Jesse Solomon, known professionally as Jesse Sykes, was born on July 17, 1967, in Mount Kisco, New York. She is an American singer-songwriter who began her musical journey at age 12 when she purchased her first guitar inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd. After earning a BFA in photography from Rhode Island School of Design, Jesse Sykes moved to Seattle in 1990 and started playing in local bands. In 1998, she formed Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter with Phil Wandscher. The band released their debut album Reckless Burning in 2003. Their follow-up album, 2004's Oh, My Girl, was recognized by music critic Jon Pareles of the New York Times on his end-of-year list and featured on NPR's All Things Considered. In 2011, Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter released their fourth album Marble Son, which received critical acclaim from various outlets including The New York Times and Spin.
