Jess has family origins from Saibai in the Torres Straits and Papua New Guinea.

Award-winning singer and songwriter Jess Hitchcock is an Indigenous performer, composer and singer-songwriter with family origins from Saibai in the Torres Straits and Papua New Guinea. Over the last 6 years Jess has been touring with Kate Miller-Heidke as her backing vocalist around Australia and in 2019 was with Kate at the Eurovision song contest in Israel. The end of 2019 saw Jess tour with Paul Kelly and Kate Miller-Hiedke on Paul’s Making Gravy Tour. Jess was a featured artist in Paul Kelly’s set, leading to the release of the track they sung together, ‘Everyday My Mother’s Voice’, and their collaboration on Channel 9 and Frontier Touring’s Music From The Home Front. Jess was part of MFTHF in 2021, singing a duet version of ‘Sorrento Moon’ alongside Tina Arena.

For the last 10 years Jess has worked as a teacher, composer and artist with Australia’s Indigenous opera company Short Black Opera. The role of ‘Alice’ created in SBO’s Pecan Summer was performed around the country, most notably at the Sydney Opera House. In 2016 Jess debuted with Australia’s national opera coming, Opera Australia in their production of The Rabbits, for which she was awarded a prestigious Green Room Award for Best Female in a supporting role. In 2021 Jess played the role ‘Tjatjarang’ in Victorian Opera’s new commissioned work Parrwang Lifts the Sky composed by Deborah Cheetham.

Jess has also performed and worked with various groups over the years, including touring with Mission Songs Project and Assistant Choir directing the Dhungala Children’s Choir. In 2019 Jess released her first LP - Bloodline. An acoustic- based album is an earnest and raw collection of songs straight from the heart, and an ode to Hitchcock’s heritage, identity and femininity. Jess is currently working on a new album alongside some of Australia’s best producers set to be released in 2022.