Jessica Carter Altman has traded her career in the courtroom for the stage, and she’s been captivating audiences across the nation.
Altman, the daughter of Lynda Carter who once played the iconic Wonder Woman in the 1970s, is no newbie to the music industry. She sang alongside her mom in concert consistently throughout her youth, however, she followed a different path when she decided to study law at the University of Michigan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she realized that music was her true calling, and with support from her mother, she began to pursue it full-time. While working as an attorney, she recorded her debut EP, “No Rules” in 2020, and her talent hasn’t gone unnoticed, as People Magazine named her “One to Watch!”
In an exclusive interview with The Knockturnal, Altman discussed her new single “Fake It,” her upcoming tour, and the message she hopes listeners will take away from her EP, “Aftermath II.”
The Knockturnal: You’ve previously spoken about your childhood love of singing inspired by your mom, however, you later turned to pursue law at the University of Michigan. What drew you to law initially, and what ultimately made you return to your passion for music?
Jessica Carter Altman: I was constantly performing as a child. Whenever I would hear a song, I would immediately turn around and start singing and dancing. Whenever my mom would sing something to me, I would sing back to her. It was my favorite way to express myself.
I decided to go to law school because I knew it would provide knowledge and skills that would allow me to pursue whatever career path I wanted. As much as music was part of my upbringing, I grew up in a family that valued education. My grandmother – one of my role models – was one of the first women to graduate from Yale Law School. When she graduated, no one was hiring female attorneys. She ultimately became an Emmy winning television producer and is in the Guinness Book for creating the longest running game show called “It’s Academic.” Other family members attended law school but went on to work in other industries. I was inspired by the possibility of leveraging my education to pursue my true passion, music.
Music has been a center point in my life. It was always something I was doing – even in college and law school. While in law school, I started working in music professionally and I knew then that I would make the switch. It was just a matter of when.
The Knockturnal: Your mother famously acted as Wonder Woman and garnered major success from her music career as well. You must’ve watched her captivating performances (live and on the big screen) often throughout your adolescence, and that leaves us wondering what was the main factor that led you to pursue singing over acting?
Jessica Carter Altman: Music has an amazing way of communicating an idea or a feeling – a special way of connecting people. I have always loved to express myself with music. Being able to share music I’ve written with people is such an amazing privilege.
The Knockturnal: You’ve mentioned that “Fake It” is based on imposter syndrome, and the song title is inspired by a class you took during law school. Your intention is to bring light to this feeling that you and many others have struggled with. Can you walk us through the writing process for “Fake It?” Did recording the song offer a sense of catharsis or release?
Jessica Carter Altman: Leaving my law firm and diving into the music industry sometimes left me feeling like an imposter. And I loved the idea of combining my past experiences in law school with my career in music to express an all too common vulnerability among young professionals.
I always try to create something that will resonate with people. I want people to take my songs and make them their own, allow it to color their own story. My hope is that ‘Fake It’ shatters that deep dark secret we all keep: that we sometimes feel like imposters in our own lives but we forge ahead anyway.
The Knockturnal: You’re about to embark on a fantastic tour with established artists like BBMAK and you’re opening for Tyler Hilton! How exciting is it to be sharing the stage with these artists and is there anything specific you hope to learn from them, either through collaboration or simply observing their experience on tour?
Jessica Carter Altman: To be honest, it is pretty wild. I just finished two shows in Atlanta and Nashville with BBMAK and it was one of my favorite experiences. I used to listen to BBMAK in my bedroom and sing ‘Back Here’ at the top of my lungs. To get to spend time with them and learn from them was special. Not only are they incredibly talented they are also unbelievably kind. And to continue that high, I get to go on tour with Tyler Hilton in a few weeks. It’s crazy!
Whenever I get the opportunity to open for someone, I just try to take it all in. Collaboration would be a dream but getting to see first hand how they prepare for and rock their shows is a rare experience, and one that I feel incredibly lucky to have.
The Knockturnal: Your upcoming EP, Aftermath II, explores themes of love, loss, and resilience. What has empowered you to be so vulnerable in your music at this point in your career, and is there anything in specific that you hope listeners will take away from this deeply personal project?
Jessica Carter Altman: There was a moment before ‘Lucky One’ came out, when I second-guessed releasing it. ‘Lucky One’ was deeply personal for me and I worried what would happen when I put it out in the world. While talking to my producer, I realized that that was kind of the point – be vulnerable and honest about my experiences and share them. I try to make music that is meaningful and hope it is meaningful to others. Sometimes that is through vulnerable and honest lyrics, and sometimes it’s through creating an escape for listeners.
Fans can listen to Altman’s new EP, “Aftermath II,” dropping May 3rd, and for more information on tour dates, visit her official website www.jessicacarteraltman.com.
Photo Credit: Max Botticelli
