Today we’d like to introduce you to Jemima.
Jemima, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began writing songs at eight-years-old. I always loved writing and story-telling and at around that age, I began to love music too (the Beach Boys, Elvis, Joni Mitchell, the Beatles, etc.) So when I learned that you could unite story-telling and music in songwriting, it felt right to do.
I became more serious about music at 14 when I learned guitar. The following year I started busking around my hometown. I would busk at the bus stop near my house to make enough money to catch the bus into town, then I would stay there and busk all day, sitting cross-legged on the pavement. Another year later, I was gigging professionally around Newcastle at restaurants and markets.
When I was 19, I decided to travel to Australia with my border collie, Levi. I sold all my belongings, bought a van, and filled it with instruments and books. I lived in the van for about a year, moving between various coastal towns and playing music where ever I could. At 20, I made the spontaneous decision to move to London. Two weeks later, I was standing at Heathrow Airport. I was soon gigging regularly at bars in Soho, Camden and Kensington. On my days off, I would busk in London’s busiest streets, armed with fingerless gloves to combat the 4-degree weather.
I auditioned for and was accepted into the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM London), where I studied a Bachelor of Songwriting for two years. I learned piano and ukulele while I was there and took up drum lessons. I returned to Australia with newfound confidence and more motivation than I’d ever had. I released the first single from my debut EP in March 2020. The song, called “Patient,” is a confessional ballad exploring the intricacies of mental health. I donated 100% of the profits earned during the first three months of release to the Black Dog Institute (a mental health charity).
Aussie folk musician Angus Stone (half of the duo Angus and Julia Stone) heard the song and invited me to sing backing vocals on his cover of “Streets of Your Town” by the Go-Betweens, which was released under his moniker Dope Lemon. “Patient” also reached #2 on the iTunes singer-songwriter charts for Australia. The next and final single for the EP, a ’60s-inspired pop song called “As You Are”, debuted at #1 on the same chart. We used saxophone, sleigh bells, and a 1966 Höfner violin bass (the same kind Paul McCartney used) to get that retro sound.
When the EP came out on September 12, it debuted at #1 on the iTunes singer-songwriter albums chart for Australia. The EP, called “Things I Never Said”, includes five songs and has a large focus on story-telling. By pure accident, all five songs on the EP are about experiences I had in London. I am moving back to the UK in November and plan to focus on writing and recording in the coming months, especially given the unpredictability of covid-19 for playing live shows.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Music can be a difficult path to pursue as it is hard to measure any progress. I studied psychology at university for a couple of years, and it was easy to know when I was moving forward toward certain goals, as I had to sit exams and complete assignments. There was a clear route.
With music, you don’t know if you’re making the right decisions or heading in the right direction. It’s easy to doubt yourself, your ability, and your choices. And some days, you convince yourself that you’re not good enough to achieve your dreams. So staying inspired and motivated can be challenging. I’ve also had to navigate mental illness for most of my life, which just compounds this self-doubt. This can make it difficult to work somedays, especially since I am self-employed and work from home (my only job is music). So I often wonder about what I could be achieved if I didn’t have to worry about mental illness.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a 24-year-old singer-songwriter. I spend my time writing music, practicing my instruments, playing live gigs, working on marketing and various other admin tasks. People often assume that working as a musician is a fun and easy road and that I spend my days playing guitar in some sunny meadow. Actually, sometimes I don’t get to play music for weeks as I’m so busy with other tasks, especially as I’m an independent artist and self-managed.
I write folk-pop music and I hope I am known for music that is honest, expressive, and genuine—Hopefully, songs that make people feel something.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have tried to back myself more as a young musician. I postponed a lot of my goals for years as I didn’t feel that I was good enough. I wish that I didn’t give those thoughts and fears so much weight.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jemimamusic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jemimamusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jemimamusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jemimasong
Image Credit:
Caitlin Schokker
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