Jessica Willis Fisher’s latest collection of songs from her upcoming album Blooming offers a profound and moving exploration of healing, self-discovery, and the courageous act of forging a new path from the ashes of a painful past. Known for her role in The Willis Clan and her subsequent, courageous emergence as a solo artist and author detailing her experiences of abuse in her memoir "Unspeakable," Fisher’s songwriting is a testament to survival and the tenacious human spirit's capacity to thrive. In a recent conversation on the Curious Goldfish Podcast, Fisher shared insights that further illuminate the deep connections between her life and her art, painting an even more vivid picture of an artist stepping into her own, embracing vulnerability, and finding strength in truth.
The most immediate and powerful theme coursing through these songs is growth through healing. The track aptly titled "Healing" serves as an anthem for this journey. Lines like,
"If it was unchangeable then how did we start to heal? / And love is healing me now," speak directly to a process of recovery that once seemed impossible.
Fisher’s words acknowledge the clarity of past pain ("If it was forgettable then why is it oh so clear?") but firmly anchor the narrative in the present power of love – for others, and crucially, for oneself – to mend what was broken: "Love is healing my heart, love is healing my soul / Love is healing my body, love is making me whole." This isn't a superficial glossing over of trauma, but a hard-won perspective. Speaking about her artistic journey after her previous life in a family band, Fisher told Curious Goldfish,
"I did a lot of soul searching and recalibrating and then in 2022 I put out my first solo record. I put out a memoir. I turned 30 and I was just like we're doing like we're starting over." She further elaborated on the therapeutic nature of her work, stating, "I think I have embraced the idea that there's a lot of processing and healing and recovery that I will be doing my whole life, and art is a big part of that. So there's like therapeutic meaningful things for me personally on kind of every project I do."
This theme of rebirth is beautifully echoed in "Dogwood." Here, Fisher employs the metaphor of a tree that isn't the grandest or most imposing, but one that possesses its own unique, seasonal glory. "I am not an oak tree standing full and tall... But in the spring there’s no one that can match me," she sings, embracing a different kind of strength. The poignant lines, "Crimson in the corners, I wear my wounds with pride / Believing in the beauty of the many tears I’ve cried," directly connect to her public narrative of surviving abuse. As she explained when introducing "Dogwood" during a performance shared on the podcast, "To me, this song is about the authentic and beautiful, vulnerable strength of owning all parts of our story, including some of the harder things and how our wounds can be beautiful." This sentiment aligns with Fisher's own statements about her upcoming album, which she described as having a theme of "growth and continued healing and coming into another level of vibrancy and authenticity." She sees this new work as a "nice continuation" from her debut "Brand New Day," which was about "starting over."
The journey of healing is rarely linear, a truth Fisher explores with raw vulnerability in "Seeds." "Seeds" delves into the anxieties and uncertainties that accompany new beginnings. Questions like, "What if I don’t want to sing anymore / Or what if it’s all that I need" and "How do I know what the hell which way to go / When I don’t want to be what I’ve seen," resonate with the weight of past experiences and the fear and hope of forging an unknown future. The central refrain, "What if it dies - what if it seeds," perfectly encapsulates this delicate balance. Fisher touched on this ongoing process in our conversation: "some things I think every day can be brand new. Every day is full of potential... and some things also you have to plant, you have to water them, you have to pay attention to the cycles and the rhythms of our own life."
Amidst this introspection, there's a clear celebration of newfound love and partnership. "Build a House" is a joyful exploration of creating a life with a trusted partner, open to any adventure, be it settling "on the top of a hill" or hitting "the road with the clothes on our back." The recurring assurance, "It’s a wide world to discover / And we’ll make it up as we go," speaks to a future built on shared trust and spontaneity. This newfound security reflects her marriage to Sean Fisher, whom she described on the podcast as "my dude." She acknowledged the trials they've faced, "having a partner that, gone through, like, everything that was supposed to, break us apart just kind of made us stronger and still to this day we just passed ten years of my husband and I having met each other." She further emphasized the importance of his support, especially in the early days of her leaving her past situation, noting how he, with the help of her eventual therapist, invited her "out of the situation that you're in." This support system was crucial: "I'm just like, really, really grateful that I did land in a really soft spot and a really safe place." "One of a Kind" is a simpler, sweet ode to a love that is unique and cherished, using warm, natural imagery to convey its depth.
For me, there are two standout songs: “June,” and “Honest.”
The anticipation of brighter days and personal growth is palpable in "June." The singer hears June "knocking at the door," a metaphor for a new season of life, ready to "come alive" and embrace "open all terrain." This echoes the album's title, Blooming, suggesting a readiness to fully inhabit her renewed self. Fisher expressed this forward momentum to Curious Goldfish, "I think there's kind of a celebratory element and a groundedness on this record that I'm excited to share with folks."
"June" is a clever, catchy sing-a-long-while-you-clean song filled with anticipation and a yearning for a specific time and feeling. It's evocative of the transition from late spring into early summer, a period often associated with renewal, growth, and vibrant energy.
Growth and Bloom: The lines "Grown in the soil / Long on the loom / It's the season of waiting for the bloom" use powerful imagery of growth and creation. The soil represents the nurturing ground for growth, while the loom symbolizes the slow, patient process of creation. The "bloom" is not just about flowers but also about the flourishing of life and potential.
Desire for Full Summer: The chorus expands on this desire: "June, I need your flowers in July / Give me your August summer high / I'll see you soon, oh, June." Here, June is seen as a gateway to the fullness of summer, with its vibrant flowers and the peak of its warmth and energy.
"Honest" is a deeply introspective song that grapples with personal struggles, self-doubt, and the journey toward self-acceptance. It's a raw and vulnerable look into the complexities of healing and growth.
Struggle and Self-Doubt: The opening lines, "It’s hard to take your own advice / Sometimes giving up sounds real nice," immediately convey a sense of struggle. There’s a sense of being hard on herself, and the temptation to just give up. "I wonder if I'm better off / Doubting every last late night talk" shows self-doubt and a questioning of past experiences and decisions.
Cycle of Regress: "One step, two step / Three would be another / Then I find myself right back where we began" suggests a feeling of being stuck in a cycle, of making progress only to regress.
Internal Conflict: "Something might be wrong with me / Picking off fruit from a long dead tree" is a powerful metaphor for feeling broken or trying to salvage something that is no longer viable. "And I wish I had some peace of mind" expresses a deep longing for inner peace and stability.
Jessica Willis Fisher’s lyrics, enriched by her candid reflections, are a masterclass in storytelling through song. They are deeply personal, yet universally resonant, touching on themes of pain, resilience, the courage to change, and the transformative power of love and honesty. As she shared with me, "it's allowed me to take some of the hardest things that I've been through and make something really empowering and beautiful from it." For anyone familiar with her story, or just discovering her powerful voice, these songs are a vibrant declaration that not only has she survived, but she is now, truly, blooming. Her voice, both literal and lyrical, is one that demands to be heard, offering hope and a profound understanding of the beauty that can emerge from even the deepest wounds.
-- Jason English
