Jess Harlen

Jess Harlen is a New Zealand-born Australian Maori (of Ngati Porou and Nga Puhi decent) soul vocalist now based in the USA. Harlen moved to Australia with her family at a young age and spent her school years growing up in Brisbane where she began singing and was taught to play the guitar by her family. Her influences include blues artists such as John Lee Hooker and Nina Simone, Motown greats such as Otis Redding and Gladys Knight, moving into soul and roots musicians such as Bill Withers, Robert Flak and Tracy Chapman.