Media’s changing, and so it goes, as is music. Jess, host of the mental health podcast More or Less, asks an essential question in her episodes: “How are you really feeling, more or less?” The answer is different for most artists.
Jess navigates her podcast and life with the belief that success doesn’t follow a linear path, proving to us that we are all struggling just the same. She’s the best friend you never knew you needed, giving you a safe place to gush, chat, and be unapologetically vulnerable about your feelings in the music space. Whether it’s social media content, the pressures artists face, or being vocal about mental health, Jess addresses it all in her podcast.
We recently spoke with Jess of the More or Less podcast about the inspiration behind the podcast, its upcoming sixth (and seventh) season(s), and its mission to destigmatize mental health in the music industry.
How would you sum up More or Less for those who aren’t familiar with your podcast?
More or Less is a podcast and media platform that highlights mental health wellness amongst artists and creatives. It’s a resource and a beacon of support for the music community and fans and helps them see themselves in other people’s mental health journeys by talking about it.
The overall message of More or Less is really just getting to know the human behind the art and music. We want to be a place where artists & our audience feel 100% safe to show up as themselves and share what’s comfortable. Every conversation I have, I try to come back to the universal humanity we’re all connected by.
Is your focus primarily on artists or is the goal industry wide, anybody in it?
I fully believe music could change the world, and that’s what I am personally so drawn to. I really believe when the content reaches that artist superfans, it can really help them and I think that’s what has even drawn me to this world is seeing artists I grew up with talk about mental health. That really helped me with my own journey.
How do you think the conversation around mental health has evolved over the years and what would you like to see progress more?
When we started during the pandemic, at that time, artists, fans, and the music community were really navigating the lack of touring, the lack of live shows, and there wasn’t this face-to-face connection. Everyone was really struggling with that…
If you want to read more about More or Less with Jess, such as what to expect on season six and which artist Jess has learned the most from on her podcast, head over to issuu to read the full interview.
Keep up with More or Less with Jess: Instagram // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // YouTube
