Jess Kent has become the latest local artist to enter the triple j studios, offering up a bouncy rendition of Bakar’s “Hell N Back” for the station’s weekly Like a Version segment.
Transforming the upbeat, yet wistful original from the English indie artist into a bouncy, soulful take on the track, Kent’s performance sees her backed by a three-piece band and a vocalist as she drips euphoria all over the mic.
“This is probably one of the most exciting milestones in my career so far!” Kent explained of the experience. “I’ve had my list of songs ready, just in case triple j asked me to do this.
“I chose Bakar’s ‘Hell N Back’ because I love his lyricism and swag but with a live band feel, so I wanted to capture that in my version but put my own spin on it. Thanks to my amazing band – I’m so stoked with how it turned out! Hoping people enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it all together.”
Kent’s performance also saw her share a version of her original work, offering up a breezy rendition of her recent track, “No One Else”.
Produced by Dave Hammer (Lime Cordiale, JEFFE, Mia Rodriguez), “No One Else” appears on Parking Karma, the latest EP from Jess Kent, which arrived in mid September.
The EP was just the latest chapter in an already-stunning career for the acclaimed artist, who was born in the UK to a blues rock guitarist and African-Indian mother, before relocating to Australia at the age of 11, and getting her musical start busking on the streets of Adelaide.
Kent is set to make her live return next month with a pair of performances at The Vanguard in Sydney on November 20th to officially introduce her new musical era into the world.
