Jessie Frye Is Recording Her New EP with John Congleton, Performing Her Birthday Show This Friday

By Darryl Smyers Thu., Nov. 12 2009 at 2:20 PM

Categories: DFW Music News

Frye seems to have the whole "look pensive while sitting out in a field" thing down.

Local singer/songwriter Jessie Frye is in the studio recording a new EP with producer John Congleton at the helm.

Seems like an odd pairing at first--especially since Frye's debut EP, The Delve, was such a meticulously mellow affair. But Frye is adamant about expanding her musical horizons and claims the guy behind The Paper Chase is the right guy at the right time.

"We started recording in July and we are going back in the studio around Thanksgiving," says Frye. "Electric guitar is definitely more prominent in the new stuff and the songs have more attitude and are less safe."

Frye's instrumental prowess and top-notch vocalizing made The Delve one of the surprising local debuts of last year. But Frye still felt the need to break some new ground this time around.

"Sometimes when I listen to the old record, I think, 'Oh my God, I am playing it way too safe,'" she says. "And I don't want to be pegged as the nice, sweet, acoustic singer/songwriter."

But hooking up with Congleton was a bit of a surprise for Frye, who recently relocated to Dallas from Arlington.

"Actually, John Congleton approached me a couple of months ago," she says. "He said he liked my stuff and wanted to know if I wanted to work with him. I didn't know who he was, so I looked up his credentials and went 'Holy shit!'"

Besides the new EP that should be finished by year's end, Frye is prepping her band for a series of upcoming gigs. The first of those is Frye's 21st birthday show this Friday at Opening Bell Coffee. Hunter Johnston, from Matthew and the Arrogant Sea, has joined Frye's band on bass and will take part in Friday's show and also when Frye opens for Eric Hutchinson at the House of Blues' Cambridge Room on December 6th.

Pretty busy schedule for a pretty talented lady.