Jessie Ware described her struggles to balance motherhood with her career in a candid interview with Rolling Stone UK.
The singer, 38, has three children – a six-year-old daughter and two sons, aged four and 21 months – with husband Sam Burrows. They have not disclosed the names of their children.
After welcoming her first child, Jessie confessed that she struggled to cope with the pressures of being a working mother and although she initially described her woes in her music, “no one wanted to hear about it.”
She explained: “I struggled with that when I had my first daughter, and I wrote about that in music, and nobody really wanted to hear about it. And that’s okay, I accept that. I’m still very proud of what I did.
“There’s a song on Glasshouse, Thinking About You, I can hardly listen to it because it’s about me working too much, my daughter, and not being there. I think she was about a year old [old]and she knows it’s about her.’
‘No one wanted to hear about it’: Jessie Ware described her struggle to balance motherhood with her career in a candid interview with Rolling Stone UK
Candid: Jessie confessed that she struggled to cope with the pressures of being a working mother and although she initially described her woes in her music, ‘no one wanted to hear about it’
Jessie continued, “It’s quite a celebratory chorus. But I just want to cry when I hear it because I feel so miserable. It’s just a different time.’
Describing her struggle to maintain her career while still being present as a mother, she said: “I was in a bad place. I tried to please everyone and tried to do everything.
“I guess I didn’t get my ideas heard loud enough. I think being older has changed things. I’ve always been busy with my music, but I think I’ve become a bit more no-nonsense.
“I found a way I could work that really suited me, that was really focused. And actually, even though I have a lot more that I’m doing now, with the podcast, doing books or making music, oddly enough it feels much more balanced now. I’m just happier, I guess.’
Revealing how she struck a balance, she continued, “My priority is my family, of course my work is very, very important.
“But and that’s why when we went through the journal, I kind of took a breath and I thought, ‘I’m not going to be a lot of pick-ups and drop-offs at school’ and I feel really guilty about that.” But you only release a record every few years.’
Speaking about her life now, she added, “You have no idea the number of things I say no to because I have to put my kids to bed or I just did two podcasts or I need a night to watch television.’
In many ways, however, her children have influenced her sound, as she explained that she wants to make music for people to escape from the problems of the real world:
“If I think too hard, and I think about my children’s future, I probably go to bed in desperation,” she confessed. ‘I think I make music for me that can escape that.’
Candid: Describing her struggle to maintain her career while still present as a mother, she said, “I was in a bad place. I tried to please everyone and tried to do everything’
Balance: Revealing how she found balance, she continued: “My priority is my family, obviously my work is very, very important”
Time out: Speaking about her life now, she added, “You have no idea the number of things I say no to because I have to put my kids to bed or I’ve done podcasts, or I need a night at home ‘
Inspired: In many ways, however, her children have influenced her sound, as she explained that she wants to make music for people to escape from the problems of the real world.
Struggle: The musician previously shared how she was off maternity leave with her first child and returned to work just days after welcoming her daughter into the world
The musician previously shared that she was not on maternity leave with her first child and returned to work only days after welcoming her daughter into the world.
In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, she said: ‘I didn’t get maternity leave! I was writing emails a few days later [giving birth] because I’m self-employed and it’s my business.’
Jessie and personal trainer husband Sam are teenage sweethearts and started dating when they were still in school.
The couple married in August 2014 on the Greek island of Skopelos.
Jessie gave birth to her first child at University College London Hospital in September 2016, and Jessie personally thanked the NHS for making it through.
The songwriter welcomed her second child, a son, into her living room in March 2019.
Her third child was also born at home in July 2021.
You can read the full feature at www.rollingstone.co.uk.
Baby love: The singer, 38, has three children – a daughter aged six and two sons aged four and 21 months – with husband Sam Burrows (pictured with her youngest son)
Adorable couple: Jessie and husband Sam are teenage sweethearts and started dating when they were still in school, they are now expecting their third child together (pictured in 2017)