there’s a little bit of magic in my hat, but I’m no sorceress,” Jess Williamson sings on the title track of her fourth album, Sorceress. The Dandy spoke with the talented songwriter a few weeks back about everything from the new album’s concept and how to structure her days working from home, to learning how to put yourself before others in a way that’s less self-serving than it is self-loving. Williamson’s latest album is an enchanting paean to the highs and lows of a navigating an uncertain future—something we can all relate to at the moment. From reflections on femininity and self-preservation to cultural habits and imbalanced relationships, Sorceress is an elegant expression of a woman’s inner dialogue.

Her ethereal sonics and interest in the supernatural percolate throughout the album, but in a way that feels wholly sincere—like hanging out with a friend who has done a lot of self-work to realize she is indeed connected to everyone and everything around her. There’s not a hint of anything didactic or flighty; it’s more soothing and self-aware. Jess Williamson is an incredible songwriter, a gentle soul and an authentic storyteller, all of which and so much more make her so damn Dandy.

Also, check out the awesome merch from the Sorceress album here. We’re pining for the purple long-sleeve!

We're living through an incredibly heartbreaking time. How are you handling everything mentally?

I'm trying to be gentle with myself and I'm doing okay. I've learned some big lessons over the past few weeks and gained some deeper wisdom about who I am and the kind of life I want to live. I don't think I would have had some of these realizations without the quarantine, so I'm very grateful. I've experienced a radical shift in perspective, which is something I didn't even know I needed.

Your album "Sorceress" just came out and it’s so good. How did the concept for the album come about?

Thank you! The last two years have been the most spiritual time of my life so far. I've cobbled together my own version of spirituality that is rooted in very old and ancient ways; beliefs that are ancestral for me. I've been astounded by the magic in the every day. So much is available to us if we just pay attention. I'm no expert on any of this, and I'm still fumbling my way through it all, but much of that exploration found its way into the songs on Sorceress.

What's your astrological sign? Do you believe that certain signs are more compatible with some than others?

Sagittarius, and yes absolutely! It's usually one of the first questions I ask people when we meet, but you really have to look at the whole chart to get a feel for compatibility. It's so complex! In general, I always get along with other fire signs.

I take it you're big on sage and incense. What other types of mood-setting magic are you into?

I love candles. Lighting is huge for me.

What are your five favorite beauty products?

High Sun Low Moon Ode to Venus Face Oil, Rosewater spritz, Bentonite Clay Mask, Wildling Empress Stone for Gua Sha, and Wildling Empress Oil.

Has anything good come from your quarantine experience?

So much good has come from this experience! I've learned so many valuable lessons. I feel like a different person than I was three months ago.

What's your take on Instagram lives? I know you did one for the album release. Do you find them comforting or a bit awkward?

For the album release show, I did a concert on a different platform than Instagram. It's called Noon Chorus. They send you a special camera with a really nice microphone and people pay for tickets. It felt a little more elevated and special than doing another Instagram live, and it was nice to have high quality audio and video. I loved it! It felt a lot like a real show.

"A woman goes through phases and a woman goes alone" is one of the lyrics from your song "Gulf of Mexico." It's so true and resonates on many levels. This seems to be a reference to reproductive phases, but it also highlights the phases we go through as women, with different chapters in general. Where would you say you're at now, in terms of your head and heart?

Thanks for bringing up this song. “Gulf of Mexico” is one of my favorites on the album conceptually, because it sums up so much of what the album is about for me. I am in a phase where I need to be focused on myself and my work. I have a care-taking and mothering tendency within me where it's all too easy for me to put everyone else's needs above my own. I'm getting some really clear messages that my work right now is to be on my own and to focus on writing my next album.

What's your skincare routine?

It's really simple. I spray rosewater and use my Ode to Venus Face Oil from High Sun Low Moon morning and night. At night I also use the Marie Veronique Gentle Retinol Serum. And a few times a week I do gua sha with my Wilding Empress stone and Empress oil. Around once a week I exfoliate or do a mask.

Where in Los Angeles are you looking forward to going once things open?

Zebulon, Elf, Little Dom's, and Trails Cafe.

Have you been watching anything good lately?

Long Strange Trip, the six part Grateful Dead documentary

Solitude is necessary to create art. Set the scene of what it's like when you sit down to write music:

I work best in the morning. My tried and true writing flow is to wake up early, not look at my phone, make coffee and sit at the piano or the guitar and see what comes up. I usually sound like a crazy person for a long time because I'm playing and singing loudly and coming up with lyrics and singing the same thing over and over. This is why I can't write if anyone is around. For most of writing Sorceress I used a timer. I would try to get to a certain number of hours each day where I was working on writing, so it felt a little bit like clocking into work. I could take a break and pause the timer, and then start the timer when I got back into it. It helped keep me on track.

Have you had mostly good experiences using psychedelics? We’ve tried micro-dosing for mood and then also tripped a few times for fun. Both were eye-opening:

I have had mostly good experiences, but a few really scary experiences. Psychedelics are not to be taken lightly! I'm really interested in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and it excites me that the conversation around that is becoming more mainstream.

An insecurity you've had to overcome:

Imposter syndrome.

Something you love about yourself:

I'm low key a really good vegan cook :)

Your favorite records of all time:

Ys - Joanna Newsom
Songs from a Room - Leonard Cohen
Lubbock on Everything - Terry Allen
Moon Pix - Cat Power
Live from the Old Quarter - Townes Van Zandt
Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen
Harvest Moon - Neil Young

How have your 30s been so far in comparison to your 20s?

More fun!

Your dream collaborators:

Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and Dolly Parton.

In a past-life, you were probably a:

Servant. An astrologer told me this.

Your vices:

Social media and as of very recently, cigarettes.