These songs you hear...They are Elam Marie aka Jess Russell. These are an example of what is in her head. Many have told her that the piano ballads, and singer/songwriter material are their favorite but it is not who she really is. Maybe only partly. When the day is done you must be true to yourself, so says the proverb.
Elam Marie is the alter ego, you could say. Strangely enough, each song is birthed from sitting at the piano, alone with a glass of scotch and the thoughts of life as company. Or they manifest in a room with a single acoustic guitar.
You could say then, that this is singer/songwriter material, if you feel as if you really need to break it down.
Where it is going is what really matters.
A few months after she recorded 5 songs for an EP, Jess started a band to play these and other songs. But she didn't want a backing band. She refused to go that route (although many encouraged her to do so). Elam Marie was born (and is still birthing) with the help of her brother David and husband Jake on guitars and drummer Jeremy Wright on drums.
The Maze EP will soon be released, followed by a full album featuring the full band.