Imagine looking out the window with beautiful signs of Spring cropping up as a sinking feeling sets in that you just can’t seem to shake; this contrast describes a moment Christian-rock artist, Jodi Essex, experienced late March 2020, as the world faced an unprecedented pandemic. With headlines ranging from senseless deaths to an ever-growing divisive political climate, ever-joyful-spirited Essex admittedly found herself wondering, like many others, if our nation is completely broken. Just then, an acapella video of Lee Greenwood singing “God Bless The USA” with the US Army Chorus caught her attention and she clicked “play.” Swept up by the sounds, lyrics, symbol of the uniforms and Greenwood’s soulful delivery, Essex was moved to tears. Set to release August 28th, 2020, Jodi Essex’s southern-rock version of “God Bless The USA” ignites a spark of patriotism to uplift and inspire our nation.
“Though I had heard this song so many times before, it had never affected me this way,” Essex explains. “I was immediately consumed with the will to do a version of this song. I wanted to actually sing it, this amazing expression of gratitude for our country and all it stands for – home of the free because of the brave.”
As an impressionable youth, Essex remembers hearing Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA” for the first time with her parents, and has never forgotten it. Whether or not it was for a patriotic holiday, this song has always tugged on her heartstrings as she recalls the men and women who fought for our freedom. With a desire to keep to the integrity of this song as a whole, Essex’s version fuses her unique, uptempo-rock style with the melody Americans will find familiar. To bring her vision for the song to life, she enlisted the help of producer and drummer, Sean Hill, , producer and engineer, Zach Kranz, along with guitarist and bassist Jadan Sorenson and Pablo Melgar on keys for a few texturally-ambient layers.
Through her debut album, “Irreverent,” Essex has continuously found new ways to inspire, connect and energize her audiences all over the world. To date, her music has been featured on prominent Spotify playlists including New Music Friday Christian, was the May international chartbreaker on XNOIZZ, Artist of The Month on CSN’s Effect Radio with her single, “Stand Up,” charting top 5 in Canada; additionally, Essex’s record received attention from regional and national outlets including CCM Magazine, Worship Magazine, Hallels, 100% Rock Magazine and The Rockpit, in Australia. Beyond receiving critical acclaim, Essex has enjoyed connecting directly with her fans through heartfelt exchanges to include personal messages with international and USA-based fans, alike.
“I want people to feel proud of their country once again,” Essex says, fervently. “Remember that men & women fought for our protection, for our freedom… nothing was in vain. Beyond what’s happening politically, there are so many reasons to be grateful for our country and the people in it, period.”
If you, too, could use some inspiration, keep watch for Jodi’s version of “God Bless The USA” on August 28th, 2020 with an accompanying music video September 4th, 2020; like a spark before the fireworks, this song is a true catalyst.
