Sauce x Me. | Progress, patience and periods with JessB
In proud partnership with Me.
To celebrate the launch of Me, a period care brand designed by, and for, the modern-day womxn – Sauce speaks with the Me Collective.
The Me Collective is a genus of diverse, socially conscious, real womxn hailing from New Zealand.
Period care is intimate and integral, but so often it’s left unspoken and positioned on our shelves in a typically unsophisticated manner. Periods are personal, but they’re also universal. Blood is interconnection.
In partnering with Me, we aim to explore taboo conversations around period care, to touch on topics others have left unsaid. To connect on a level we haven’t with you before, we hope you find something you are looking for here, Saucettes.
We understand not only womxn bleed and not all womxn bleed. Me Collective members may use gendered terms in their storytelling that aligns with their personal experience or understanding.
Our second Me Collective conversation is with one of the country’s premier musicians, Jess Bourke (better known as JessB). JessB has been shaping New Zealand’s hip hop scene over the last few years and has been on an exciting career trajectory, amassing millions of plays online since her 2017 debut, Soul Free.
JessB’s 2020 year has taken an unexpected turn, but with surprise comes opportunity. We catch up with JessB and get an insight into what it’s like travelling as a full-time female musician and what’s next for the crème de la crème of New Zealand’s hip hop industry.
Congratulations on releasing your new music video, BULLSEYE! It’s unique and crafted so perfectly, what inspired you for this piece of work? I am feeling Avatar vibes!
Thank you! I worked with directing duo, Connie Cash, on this video. The general brainstorming was to take the video outside of the realms that people might expect for both me, as an artist, and the song itself. The song is high energy and makes me want to run (lol), so Connie Cash built the idea from that, and it turned into the final piece which we were all very very happy with.
How has COVID-19 implicated your work plans this year?
Covid essentially impacted and changed all my work plans for the year. I was supposed to be over in Europe twice this year. I had wanted to return to Amsterdam, where I recorded my project “3 Nights in Amsterdam” last year that dropped in August and do some shows with the producers who worked on it with me. I also had a few festivals in Australia that I was really looking forward to doing that aren’t going ahead.
What are you looking forward to in 2021?
I really don’t know! I find it so hard to plan ahead right now when we don’t know what is around the corner in regards to Covid. I would really, really love to travel again and get back to Australia for shows but who knows at this point!
What attracted you to partner with Me?
I think that it’s great to be able to partner with brands that also want to create open discussions about things that are relevant to our lives as women.
Are you currently on any Contraceptive Pill?
I have been on the pill since High School, but my prescription ran out during lockdown, so I decided maybe it was a good time to have a break! So no, not currently.
Have you created a bunch of new work in lockdown?
Yes and no. I tried not to put too much pressure on myself creatively, particularly in the first lockdown this year. Being at home in my flat with six other people doesn’t necessarily create a good environment to produce music in, haha. But during Auckland’s second lockdown, I was lucky enough to have a studio space I could spend time alone in. Working by myself in this way ended up being amazing for me, as I was able to work on new skills and develop different sorts of sounds that I might not have had the confidence to do in a studio with other people, which is usually the setting. The content might never come out, but it definitely gave me a chance creatively to feel like I was making progress.
Do you struggle with managing your period cycles because you’re travelling so much for work?
Fortunately, being on the pill for my entire music career thus far, I haven’t had too many problems in regards to this. I think it’s always an inconvenience, however, to be dealing with your period on show days or whilst travelling.
Do you have any tips for managing PMS?
I don’t get too many PMS symptoms, but I have found that exercise has always helped me to regulate my emotions, so I would say get out for a walk, run or go to the gym if possible.
What community do you resonate most within New Zealand, and how have you seen it evolve in 2020?
I don’t think that I have a community that I resonate “most” with. I am part of lots of different communities, and they all play a role in shaping the person that I am. I think that the Black community in Aotearoa has had a particularly interesting and challenging year, as a response to the BLM movement that started in the USA. I have definitely felt that the Black community is becoming more visible and vocal about issues both here and overseas.
What is one life lesson you’ve learnt in 2020?
An individual is nothing without the community around them.
Who is your dream collab with?
Kehlani, right now!
Where can we see you perform over this summer, what festivals are you playing at?
So far, I have booked and will be playing at R&V, The Other Side (Joe’s Farm), Northern Bass, Electric Ave, Splore, Cuba Dupe and will be supporting Six60 at their Wellington stadium show. There’s quite a few more that could pop up too.
Photography – Lula Cucchiara
In proud partnership with Me.
