Jess McAvoy is a non-binary performance artist and voice educator based in Brooklyn, originally from Perth, Australia. With a music career spanning three decades, Jess has released 15 studio projects since 1994. Their sound fuses elements of singer-songwriter, rock, and blues, creating music that defies strict genres but always resonates as “Good Music.”
Learning their craft as a live musician in the 90’s Jess was one of the few openly queer, independent artists then and in early-2000s Australia—a time when mainstream outlets were often agressively inaccessible to queer artists. Undeterred, Jess’s resilience and drive ultimately led them to North America, where they settled in Brooklyn in 2014 and continued building an impactful artistic legacy.
A versatile creator, Jess moves beyond music into a variety of artistic disciplines, including film making, large-scale abstract paintings, sculpture, and graphic design, bringing their storytelling vision to every discipline. Jess is also the creative force behind their album artwork and music videos, with a talent for capturing their complex, layered voice across mediums.
In recent years, they wrote and staged The Search, a one-person rock musical exploring the quest for authentic self-expression, debuting off-Broadway at the Tank Theater in 2023 and later premiering at Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival in early 2024, where it earned a 5-star review from Artshub in Australia.
Early in 2024, Jess released American Dreaming, their 15th studio offering. This reflective work dives into the nuances of the American dream, grappling with the disruptions of the pandemic and reimagining what success and fulfillment look like in a rapidly changing world.
Beyond their achievements as an artist, Jess is a highly respected and highly rated voice coach in New York City, known for their intuitive and unique approach, and The Sing Easy, an innovative group workshop that welcomes both beginners and experienced voices into an affirming space for vocal exploration.
Jess’s forthcoming podcast, A Voice in the World, will dive further into their multifaceted journey, featuring conversations with creatives from a wide range of disciplines.
Jess McAvoy is a creative force reshaping artistic landscapes, always grounded in resilience, authenticity, and a dedication to exploring the human condition.