Jesse Jo Stark Embraces Her Most Vulnerable Self On New Album MUSE
With raw emotion, bruised rock and a newfound sense of freedom, Jesse Jo Stark opens a deeply personal new chapter.
Jesse Jo Stark is laying it all bare. Today, the multidisciplinary artist and songwriter releases MUSE, a deeply personal album that sees her confront heartache, identity and the complexities of the female experience with an unfiltered sense of honesty. Alongside the release, Stark unveils the official video for “age of being honest”, starring legendary skateboarder Erik Ellington and directed by Indiana420 and Josephine Meng.
Written over three snow-covered weeks in Colorado, MUSE emerged during a period of profound personal change. Retreating into the isolation of the mountains, Stark found the space to reconnect with herself, shedding expectations and allowing her songwriting to unfold without boundaries. The result is a collection that feels both fragile and fiercely self-assured, leaning into a more stripped-back, Americana-inflected soundscape where her vocals and melodies take centre stage.
The album’s accompanying video for “age of being honest” captures that same emotional intensity. As Stark grows increasingly restless and angry, Ellington remains detached, creating a tension that builds into a visceral release. Climbing the walls and pushing against the confines of her surroundings, Stark embodies the discomfort, exhaustion and catharsis at the heart of the track. It’s an unflinching visual that refuses to soften the edges of heartbreak.
Across MUSE, Stark returns to her earliest musical instincts while embracing a newfound openness. From the intimate guitar-led “colorado” to the raw emotion of “age of being honest”, the album moves through tenderness, anger and self-discovery without attempting to make those feelings easier to digest. As Stark puts it, “Writing is like bleeding. It’s gonna be a bitch to sing these songs.”
For Stark, these songs are more than just an album — they’re letters and reminders. “It’s about heartache, but it’s also about the female experience. Losing yerself, finding yerself, loving, leaving, n remembering what yer made of,” she shares. “Fragile but fierce femininity seems to be the theme.”
With MUSE, Stark leaves its imperfections intact, embracing the screams, tears and melodies that bring her back home. It’s an artist no longer holding anything back — and one finding freedom in finally saying exactly what she means.
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