Meet Jessica Manalo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Manalo.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I saw my mother playing guitar for the first time when I was 10 years old. I was so intrigued by the sound of the instrument and wanted to get my own guitar immediately! I was SO obsessed with learning every chord and would lock myself in my room for hours on end. I tabbed out every chord and had my notebook dedicated to learning and drawing these chord shapes out. Around 13 years old, I started singing and learning easy two to four-chord songs and shortly began writing my original songs. As my teen years flew by I became influenced by Paramore, Hayley Williams to be specific. She became my idol. I started recording covers for YouTube, played music at family gatherings and even started a band called Edgecove in my junior year in high school. We were emulating Paramore and covered a bunch of their songs. We were this wanna-be pop punk group. That was fun, don’t get me wrong! Ha! My confidence was boosting and everyone was telling me to play out more and to really go for it because they could see the potential I was still trying to see in myself. When I was a freshman in college, I started playing at open mics every Monday with friends at a place called The Beat Coffeehouse in Downtown Las Vegas. This is where I started gaining traction. The Beat was the place to be. The entire Las Vegas artist community gravitated to this lovely open mic every Monday with dedication, including myself. From here I was getting booked at shows left and right, honing my craft during the process, and found my “sound” along the way. I became extremely influenced by Amy Winehouse, Adele, Kimbra, and Alabama Shakes. Soul was my niche.

By the age of 21, I was professionally gigging all around Las Vegas, quit my barista job and did music full time. I sang my butt off anywhere I could and started getting attention from the local press and media, headlined The Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, put out my record and even started touring. I ended up opening for some acts I thought I’d never share the stage with such as Allen Stone, Lawrence Taylor, and Bruno Major. After a couple of years of endless hustle in Las Vegas, I moved to Portland, Oregon at the beginning of 2019 to switch it up. I’m currently working on a record with a fresh new sound with my full band, event coordinating, and non-stop grinding to eventually build myself up here the way I did in Vegas. I’ve grown so much throughout the years, made some connections that will last forever, and I am having so much fun throughout the process!

Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing has been easy, but I will say that everything has definitely been worth it. Throughout my career, finances have been a struggle. Much with any artistic venture, we have to make ends meet. Bills, music gear, gas money for touring, merchandise, recording sessions, on top of emergency funds. It gets a lot financially and emotionally. Learning how to balance finances with my own music business has probably been my number one struggle. Somehow, I always make it through and I am grateful for that. Every year I am getting better at budgeting and making it work regardless, even if that means picking up a part time job temporarily or busking on the streets to keep me afloat. Staying confident and motivated has also been a struggle.

Often, as an artist, I will get a million “no’s” before that one “yes”. I must keep up my daily mantras of confidence, success, and self love. It helps me battle out all the negative thoughts and doubts. I’ve learned to stay strong and continue to believe in myself no matter what. Keeping relationships with loved ones close has been another struggle. I’m always busy. A lot of the times I have to skip out on events and holidays. I hate that I have to disappoint someone. Music has become my life and the occasional upset is bound to happen even if it wasn’t my intention. I always try to phone my loved ones and let them know I love them. All these obstacles have shaped me into who I am today. I feel that I am capable of handling anything.

Please tell us about your art.
I am a soul singer based in Portland, Oregon. I was originally from Las Vegas but made my way out here in early 2019. I specialize in soul singing and guitar playin’. I am proud of having the opportunity to bring communities together. I love event coordinating shows even if I am not on the bill so that the whole community can come together to enjoy a night filled with music and togetherness! I am proud of myself for pushing through every obstacle and still aim to do bigger things each day. I hope that I inspire many, especially women and young children to pursue whatever it is that their heart desires no matter what stands in their way. Anything is possible if you think it is!

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I loved most about Las Vegas is that there are endless opportunities for artists to perform. The community is tight knit and there is a lot of support and love out there! However, I do wish that the original artist community was more prominent as opposed to the cover music world. That is why I made my way to Portland to kind of experiment a world that is more focused on original music. Not that I don’t love Vegas. Trust me! Vegas is one hundred percent in my heart. I just wanted to venture out and see what else was out there. What I love about Portland is it challenges me to write more and be more creative. Portland challenges me to build from scratch and connect with even more people and just put myself out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JessicaManalo.com
• Email: Music@JessicaManalo.com
• Instagram: @jeSSSicaManalo
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/jeSSSicaManalo

Image Credit:
Tami Yaron, Angie Ortaliza, Sonia Barcelona, Monty Jay, Haley Cox

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