Feature: Jesse Labelle

Dedicated to Progress
Immediately after releasing his first album in 2010, Canadian singer-songwriter Jesse Labelle realized he was capable of so much more.

Photographer / Brendan Smyth | Stylist / Kirsten Reader (Judy Inc) + Grooming / Bree Powell using M.A.C Cosmetics (Plutino Group)

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Free Times Café on College Street still makes Jesse Labelle’s heart race. It was there where an inexperienced and teenage version of the singer-songwriter took the stage and played his first open mic—an experience that propelled him to continue working toward his dream of becoming a successful musician.

Since then, the Toronto native has released two albums, toured all over Canada and written for countless successful artists, including OTM alumni Alyssa Reid.

Labelle recently released his latest album Two on August 7, and the feedback has been both humbling and overwhelming.

“The response has been great. Everyone seems to like the album and it’s selling really well,” Labelle said. “To me it’s more about making the music, not about selling it, but it’s a huge bonus when fans are responsive and picking up something that you’ve poured yourself into.”

After releasing his first album, Perfect Accident, in April 2010, Labelle was dubbed “the next John Mayer”—a title he didn’t particularly care for. After debating whether or not to continue in an easy direction with his former acoustic sound, he decided he needed to follow his heart.

And he couldn’t have made a better decision for his career.

Tee & leather jacket, Jesse’s own. Jeans, Mavi. Boots, Jesse’s own.

“The first time around, I was really just recreating my own influences—it was always about what other people wanted me to be,” he explained. “But this time around, I’ve discovered my originality and I’ve moved closer to who I truly am as an artist.”

“I also like to say I’ve really learned how to sing,” he added. “Once I went out on tour, I quickly realized you need to bring something big to the crowd—you need to entertain them and take chances on stage. There’s nothing wrong with performing laid-back songs, but the more I pushed my voice, the more people would turn their heads and really listen.”

But Labelle won’t take all the credit for this new, successful sound. This time around, he had the opportunity to co-write and work with several other people, including renowned songwriter, producer and recording engineer Thomas “Tawgs” Salter.

“Tawgs and I never met before working on this album, but I was always a big fan of the music he had produced,” Labelle said. “I wanted to do something as a singer-songwriter that didn’t sound like every other guy with a guitar, and knew that Tawgs would be more than capable of helping me create something great.”

“I truly believe when you’re trying to appeal to the masses, it’s better to work with as many people as possible. It allows you to receive a bunch of opinions.”

And working with other people proved to be a much better approach for Labelle after his record label shot down his first attempt at a second record. Immediately after getting home from touring for Perfect Accident, he wrote and recorded another album with the working title Better Days, which ended up being too similar to what he had so recently released.

L: Tee & necklaces, Jesse’s own. R: Sweater, Joe Fresh. Jeans, Mavi. Boots, Jesse’s own.

Although it was difficult to stomach, he took the rejection to heart and tried his best to remain positive—a trait that is crucial in an ever-changing industry.

“I always try to keep my eyes on the prize, I can’t lose track of what my ultimate goal is,” Labelle said. “There’s always going to be bumps along the way—you can let them throw you off, or be strong and keep pushing. I’ve always known what I’m striving for in the end even if I haven’t been reaching it at every moment along the way.”

But music isn’t the only thing this artist has been striving to do for the past few years. About three years ago, he travelled to Kenya and realized how much help they need. From there, he started The Big Picture Project—an initiative that strives to teach people about how easy it is to make a difference in the world.

For every copy of Two sold, both in-store and online, Labelle will be donating a dollar to various charities associated with his initiative—yet another reason why fans are so supportive of this Canadian talent.

So what else can we expect from the Canadian musician over the next year?

“A lot of stuff is going to happen outside of Canada for me this year, in the UK and possibly the United States,” he said. “Touring wise, I just really want to bring this new music out to people live. I want this record to have some time to live out in the real world because I’m really, really proud of it.”

L: Sweater, Comme Des Garçon @ TNT. Tee, American Apparel. Necklace, Jesse’s own. R: Jeans, Mavi. Boots, Necklace & Tee, Jesse’s own.