Jess Finlayson

Guitar player and vocalist from Sydney, Australia. Lead guitarist for the band Nitocris, who were formed in Sydney in 1992. The inital lineup was Sara Louise Anderson (aka Sara Graye) on bass guitar, Jessamine Finlayson on lead guitar, Andrea Stanway on drums and Kira Taylor on rhythm guitar. The four were classmates at Hunters Hill High School and had an average age of 14. At the time none could play their instruments. The band's name was chosen by Stanway from the semi-legendary female Pharaoh of the same name, which was popularised in fiction by H. P. Lovecraft, as "queen of the underworld". Almost two years later, a newspaper advertisement in Drum Media recruited Morgana Ancone as a vocalist. Finlayson together with Andrea Stanway (Nitocris) performed in the band, Fyreflyes, until the drummer left in 2004. Jess announced a solo career in 2007, and her first single was released in May 2009. From November 2010, Finlayson has fronted Jessamine, which released a self-titled album in September 2011.