Saturday’s rock lineup attracted tens of thousands, and those who managed to arrive early enjoyed a memorable set from opening act JJ Wilde. Having opened for other massive rock legends, including KISS and Pearl Jam, the energetic singer added Motley Crue to her list.
In the sweltering heat, Wilde performed all her hit singles including, “The Rush,” “Hands,” and her newest “Takes Me Back,” as well as her fan favourite cover of the classic “Piece of My Heart” that she always nails. Many in the crowd who were unaware of the singer’s work quickly began looking her up on their phones. Through the night, the occasional conversations could be heard during the hour-long wait for the headliners to appear, about “that JJ Wilde girl.” Clearly, she left her mark on the festivalgoers with that impressive set.
We had a chance to chat with JJ Wilde ahead of her set and caught up on her move to Nashville, her new music, and a potential return to Ottawa soon.
APT613: Last time we spoke, you were about to perform at CityFolk, and it’s been quite the two years for you. How was the move to Nashville?
WILDE: I moved there part-time because I still have a lot of stuff going on in Canada, I go in between the two now.
On the new EP, there’s a sprinkling of country to it. It’s still rock, but there’s definitely some country elements to it. Did that come before moving to Nashville or was that Nashville’s influence?
I think it was a bit of both because before I moved there, I went back and forth quite a bit with writing. I had done a lot of my previous writing in L.A., and I started travelling to Nashville to try out a different music scene, meet some new people, write with some new people down there, and see how it felt. I fell in love with the writing community there and the writers I met and producers—it was so new and exciting.
So I think that in the music that I was writing with a lot of Nashville writers, some of it was written before I moved and some of it was written when I moved. So it was a little mix of both. But yeah, I would say there’s Nashville influence on there.
The last time we spoke, you had just opened for Kiss. That same year, you’d opened for Pearl Jam. Now you’re playing Bluesfest opening for Motley Crue. Are there any other Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acts on your list that you want to cross off?
Honestly, I mean, yes. I have been very fortunate and I feel very grateful to be able to say I have opened for the people I have. The Foo Fighters would be up there on that list, the Red Hot Chili Peppers would also very much be on the list. There are a few others to cross off, but we’ll get there.
This is your first Bluesfest, but you were here for CityFolk, and this past winter, you played the winter edition of Dragonboat Festival. It must have been interesting playing in a small room like the Rainbow Bistro.
Yes, that was a great experience. Those smaller intimate venues aren’t as common for festivals, but it was fun. It was a full circle moment for me, as my old folk band (The Royal Streets), a long time ago before I did anything as “JJ Wilde,” played that room. And I remember thinking: “This is it. This is the big time.” And the room wasn’t even full. There were probably ten or 15 people at the show. But it was just like a cool moment to be on that stage again years later.
I enjoy the smaller venues because you see everybody’s face in the crowd. You can interact with them differently than with a big festival crowd. I love both.
How is the prep for the tour coming? Are you aiming to mostly play the new EP, or do you have some new stuff you’re going to be trying out?
I’m very excited. I’m focusing on new material; we had a great year last year and I want to bring something new and exciting for all of the listeners this year. I’m going to be playing some of my favourite songs from my old set. But I think the majority of this tour will be focusing on the new EP and also what’s after that, which I’m not going to tell you. However, I have been working on new music for the past two years, and I feel like I am now finally able to present it to the world.
JJ Wilde is launching her headlining North American tour this fall and will make a stop in Ottawa on November 9 at the Bronson Centre! Tickets can be found here.