Jess Goyder

Jess Goyder

Jess Goyder is a singer-songwriter whose work sits in pop and acoustic music. She spends her childhood in India, Ethiopia and the UK, develops an early interest in performing, and receives classical piano training as a child. She later teaches herself guitar and begins writing songs during a long convalescence from a tropical illness in her teens.

Early development and travels

Goyder starts out performing with an Oxfordshire-based band, then plays solo in London and Sydney before moving to Barcelona. There she describes a period of strong musical activity after meeting Brazilian musicians, singing across the city and earning her rent as a singing angel street statue for more than a year. In later periods in Barcelona, she studies music theory in Catalan and performs with an eight-woman country band in local cabarets.

Songwriting and performances

Her songs are often shaped by travel. She draws material from a tour of Central America and Cuba, as well as concerts in Brazil and Argentina. She performs in a range of settings, including under a washing line in Brazil, and at festivals and events such as Glastonbury, Brighton Festival, Edinburgh Festival, City Showcase, Henley Festival and Cornbury. At Cornbury, she appears on the main stage as Jools Holland leaves it.

Later work

After returning to London, Goyder signs a publishing deal and writes new material aimed at lifting spirits in response to austerity. She performs regularly in the capital as a duo with cellist and singer Emma Butterworth and also with a small band.