Jess Ledbetter is a compelling singer/songwriter originally from Arlington, Texas. She moved to New York City at 18 and earned a degree in Fine Art before being swiftly drawn into the vibrant East Coast music scene. After fronting indie rock bands and punk trios for a few years she moved to Austin, TX to practice audio recording. In Austin she joined shoegaze rockers “Honeyrude” on guitar and vocals and they released The Color Blue, to critical acclaim from fans and music writers such as Jack Rabid from The Big Takeover. Ledbetter went on to release her debut solo EP Slow Desert on UK based label Shifting Sounds. In 2021 she relocated once more to Northern Arizona where she began working as an entertainer on the Grand Canyon Railway, a passenger train that travels to the Grand Canyon. Ledbetter began writing what would become her debut full length solo album in partnership with long-time friend and collaborator Nick Rapley. Small Town Forgiveness was self-released on March 15, 2024 and lives as an intimate painting of the Southwest landscape. Ledbetter draws inspiration from The Cure, Nick Drake, Cat Power, The Smiths, Veruca Salt, Townes Van Zandt, and Neil Young among others. Americana Highways wrote, “Small Town Forgiveness takes you on a journey that’s riding the rails, its imagery and emotion transporting the listener from one stop to the next, each one exhilarating and unforgettable”. Her next release, a live EP titled “Wild Blue” is anticipated to be self-released in summer 2025.