If The Proffits are the haunted sounds of a storm stirring outside an abandoned mortuary, Jessie Vile is the lightning strike, thunder clap, and hairs standing up on the back of your neck. Holding down center stage on both vocals and keyboards, Jessie brings a ferocious, spellbinding energy to the band’s trashy surf-punk sound.
Fascinated by female-fronted bands from a young age, seeing badass women tearing up the stage inspired Jessie to start making music. At the age of 13, she started the legendary Toxic Shock Syndrome, a collection of teenagers that wrote a handful of songs and played only two shows, one of which was a school talent show where more than half the audience walked out in horror (a badge of honor she wears proudly). From there, she truly cut her teeth in the Seattle scene fronting bands like Vile, where she delivered raw, screaming vocals and added her vocals and keyboard talents to an impressive roster of bands, including Conniption Fits, Bomb Threat, The Glaring, and Division Street. Her sonic blueprint is drawn from true icons of female rebellion, pulling heavy inspiration from the fierce attitude of Joan Jett, the old-school UK punk of Vice Squad, the post-punk mystique of Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the modern garage-soul of Shannon and the Clams.
Off the stage, Jessie’s chaotic, driving creativity doesn’t stop. She is a multi-disciplinary visual artist, fashion designer, and apparel creator, constantly shaping the visual world around her. Driven by a deep passion for human rights and social justice, she is a dedicated student of human behavior.
Jessie doesn’t just front the band; she commands the room, delivering a soulful, scratchy swagger and fierce punk-rock attitude that makes it impossible to look away.