{"id":16739,"date":"2025-10-22T17:52:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T22:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=16739"},"modified":"2025-10-22T18:05:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T23:05:42","slug":"jessie-kilgussst-teresa-in-ecstasy-they-have-a-howard-johnsons-there-album-out-november-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=16739","title":{"rendered":"NYC’s Jessie Kilguss delights with “St. Teresa in Ecstasy”, final single ahead of sixth album"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NYC songstress Jessie Kilguss<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>has released <\/strong>‘St. Teresa of Ecstasy’<\/strong><\/a>, along with a brilliantly inspired video by <\/strong>Alex Dar<\/strong><\/a>. This is a sonic exploration of being moved by something magical and the sheer, vital power of all great art. Inspired by Bernini’s dramatic Roman sculpture, this is a lyrical journey rooted in a feeling of being whisked away by something that feels celestial and profoundly greater than us all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the second taste of the singer-songwriter’s sixth album ‘They Have A Howard Johnson’s There’<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> which was engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Charlie Nieland<\/strong><\/a>(Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Blondie, Scissor Sisters) <\/strong>at Saturation Point Studios<\/strong> in Brooklyn. This song features drummer-percussionist Rob Heath <\/strong><\/a>(Madison Square Gardeners, Julia Nunes)<\/strong>, guitarist-keyboardist Kirk Schoenherr<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(<\/strong>Tegan and Sara, Elle King, Chet Faker)<\/strong> and guitarist Andrea Longato (Duncan Sheik, Jeremy Jordan, Alphonso Ribeiro)<\/strong>, with Charlie Nieland on bass, violin bow guitar and keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The story of this song is really in the lyrics. I was visiting a friend in Rome and two different friends highly recommended I go see the sculpture The Ecstasy of St Teresa<\/em> by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria,” explains Jessie Kilguss<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I had a transcendent experience looking at this piece of art which I think I express better through song rather than just speaking or writing about it. Art (of all disciplines) has the ability to transport us to other places or states of being. The song is about experiencing the magic of this specific sculpture and maybe in a greater sense, the magic of being transported by something that feels bigger and more important than the everyday \u2013 something that feels otherworldly and divine.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kilguss recently released the near-title track ‘Howard Johnson’s’<\/strong><\/a> with an era-inspired nostalgic video by <\/strong>Deborah Magocsi<\/strong><\/a>, for which she is accompanied by John Kengla<\/strong><\/a>(David Byrne, <\/strong>Ben Kweller, Serena Ryder)<\/strong> on guitar, bass and keys, Rob Heath on drums and percussion, and Dave Derby<\/strong><\/a> (The Dambuilders, Gramercy Arms, Lloyd Cole) <\/strong>and Charlie Nieland on backing vocals. Rembert Block<\/strong><\/a> (Rembert and the Basic Goodness<\/strong>. also features elsewhere on this album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This offering follows her single ‘Too Far From Texas’<\/strong><\/a> (a collab with Jim Andralis<\/strong>), <\/strong>‘You’re the One’<\/strong><\/a> and ‘Wuthering Heights’<\/strong><\/a>. Kilguss’ 2022 album ‘What Do Whales Dream About at Night?’ LP<\/a><\/strong> features drummer Brian Griffin<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(Patti Smith, Brandi Carlisle, Lana Del Rey)<\/strong>, bassist Whynot Jansveld <\/strong><\/a>(The Wallflowers, Butch Walker, Sara Bareilles)<\/strong>, composer-producer Naren Rauch<\/strong><\/a>, and Nathan Schram<\/strong><\/a> (Bjork, David Crosby, David Byrne)<\/strong>, with whom Kilguss ran the non-profit organization Musicambia<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A former actress, whose acting highlights include ‘The Crucible’ <\/strong><\/a>(with Daniel Day Lewis<\/strong> and Winona Ryder<\/strong>) and the stage production ‘As You Like It’ (directed by Royal Shakespeare Company founder Sir Peter Hall), Kilguss made songwriting her focus after working with musical heroes Marianne Faithfull <\/strong>and Mary Margaret O’Hara<\/strong> in the Tom Waits \/ William Burroughs <\/strong>musical ‘The Black Rider’.<\/strong>

Kilguss also sings with the Loser\u2019s Lounge<\/strong>, Gramercy Arms<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Jim Andralis and the Syntonics<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and <\/strong>Benjamin Cartel<\/strong><\/a>. She’s also performed at the Sundance Film Festival and with Freddie Stevenson, touring as support for The Waterboys’<\/strong> European tour. In June 2025, Kilguss was an artist in residence at Fish Factory Creative Center in Stodvarfjordur, Iceland where she wrote 9 new songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of October 8, ‘St. Teresa In Ecstasy’ is available everywhere, including Apple Music<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Spotify<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and Bandcamp<\/strong><\/a> with the full album to follow on November 14th. On November 5, Kilguss’ Record Release Show <\/a><\/strong>is at Berlin Under A<\/strong><\/a>, with Life in a Blender <\/strong>and Charlie Nieland<\/strong>, who marks the release of his ‘Stories From The Borderlines’<\/strong><\/a> album. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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