Jessica Pratt

Jessica Pratt was born in Redding, California, on April 24, 1987. She was raised by her mother, who introduced her to a wide array of musical artists such as Tim Buckley and T. Rex. Pratt began playing guitar at age 15 after acquiring her brother’s Stratocaster, learning to play entire albums. By age 16, she was recording her own songs using her mother’s audio equipment. Her early songwriting was influenced by artists like the Incredible String Band and Leonard Cohen, creating impressionistic music on a nylon string guitar she acquired from a thrift store.

Her musical career gained traction after moving to San Francisco. Tim Presley, a songwriter for White Fence, discovered her demo songs through a mutual connection and subsequently contacted her to release her music. This led to her self-titled debut album, “Jessica Pratt,” released in 2012 through Presley’s Birth Records label. This album comprised recordings from 2007, made on analogue tape, and its initial 500 copies sold out quickly, attracting attention from various music publications. In 2014, Pratt unveiled a new track, “Game That I Play,” and announced her second album, “On Your Own Love Again,” which was released in 2015. This album led to extensive touring, both as a headliner and in support of artists including Beach House and Panda Bear. “On Your Own Love Again” was later ranked among Pitchfork’s Best Albums of the 2010s, and a song from it, “Back, Baby,” was featured in the TV series “Atlanta” and sampled by Troye Sivan.

In 2018, Pratt announced her third album, “Quiet Signs,” released in 2019 on Mexican Summer and City Slang. This project marked her first time recording in a professional studio, contributing to a refined sound that Pitchfork described as warping the traditional role of a singer-songwriter into something more mystifying. Her fourth album, “Here in the Pitch,” was released on May 3, 2024, to widespread critical acclaim. The lead single, “Life Is,” was featured in Chanel’s Fall-Winter 2024/25 Haute Couture Show, and Pratt performed it on “The Late Show” in July 2024. She also collaborated with A$AP Rocky on his single “Highjack,” released in August 2024, further expanding her reach across different musical genres.