Daily Inspiration: Meet Jesse Lynn Madera and Hemky Madera

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Lynn Madera and Hemky Madera.

Hi Jesse and Hemky, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Jesse: I started making up songs very young! My approach to writing now is probably not much different than it was then. I hear something in my head, walk around singing it until it seems somewhat organized, then go to the piano and apply some accompaniment and work on details.

My Mom has always been a great singer and would sing sad songs as lullabies. Several other family members had some musical ability. My brother plays the piano really well, and my Dad the harmonica. I never went to school for music, only for theatre. I still don’t read music! Songwriting was something I kept very close to me. Studying it alone deepened my relationship with it. I graduated college with a theatre degree, but I only went on two professional auditions before I altered my course.

After so much time getting a lot of deep satisfaction playing music alone in my room and indulging in authenticity, auditioning felt unnatural. I find songwriting and singing to be the most empowering things. If Carnegie Hall won’t have me, the subway stop will! All of that said, I have a large amount of respect for great actors, like my husband, and I still love to act.

Hemky: My story started the first time I ever watched “On the Waterfront” with Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint. When the famous glove scene came on the screen, I saw how he was trying to put on her glove so she wouldn’t leave. At that moment, it hit me for the first time the physicality in how humans communicate.

Afterward, I turned to my parents and said I want to do what he does. I want to be an actor. I was five years old.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Hemky: In my experience, nothing worth having comes easy and my career is no exception. I went for several years with undiagnosed dyslexia and was demeaned by fellow students and teachers alike. My senior class in the Dominican Republic voted me “Most Likely to do Nothing in This World”. My mother was there in the audience.

I moved back to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1999 to pursue my dream. Even though I worked on a sitcom in the Dominican Republic where I did over 200 episodes when I came back to the states it was like starting from the beginning all over again. After spending two and a half years in New York, auditioning and working on the stage, I decided to move to Los Angeles where I arrived with only $1200, not knowing a soul. I bought a motorcycle for $700 and rented a floor of a studio apartment where a Rottweiler would step all over me in the middle of the night.

I was left with $200. I had to work extra hard learning my lines because of my dyslexia. At one point I was sleeping on my motorcycle at the rear of the Krotona Apartments parking lot. After a series of jobs such as a driver, a PA, a bartender, and a waiter, I got my first major shot on the TV show “Weeds” for Showtime. The role of Ignacio was originally only going to be two episodes, but he became a 3 season fan favorite. From there I booked a series of commercials and other TV shows until I landed the role of Pote on “Queen of the South”, and my professional life changed forever. I’ve been very lucky, but I have also put in a lot of hard work to be where I am today. If I can do it anybody can. Follow your dreams.

Jesse: There are always cracks and potholes in the roads. Steer around them and hit a pole, drive into them, screw up your alignment, get dented up, that’s what life’s all about. I’ve wanted many things like to work with or be noticed by a certain person. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m lucky to have a supportive family, but there of course have been people who’ve ignored, underestimated, used, or flat out rejected me. Those situations hurt a whole lot when I was younger, but time is so honest. Years later, I look back and see how often the proverbial bullets dodged me.

I have built entire worlds around people in my mind only to find they were not worth the time I was devoting to them, or they were not in alignment with me. Rejection and losing are part of anyone’s experience on the planet. Developing strong self-respect, getting clear about what I truly want and value, has helped me keep a mostly healthy perspective. I believe in the power of intention. I don’t get as crushed as I used to. My manager Jill said the other day “The best thing will happen.” I am a believer in that.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Hemky Madera stars as Pote Galvez on USA Network’s Queen of the South now streaming on Netflix. His television credits include recurring roles as Ignacio on SHOWTIME’s Weeds and in HBO’s Luck with Dustin Hoffman, roles in renowned Primetime shows such as The Shield and Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and numerous shows such as New Girl, The Good Doctor, Criminal Minds, Bosch, Brockmire, and more.

In addition to a prolific career in television, Madera’s movie roles include performances in Dreaming of Julia (Harvey Keitel, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Diana Bracho), The Lost City (Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, and Bill Murray), Rango (Johnny Depp and Ray Winstone), and Spiderman Homecoming (Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, and Robert Downey Jr.).

Jesse Lynn Madera is a multi-faceted singer-songwriter who weaves a blend of pop, folk, blues, Americana, and jazz influences into her piano-driven compositions. Her vocals are powerful and haunting in one instant, and light, whimsical, and sweet in the next as she moves seamlessly and effortlessly across genres. A brief listen to just a few of her songs – the accordion-driven, colorful, and catchy “¡Hola Papi!”; the melodic, optimistic, acoustic pop sounds of “Revel;” and the dramatic virtuosic “Dante” – immediately telegraphs that this is an artist who goes where her muse takes her.

Meeting her future husband, Hemky Madera, in 2010 was prompt to move to Los Angeles. While she focused on raising her two sons, George and Jack, Jesse continued to write, and in 2020, released her debut record, Fortunes. The album was widely acclaimed and had a strong impact on fans and critics alike. From the captivating string arrangements by one-man orchestra Stevie Blacke (Olivia Rodrigo, Pink, Rihanna, Chris Stapleton), to Jesse’s compelling lyrical storytelling (labeled “Cohen-esque” by one writer), Fortunes, cemented Jesse’s place in the music industry as an up-and-coming artist of note.

She is currently at work on a new album, from which two singles- “Revel” and “¡Hola Papi!” have already been released. Whether performing solo on the piano or with her entire band, Jesse’s live performances have earned her a devoted following in Los Angeles and New York City. The Maderas presently reside in Nashville with their two sons and a menagerie of four-legged family members.

Jesse: I wrote ‘Hola Papi’ only a few months into Hemky and I’s relationship. He’d just finished working on the show ‘Weeds’ and I was inspired by the seasons they shot in Mexico. Because of the show’s brightly colored but dark, quirky humor, I wrote a bright, dark, quirky song to be made more of all those things by Hemky’s truthful account of the first time he saw death.

Having him tell us in Spanish added another layer to the song. If you understand Spanish it only makes the song more interesting. If you don’t understand, it hopefully makes you want to. Either way, it’s a catchy number and Hemky’s voice is so beautiful! He used to get hired to do those voiceover movie previews in Spanish.

Hemky: Working on ‘Hola Papi’ was so much fun! A dream to be working with my best friend, confidant, lover, mother of my children: My beautiful wife Jesse Lynn Madera. I’ve been a fan of her from the first moment I ever saw her perform at a club called Piano Bar in Los Angeles almost 12 years ago. I am so proud of her, of her accomplishments, and excited for everything that is coming her way.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Hemky: You can follow me on Instagram and TikTok at @hemky to be up-to-date on everything I’m up to.

Jesse: I love to collaborate. It’s like a vacation for me, and I come back home to my own stuff with new information about the world. In terms of supporting me, sharing my music is tremendously appreciated! My full name is my Instagram handle. I love posting on Instagram. People can also find my music on my website, www.jesselynnmadera.com!

Jesse: I’m working on my next album and touring with The Zombies for a couple of weeks in the northeastern USA. I have a few shows at Rockwood Music Hall this spring too. My tour schedule is on my site!

Hemky: Right now, Jesse and I are writing a story for a TV show based on our lives. I know it’ll be hilarious in so many ways. At the moment I am filming a modern western in New Mexico. I’m very proud of the work that we’re doing here. Season five of ‘Queen of the South’ should be out on Netflix at some point before the summer, which is a very nice conclusion to an amazing five-season run.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://jesselynnmadera.com/, https://www.hemkymadera.com/
• Instagram: @hemky, @jesselynnmadera
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050607394219, https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=jesse%20lynn%20madera
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qQBJE2P8R8
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IYaeGocDj84X8XHAqF7mF

Image Credits
Alysse Gafkjen