Maybe for the past six months or so, I’ve heard the name Jessica Hernandez floating around town here and there – mostly from the younger creative types within Detroit. One day recently, I was having lunch with Dennis Coffey‘s manager at Cass Cafe and he mentioned her to me when we were discussing artists from Detroit that we were really into these days. After our meeting, I ended up picking up her CD Weird Looking Women In Too Many Clothes at UHF Records in Royal Oak. Simply put, that EP of her’s has not left my car or my iPod for almost a month now. Hell, I’m listening to it right now as I write this.

Crazy thing about that day in early February when I bought her CD was that night I was going to the Fitz And The Tantrums show at the Magic Bag in Ferndale. Unbeknownst to me until I was just about to leave to go to the show, Jessica Hernandez and her band The Deltas were opening the Fitz show so I made sure to get there early. That almost didn’t work out though. This was a free show and the venue hit capacity 20 minutes after the doors opened and there was a line outside still. I worked my magic though to get in. Dennis Coffey was playing a song with Fitz And The Tantrums that night (pictures here), a song called “Dear Mr. President” from Fitz’s Pickin’ Up The Pieces album, so I was able to walk in with his management. Already impressed my the initial listenings of her CD that day, I was more than wow’d by her live performance that night with her band. Looking a little timid at first, she unleashed powerful energy when she starts to perform. Unfortunately, Not too many artists around here hold my attention very long during their performances, but Jessica Hernandez had be hooked, enthralled during the whole set. She is definitely something special. Here’s some pictures from the show.
On her debut EP, Jessica Hernandez touches on her Cuban roots immensely but it seems more like it was her musical upbringing thats more prevalent in the diverse range of her music. In an interview she did with The LUCX Project, she said she grew up on a “blend of folk rock, afro-cuban jams and weird 80’s electronic rock”. Weird Looking Women In Too Many Clothes is an impressive debut project for the Mexicantown native. Its powerful and soulful, and very bit sensual at times. The sax solo on “Gone In Two Seconds” is just downright sexy. There is even a great remix from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. for the song “In The City”.

Now I don’t know too much about Jessica Hernandez outside a few things I have been able to pick up online since we haven’t chatted at length yet – our communication has ended up being through a few emails at this time. Look to hear more from her this year. Real Detroit Weekly recently named her the “Best Solo Artist” in their recent Best Of Detroit 2011 issue. Word is also that she will be performing with Dennis Coffey and Will Sessions at SXSW this year.



For more information on Jessica Hernandez and The Deltas, visit www.jessicahernandez.net. Pick up her EP or give it a listen at jessicahernandezthedeltas.bandcamp.com. Stay tuned for more coverage on Jessica Hernandez here on The Loop Detroit.