Premiere: Jessica Childress, ‘Walk With Me’

Kevin Bronson on October 1st, 2020

1

Jessica Childress has a radiant voice that oozes emotion and charisma, a pliable instrument she can shape to the contours of old-school soul music, modern pop and anything in between. It took her to “The Voice” back in Season 4, carried her to festival stages, earned her some sweet side gigs and never wore out its welcome on her 2018 long-player “Days.”

Childress returns this week with the new single “Walk With Me,” a solemn paean to people who are there for you when the going gets toughest. The singer-songwriter needs just her voice and an organ (played by Rune Westberg, who also produced) to light the embers of the song, before some light percussion and a gospel chorus brings it to a warm finish.

“In dark moments, I think it’s easy to feel isolated — like I’m all alone in whatever I’m going through,” Childress says of the song, her first release of 2020. “But, when I zoom out of whatever hurricane I’m in the middle of, there is this beautiful network of support ready to carry me until the storm ends. ‘Walk with Me’ is about calling out to those angels.”

The tune is the first single from Childress’ forthcoming EP, “I’m Learning,” due in late October.

||| Stream: “Walk With Me”