<\/p>\n
Jessie Altman doesn\u2019t just perform in a room, she captivates it. At a late-July show at The Bitter End in New York City\u2019s Greenwich Village, she previewed songs off her upcoming sophomore album between bits of crowd banter that felt more like a friend catching you up on her life than a formal set. She joked her way into \u201cFor The Hell Of It,\u201d told the story behind \u201cBarcelona\u201d (inspired by her now-husband and their \u201clast first date\u201d) and paused on \u201cMirror Mirror\u201d to remind everyone, half-joking, half-serious, to stop talking to themselves so harshly.<\/p>\n
Altman, whose mom is Wonder Woman<\/em> icon Lynda Carter, has spent the past two years becoming one of pop\u2019s most talked-about new names, landing on SPIN<\/em>\u2019s list of 2025\u2019s top emerging artists. Her debut album, Aftermath<\/em>, came out in 2024, and this September 25 brings its follow-up, Lovelight<\/em>, led by the single \u201cFor The Hell Of It,\u201d out now. Ahead, Altman talks new music, self-care and the one beauty product she can\u2019t go onstage without.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI always wanted to be an artist, a singer-songwriter. Growing up, I just felt like it was a fool\u2019s errand, and it was this silly little girl\u2019s dream. I grew up in a family of lawyers, and I thought that being a lawyer would unlock the world to me. It would teach me the rules of the game, and so that\u2019s the path that I took. I was good at school, so inertia took over, one decision after another, and I looked around and I realized how much I missed it. I love live music, but I was not wanting to go to see concerts because I would look up at people who were braver than I was and were doing the things I wanted to do, but I was just too scared to go for it. And that\u2019s when I kind of realized that I had to take a chance and just go for it, whether I succeeded, whether I failed, whether I found out I didn\u2019t like it. It was better to try than not to try at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave more confidence in yourself. You have good judgment. As best as you can, drown out the noise and listen to yourself about what you feel is right for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI draw inspiration from a lot of artists. Before I write any kind of project, I think about how I want it to sound, the kind of feeling I want the music to have. I try to be really intentional about not trying to mimic or do something else an artist does. Historically, there\u2019s such great music. I think right now there\u2019s so much amazing music, particularly for women in pop. It\u2019s kind of just bananas how good women in music are right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDream\u201d by the Cranberries, \u201cLandslide\u201d by Fleetwood Mac, \u201cIronic\u201d by Alanis Morissette, \u201cLady May\u201d by Tyler Childers and \u201cCardiac Arrest\u201d by Bad Suns, [though Altman notes the list is subject to change depending on the day and her mood].<\/p>\n \u201cHave it be your little mantra. Doing something \u2018for the hell of it\u2019 is not something that comes particularly naturally to me. I remember being in law school, and I had a girlfriend who would just randomly go out the night before an exam. She was like, \u2018You know, I studied enough, it\u2019s gonna be what it\u2019s gonna be.\u2019 And that was just not me. I was studying and nervous, trying to do all the things. Sometimes you just have to stop overthinking, trust yourself a little bit more, don\u2019t be stupid and reckless, but do it for the hell of it. Have a little bit of fun. Sometimes things are not that serious and not that deep. So make it a little mantra to just add a little more excitement to your life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking maybe a classic rom-com. Think When Harry Met Sally<\/em> or Runaway Bride<\/em>, or one of those amazing classic romantic comedies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSleep. A really good facial, where you get to get that really good therapy session. You gab a little bit, you chat and then you come out with your skin looking awesome. That\u2019s always really fun. And then, before the show tonight, I got ready with a couple of my girlfriends at my apartment, and somehow your makeup looks better, you feel really good, the vibe is good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdmittedly, I have gone onstage at a daytime concert with nothing but a lip and sunglasses. It was a long drive, no mirror in there and I was like, you know, \u2018It\u2019s sunny, I\u2019m just going to throw on some shades and some lipstick.\u2019 But I\u2019m going to go with eyeliner, it\u2019s fun! I have been using the Too Faced Eyeliner Pen ($27) since I was in high school, and I love it, it\u2019s so good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the name of the game when you\u2019re touring is doing everything that you can to make yourself feel as good as you can. Exercising, getting a good night\u2019s rest, protecting my voice, like all the boring things that are not particularly fun or glamorous. People take the time to leave home, buy a ticket, pay for the travel to get here, their time to sit here instead of doing literally anything else. So, I feel like it\u2019s my responsibility to make sure that I\u2019m doing everything I can to make sure that it was for a good reason and I can put on the best show that I can. I did a Pilates class in the morning. I went and I saw my vocal teacher to do a vocal warmup. Anything that\u2019s going to make me feel really good.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhat inspired you to trade law for music?<\/h2>\n
What would you tell your 20-year-old self?<\/h2>\n
Any artists you\u2019re pulling inspiration from right now?<\/h2>\n
Top five favorite songs, go.<\/h2>\n
How would you encourage people who are hesitant to do things \u2018For the Hell of It\u2019?<\/h2>\n
If your new album were the soundtrack to a movie, which would it be?<\/h2>\n
What are your self-care non-negotiables?<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s the one beauty product you can\u2019t go onstage without?<\/h2>\n
How do you keep feeling your best while touring and performing late nights?<\/h2>\n