Jesse Lafser

Nashville-via-St. Louis native Jesse Lafser was named after a Thomas Hart Benton painting of a woman playing guitar. As the fates would have it, Jesse picked up the guitar and wrote her first song at the age of 15, foreshadowing her eventual move to Nashville and enrollment at Belmont University with a focus on music. 

Nashville helped Jesse flourish as a young artist and prolific songwriter. She is a talented instrumentalist, a classically trained guitar and piano player, and a self-taught banjo and harmonica player. She has played venues all over the U.S. and shared the stage with artists like Chris Pureka and Anne McCue. Her songs have been featured on the international weekly webcast BalconyTV, and Nashville's premier independent station, Lightning 100. 

Jesse builds her earnest, soul-searching songs with contemplation. Her live performances leave listeners provoked and driven to unexplored territory. Her influences include Bob Dylan and Gillian Welch, among other great songwriting icons. While her style stays true to her Americana and folk roots, she continues to grow and reach for new areas that can be difficult to pinpoint in genre. 

Land in Sight, Jesse’s most anticipated release to date, draws its title and inspiration from a Mark Twain story about a ship lost at sea and its sailors’ miraculous survival. The album was recorded and produced by Mike Odmark (Gray Matters Studio) and features Nashville favorites Andrew Combs, Spencer Cullum, Evan Hutchings, Mike Rinne, and Kristen Weber. The record will be released October 16, 2012.