New York, New York—Singer-songwriter Jess Klein –whom theNew York Timescalls “a songwriter with a voice of unblinking tenacity”–has always used music to dream her way forward. For“Never Gonna Break Me,”the first single from her upcoming album,When We Rise,Klein courageously recalls a teenage nightmare episode of stigmatization to empower all young women to buck off oppression and never back down.
“With this song, I had to revisit some painful memories of my past and confront feelings of anger, shame, and mistrust that have haunted me for decades,” says the Hillsborough, North Carolina-based artist. “But, in the end, I wanted to send a fiery message of hope that we can face our adversity and move forward.”
The urgently-emotive pop-rocker opens with the scene of a 14-year-old girl letting a boy touch her in a sweetly vulnerable moment of adolescent intimacy. The girl has a crush on the boy, and in her mind their time together is special. Back at school, however, he jokes about those tender moments to his friends, and the story spreads around the halls. The song’s verses smolder with Klein talk-singing the narrative supported by moody musicality punctuated by subtly artful touches. The song bites down hard on the chorus with the refrain of “Never Gonna Break Me,” and Klein’s vocals here are goosebump-inducing—she’s singing for all of the girls and women who have been slut shamed.
The“Never Gonna Break Me” video achieves the rare feat of sending a serious message without taking itself too seriously. It features Klein inRocky-esque training montages, and her eventually getting in the ring to fight an adversarial man played by her husband, songwriter Mike June. The “Never Gonna Break Me” video was shot in the rugged urban outdoors, and in an actual MMA (mixed martial arts) training facility. The video also features an all-woman training team which sends a beautiful message of sisterhood solidarity. 
Klein’s upcoming album,When We Rise,her 11th full-length, is produced by longtime collaborator and dear friend Mark Addison (Cher, Joan Baez, Sara Hickman, Guy Forsyth). Klein was galvanized into writingWhen We Risein the wake of 2020’s madness when she found herself fearful, isolated, and passing the hours with images of BLM protests, women‘s marches, unrest, and uncertainty.
Over multiple decades and albums, Klein has pursued an Americana-leaning artistic evolution that has seen her delve into her own personal stories to unearth universal truths.The Bluegrass Situationhails her work as“one part grassroots social activism, two parts alt-country guitar rock — a combo we can certainly get behind.” Klein has performed nationally and internationally at sold-out shows and festivals, including the Newport Folk Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, and Fuji Rock Festival in Japan. She has shared stages with such artists as Arlo Guthrie, John Fullbright and Carlene Carter. In addition, Klein has appeared on Good Morning Americaand NPR‘sAll Things Considered.
