FEATURE:
Spotlight
PHOTO CREDIT: Tess Letort
JELISA when she recently played in London. Jelisa van Schijndel is a multi-talented artist and singer-songwriter from Amsterdam. With her raw and authentic sound, she effortlessly blends alternative soul, R&B, indie, funk, and more into her unique musical expression. From an early age, JELISA has expressed herself through various art forms. Her talent hasn’t gone unnoticed; she has been discovered by radio stations such as Sublime, Veronica, NPO Soul & Jazz, BBC Extra, and more. Her latest E.P., Melancholia, in January. I am taking some of that biography from JELISA’s YouTube page. This is an artist I am new to but an instantly a fan of. One of the beautiful and strongest voices in modern music, I think. I cannot see a lot of press and interviews from this year, so I am going back to last year for the most part. I do want to start out with Crisp Sheets and their interesting conversation. Part of a series of women who inspire them, we get to know more about the wonderful JELISA:
“Can you tell us where and how you grew up?
I was born in Amsterdam, moved to a small village next to Amsterdam with my mom, dad and brother. Loved playing outside by the water and trees. I had a lot of hobby’s and went to a dance academy at an early age. I was very ambitious trying to achieve my passion as a dancer/ singer.
Where did your passion for music came from?
I’ve always been sensitive to sounds, my dad used to go to a lot of concerts and also because I danced I was always surrounded by music.
Also watching music video’s and listening to different kinds of music, also my brothers music.
Who or what inspires you?
Lots of different forms of art inspire me, from paintings to architecture, culture, people, clothes, emotions and situations
What’s your latest song about?
A song that has not yet been released is about not giving up but continuing with what your doing, keep on trying.
What do you like most about what you do?
I like that I get to write feelings down and share it with other human beings. Create projects, being on stage, being in the moment with the magic of the music.
And what are the downsides?
That everything is work, it never stops. I'm always thinking about what’s next. You have to push yourself, if I’m not going to do it, nobody will.
What’s your biggest dream?
Performing on big and small music festivals, giving concerts all over the world. And creating more music for the people.
Do you have any advise for beginning artists, creators or freelancers?
Just create, keep on going, bad days will always be there. And celebrate achievements.
Best place in Amsterdam to enjoy music?
Paradiso, Cafe alto, at my house haha”.
I want to go back to her debut E.P., Do you feel the same?, that came out on 25th January, 2025. It is a remarkable E.P. that I would urge everyone to listen to. You immerse yourself in the world of the songs. I do hope that JELISA comes back to London and plays again soon. The amazing c-heads spoke with JELISA in February 2025:
“Can music heal? Can a song hold all the weight of love, longing, and transformation? Jelisa’s voice makes you believe it can. With a sound that blends the depth of alternative soul with the richness of jazz, blues, and psychedelic influences, her music carries a wonderful warmth, intensity, and sincerity. With her new EP Do You Feel the Same?, she invites listeners into a deeply personal journey of love, longing, healing, and transformation.
To visually interpret the heart of her EP, she teamed up with Amsterdam-based photographer Zsófia Bodnár, who has Hungarian roots, for a stunning editorial, capturing the essence of each song through intimate, evocative imagery. Every frame captures the vulnerability and strength embedded in her music.
“I want listeners to know that it’s okay to feel, and that we’re all on this journey together,” Jelisa shares in this conversation, reflecting on the healing power of music. In this interview, she opens up about the inspiration behind her songs, the emotions that shape her sound, and why love remains the most important force in her life.
Your upcoming EP is a deeply personal project. Can you share more with us about the inspiration behind it?
I think I get a lot of inspiration from life and its emotional shifts, both the good and the bad. My upcoming EP Do You Feel the Same? reflects on these transitions. I guess I’m exploring a lot of love, sadness, confusion, healing, and growth. It’s a deeply personal project that, for me, embraces vulnerability and inner strength. Musically, I think I’m influenced by a wide range of genres like jazz, indie, blues, soul, R&B, funk, psychedelic, African rhythms, different cultures, different kinds of art, and time periods. But in the studio, I just let my intuition guide the creative process, which makes the sound feel pure and authentic to me. Hopefully, the listeners connect with the journey and find their own emotions in the music.
Which song on your EP is your favorite, and why?
For me, it really depends on my mood. The song I’d Rather Live in My Dream really reminds me of a memory that I cherish. But sometimes I feel like I want to experience the depth of the song and get lost in Hurt, while other times, I gravitate more toward something uplifting like Flying Away or This Body. Each song brings its own story and emotion. I guess I love them all for different reasons.
Music often has the power to heal and connect. Is this the message you hope your listeners take away from this EP?
Yes, definitely. I’ve always felt that music has the capability to heal and bring people together, and that’s something I really hope comes across in this EP, Do You Feel the Same? For me, music is a way to express how I feel and what I sometimes can’t say or am not aware of. Writing music feels like therapy sometimes. Getting it out and making art from it feels really fulfilling. If it can help someone feel less alone or more connected to their own emotions, then that adds extra purpose to me and to the music. I want listeners to know that it’s okay to feel and that we’re all on this journey together.
Soul music has such a rich history of storytelling and emotion. How do you see your music fitting into that tradition, and how do you hope to push the genre forward?
I mean, I’d love to carry the soul tradition with me, but I’ll do it in my own way. Soul music is about storytelling and deep emotion, which I connect with naturally. While I try to honor those roots, I guess I also bring in my own voice and experiences. My music will always be centered around stories and emotion, but I hope to stay true to my creativity and intuition while continuing to blend more genres into it.
Where do you see yourself in around 10 years?
Oh, that’s a tough question! In 10 years, I hope I’m still joyful and deeply connected to my passion. If that’s still music, that would be amazing, and I’d love to still be writing music that feels authentic. I’d love to be touring, playing at festivals like North Sea Jazz, Montreux, or Glastonbury, and sharing my music with people who truly connect with it. (Manifesting haha.) Collaborating with other musicians and continuing to explore new sounds. But most of all, I just want to keep growing, stay true to my creativity and intuition, touch people with my music, and explore and enjoy life in general. And I’d love to be a mom someday. (smiles)”.
I couldn’t find too much else in the way of interviews, so I will leave things there. This is someone who I feel should get more attention and love. With an E.P. released earlier in the year and tour dates under her belt, I wonder what the next few years hold. This is a truly wonderful artist that everyone…
SHOULD listen to.
__________
Follow JELISA
