When Jessie Baylin takes the stage, she peers into the audience with a twinkle in her eye. It’s apparent there’s no place the Nashville-based singer-songwriter would rather be than pouring out her emotions on stage. It’s been four years since Baylin has performed in Los Angeles, the town that launched her career through residencies at The Mint and Hotel Cafe. Baylin returned to the Troubadour last week to play for an eager audience, which included Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Branch, Bette Midler, and her husband, (Kings of Leon drummer) Nathan Followill.
Prior to the show, we sat down with Baylin to discuss how she used her inheritance from her grandmother to record her recent independent release, Little Spark. She cheerfully greeted us and exclaimed that our interview location, the front bar of the Troubadour, was where “Joni Mitchell used to hang out.” Baylin explained that as a child she was notorious for making mixed tapes for her friends, which included tracks by her musical idols (Dusty Springfield, Barbara Streisand, Nina Simone…). She told us how she met her husband in line for the bathroom at Bonnaroo and explained that although she misses LA, the simpler life in Nashville is conducive to her artistic soul.
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