Influenced by the urban chaos that makes New York what it is, Vale’s industrial-goth inflected sound captures the essence of the city. Vale states, “The base sound level in New York is significantly higher than anywhere else in the world, 90 decibels to be exact, so it takes much more intense music to feel like one of making a statement.”

And indeed, Brand New Disease is dark, loud, lush and emotional. The album was recorded in a Tribeca studio where there is a self-contained sub-culture, raw and at times frightening adding even more artistic impressions to the recording. This slice of New York City decay makes appearances in the album art and videos too, as well as providing a venue for her live shows and parties. In addition to the Gotham city, Jessica drew from her extensive travels for this record. Most notably, a trip to the former Yugoslavia inspired the album’s gut-wrenching ballad, “Night In Sarajevo.”