Jess (and Juno) @ home. Los Angeles, 2021. Photo by Jon Del Real.
Jess Kallen (they/them) is a musical artist, side person, and educator living on ancestral Tongva land (Los Angeles). An in-demand guitarist in the LA music scene, they tour and record with Rosie Tucker (Epitaph Records), Alex Lahey (Liberation Records), Bella Porter, Mackin Carroll, Temme Scott, Vignes Rooftop Revival, Grace Corsi, Bobby Baritone, Olivia Morreale, MOTHER, and more, performing regularly at venues like The Goldfish (formerly The Hi-Hat), 2220 Arts + Archives (formerly The Bootleg), Junior High, and more. They've shared support slots with alt/indie rock's Soccer Mommy, The Marías, and The Regrettes, and performed in music festivals including NoisePop (San Francisco) and Treefort Fest (Boise). In 2021, they played bass for Olivia Rodrigo’s live “Sour Prom” performance.
Jess began playing classical guitar at age five, and later gravitated towards electric guitar and other contemporary styles such as jazz, rock, indie, pop, and Americana. They moved to LA in 2014 to study Studio/Jazz Guitar and Songwriting at USC’s Thornton School of Music, where they received a departmental scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Jess is a passionate music educator of over 10 years. They got their start in high school teaching guitar at Cazadero Music Camp, and still return most summers to direct their Guitar Program. They are currently a Teaching Artist with Young Musicians Foundation, and a private instructor out of their home studio in Echo Park.
As a solo artist, Jess has released several singles (listen here). In 2021, they recorded their debut LP at New Monkey Studios, out Spring 2023 via New Professor Music.