Jess Jocoy aims to be as honest as Ashley McBryde. Her new song “Cul-de-Sac Kid” is a pretty good start.
The Washington native is nothing if not authentic across this building ballad. Lyrically, Jocoy gets to questions of identity in country music and beyond — far beyond.
She tells Taste of Country that her upcoming Cul-de-Sac Kid album (Oct. 24) will bring more of the same.
“I see my style of music going in the direction of Ashley McBryde, because she has such an honest way of telling stories,” Jocoy shares ahead of the exclusive Taste of Country premiere of “Cul-de-Sac Kid.“
“But she also keeps a thread of hope in her songs.”
We asked the Belmont University graduate to share three songs that inspired this new project, and she chose titles most fans of McBryde would agree are among her best.
The song “Cul-de-Sac Kid” is available at all digital streaming platforms now.
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere”: The song “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” hits deep — for so many of us artists, I’m sure — because for all the times you get knocked down, your true love of music is sometimes the only thing pushing you to keep going for it; even when it doesn’t love you back, you keep chasing after the dream.
For me, I’m so blessed to be supported in my career, but that doesn’t mean I don’t face rejection and setbacks. It also doesn’t mean I’m where I thought I’d be by now, but I’m learning that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” gives a voice to the big picture: the long road is going to lead you to where you’re meant to go. It’s a song that makes you smile knowing that you will see the fruits of your labor if you keep at it!
“Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega”: “Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” also leans into the spirit it takes, not just as a musician, but as anyone who goes through tough times only to find something good come from it. The amount of times I’ve faced a hardship and could’ve (and would’ve) very easily let it get me down, only to serendipitously find that I needed that encounter to lead me to something better.
The verse lyrics are just so sincere: We’ve all got a good friend we ain’t seen in awhile or have been homesick for greener grass. Not to mention, I used to play at a little coffee shop/speakeasy in Dahlonega, Ga. so that song always takes me back to those shows.
“Light on in the Kitchen”: It makes me think of my mom. If there’s one person who’s stood by me through the thick and the thin, it is and will always be her. She’s always ready to offer guidance when I need it, but also knows there are just some things you have to find out for yourself. There’s some advice in that song that I know she’s passed along to me so when I listen, I smile thinking of her.
That’s the kind of songwriter I want to be someone who writes with honesty, someone who tells it like it is, but also never forgets to include some kind of silver lining. The songs on Cul-de-Sac Kid do just that: They tell stories about love, change, anxiety, resilience and hope, all in a way, I believe, folks will be able to connect with and understand.
25 Most Important Country Women of the Last 25 Years
You can’t talk about 2000s country music without spending time on these 25 women. Each is a trailblazer with an original voice and perspective.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
27 Great Country Breakup Songs by Women, for Women
No offense to the men of country music, but some breakups just require a woman’s perspective. This list of 27 great country breakup songs by women, for women includes hits from every decade, dating back to the 1960s.
Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Crystal Gayle are the icons, while newcomers like Lainey Wilson, Kacey Musgraves and Carly Pearce prove they know what heartbreak feels like. Click each link to enjoy 27 songs from 27 different women of country music.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
