Most major record labels could learn a thing or two from British
singer Jem about how to make a great album and save quite a bit of
money in the process.
“I recorded all the vocals in my bedroom,” said Jem,
who will be making her U.S. debut Saturday at the KCRW benefit
concert, A Sounds Eclectic Evening.
“I wasn’t trying to make a statement; we just
didn’t have a lot of money. I think however much the songs
all get mastered, they’ll never sound polished. I’m
quite happy with that because I don’t think anything in this
world’s perfect.”
In a word, Jem’s music can be described as simple. She
layers vocal melodies over an uncomplicated bass line and beats
that reflect her experience as a DJ. This simplicity is precisely
what makes her tunes so catchy; they are, as Jem describes,
“something that makes your head nod.”
Jem owes much of her recognition in the United States to the Los
Angeles public radio station KCRW. KCRW music director Nic Harcourt
came across Jem’s music almost two years ago and began
playing some of her demos on his show, “Morning Becomes
Eclectic.” Listeners asked for music from Jem’s EP
“It All Starts Here” so often that it became one of the
top five most requested albums on the station.
Jem plans to follow her critically acclaimed EP with her first
LP “Finally Woken,” due in stores early 2004. However,
prior to that, Jem plans to release remixes of EP tracks with the
help of friends from her years on the club scene.
What’s most remarkable about Jem’s burgeoning career
is the fact that she’s beginning to gain notice in a pop
world known for superstars such as Britney Spears and Justin
Timberlake.
“I definitely think my EP is sort of popular music,”
said Jem. “The word “˜pop,’ I think it’s
become a bit of a dirty word even though it just means popular,
like Michael Jackson or The Beatles or whoever.”
Although Jem’s music fits under the general pop category,
it eschews the plastic superficiality and hackneyed themes that
characterize the majority of the genre.
“In the U.K. there’s so much Pop Idol and so many
production line songs that haven’t necessarily got that much
heart in them, you know, it’s all about money,” said
Jem. “I’m hoping that when stuff comes out with a bit
more passion, people will grab onto it.”
“It All Starts Here” expresses genuine emotion that
people of all ages can relate to, which is why it resonated so
deeply with KCRW listeners.
“I love listening to people who really sing from the
heart,” said Jem.
At the same time, Jem’s sincere songs immediately engage
listeners through their hip-hop or dance influenced backing
tracks.
“Where the EP gets played we have an amazing response,
from 50- or 60-year-old people to 15-year-olds,” she said.
“None of it was planned, it just came out of my heart and my
head. I just really believed it could happen and I never looked
back.”
For more info on A Sounds Eclectic Evening, at Universal
Amphitheater Sat. Nov. 22, visit www.kcrw.org.