Jessica Risker

Jessica Risker is an American musician and visual artist based in Chicago, Illinois. Risker also performs under the name DEADBEAT. Risker’s music fluctuates between electro-psychedelic/experimental albums and psych-folk songs. From the dream-soaked harmonies of ‘Moon’ to the neopsychedelic/garage rocker ’Won’t You Meet Us In Vegas?’, Risker’s continuous genre shifting is inspired by dual desires to 1) experiment with soundscapes made possible by modern recording techniques, and 2) craft melodies, lyrics, and structures pared down to their most basic elements. Frequenting open mics, serving as an engineer’s assistant at a recording studio, and an active participant in Chicago’s DIY music scene, Risker has spent the past decade developing her sound and honing her recording/engineering skills. In 2012, Risker was named Chicago’s “Emerging Artist of the Year” by The Deli Magazine. In 2015 and 2016 Risker was awarded two independent artist grants from the city of Chicago, resulting in two 2016 releases: Big Forever, an ever-shifting continuous eighteen-minute piece of electro-psychedelic music released via Already Dead Tapes & Records, and Soft Moons: Twenty Lullabies, a self-released album of original instrumental music-box lullabies.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of KUTX