Kris Mizzi, a Gippsland-born singer-songwriter, and keen observer of place, pays tribute to the Sydney based talented singer songwriter – Jesse Younan – who died in July 2008 after battling acute myeloid leukemia.
The releases – “Migraine” and “Queeny” – have been made with the Younan family’s blessing, and all funds raised from them will be donated to the Leukemia Foundation. Jesse’s brother Emad has staged tribute concerts celebrating Jesse’s music in Sydney and Melbourne since 2009. This release will coincide with the 15th Anniversary Concert for Jesse held on Thursday 15 October at Melbourne’s Brunswick Ballroom, bringing together musicians, friends and Jesse’s wider community to celebrate his work and legacy.
15thAnniversary Tribute Concert
The Legacy of Jesse Younan
Thu 15th October 2026
Brunswick Ballroom. Melbourne
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Kris says he chose “Migraine” and “Queeny” because they’re two Jesse songs that have stayed with me over the many years I have been involved with the Jesse Younan concerts…Rather than trying to recreate his versions, I wanted to take the songs somewhere that felt natural. I wanted to sing them in my own voice while still honouring what made them special. Recording them felt like I was a translator in a conversation with Jesse and the world. Both works showcase the signature emotional honesty that I always loved in Jesse’s writing. His songs have a way of bringing darkness to light. They ask more from us than just blind hope. They ask us to really dig into the dirt and grit of real life. These are the foundations of storytelling that have come to mean a great deal to me. My hope is that in a small way, we’re keeping these songs alive.
JESSE’S BROTHER EMAD SAYS OF KRIS’ VERSIONS:
“Kris Mizzi has delivered 2 beautiful renditions of Jesse’s songs ‘Queeny’ and ‘Migraine’. Kris has a unique ability to apply his own style and character to the songs whilst being respectful of the melody and sentiment of the lyrics.
His tender interpretations make him an inspiring custodian of Jesse’s legacy and a perfect vehicle to share Jesse’s music with more people.
One might say he almost wraps his mellifluous voice around the lyrics with such care and love as though to protect their fragile beauty”. Emad Younan
JESSE YOUNAN [b. 21.5.1973 – d. 22.7.2008]
A self-taught musician, Jesse Younan started playing the guitar when he was six years old. His early memories of playing the guitar involved recording music off the radio and then playing along with his favourite bands. As he learnt to play by improvising, it was a natural progression to start writing his own songs. His playing has been compared to guitarists such as Bert Jansch, Davey Graham and John Martyn. However, Jesse Younan’s sound is unique – a gorgeous fusion of folk, blues and the music he heard as a young boy. Likewise, Jesse is more likely to cite John Denver or Prince as influences rather than artists such as Nick Drake, Devendra Banhart and Elliot Smith to whom he has been compared. A gifted lyricist, his heartbreaking songs of love and struggle are carried by a distinctive, deep voice full of emotion. Listening to A Good Day for a Migraine, his 4th release, you get the sense that Jesse lives it as he sings it – a nomadic existence on the fringes, his experiences channelled through guitar and voice – or perhaps that is just the finesse of his art.