Bio
Bilingual French-Canadian singer-songwriter Jessica Mai (Jessica Mailhot), born in Estevan, SK and raised in Langley, B.C., is an artist in every way. Drawing, dreaming, singing and creating since the age of nine, Jessica wrote her first song about waterfalls with a honky tonk keyboard, and has come a long way since then.
Over the past 10 years as a professional artist, Jessica has performed more than 1000 shows with her musical journey including several transformations and diverse projects. She recorded her first studio project in 2012, a three-song EP called “The Real Life EP.” In 2014, Jessica moved to Glasgow, touring the country and performing live on Scotland National Television (STV). She teamed up with friend and music partner Hugh Barbour to form a new band, Jet + The Art Engine. Their full-length album, "Oh My Days," sold over 1,000 copies during a whirlwind three-month tour of nine European countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the UK. In 2017, she moved back to her hometown and continued touring along the Pacific Northwest as far south as Los Angeles.
Jessica has come full circle as an artist and is now embracing her own name for her new music. Along with her original music endeavours, Jessica has created a Joni Mitchell Tribute show entitled “Clouds” after the famous record. She created this show as a way of giving thanks to Joni who has been instrumental in shaping her own evolution as an artist. Joni’s strong convictions, risk taking and boldness in music is inspiring to Jessica and continually influences the creation of her own eclectic style of music. Jessica is excited to keep the works of her favourite songwriter alive and gets so much joy out of singing Joni’s iconic melodies.
Links to other music projects:
Penny Pom Pom - new children's show
Hootenanny: A Folk Song Sing-Along - school show
Clouds: A Joni Mitchell Tribute
Saskatchewan born singer-songwriter Jessica Mai’s voice perfectly matches the vocal stylings of Joni Mitchell in the tone, clarity and range of her early work, including songs from her timeless albums “Blue,” “Clouds” and “Ladies of the Canyon.” From “Big Yellow Taxi” to “Both Sides Now,” Jessica brings audiences right back to the time when Joni Mitchell was at her most iconic. Jessica Mai and Joni Mitchell’s lives have some striking parallels too - they both are painters from the Prairies and are also self-taught musicians. Joni’s honesty and raw approach to songwriting has heavily inspired and influenced Jessica’s own music. CLOUDS: A Joni Mitchell Tribute, is a collection of Joni’s “hits and misses,” along with some of Jessica’s originals seamlessly woven in. Most would agree that it’s incredibly difficult to do Joni Mitchell’s songs justice; however, when you hear Jessica Mai sing “A Case of You,” her voice will intoxicate you like holy wine.