#173 Harmony Jakie
Meet Harmony Jakie is an aspiring singer-songwriter, actress, and model from Melbourne, Australia. Her passion for singing and acting started at the age of 8. Harmony would love to move to America for music but for now is working on her first single and recording a soundtrack for a Netflix movie "The Cincinnati Spin" after being approached to be in the movie.
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Transcript
Harmony Jakie: I'm harmony. I come from melbourne Australia. Grew up here. Plan on leaving one day as the weather is insane, but yeah, that's, that's most of it.
Rae Leigh: I think I had the same plan because it is, it's pretty cold. Like you get a couple of weeks of summer
Harmony Jakie: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: in Victoria. But yeah, now I'm on the gold coast now and I'm really glad I moved to the weather makes it worth it.
Harmony Jakie: Yeah. I am jealous.
Rae Leigh: I know. And especially with the lockdowns and everything at the moment. So where do you want to go? What's your dream destination.
Harmony Jakie: well, like anyone else, it would definitely be like America for everyone in music. it's Like a dream
destination, but honestly, just anywhere I can assure my Korean music to a limit, that's a bit better than Melbourne because in music in Melbourne, it's really a hit or miss. Really for, I think there's something called the tall poppy syndrome where like girls will do well. And then like the society will like cut them down. Cause I don't like seeing them succeed. But other than that, yeah,
Rae Leigh: That's an Australian thing,
Harmony Jakie: yeah, it
Rae Leigh: which is it's evolving. But yeah, I definitely felt that in Melbourne, but I do feel it everywhere. I think it does kind of go back to that convict culture on, on how they control us and things. But yeah, America is very inspirational. Have you been there?
Harmony Jakie: I have when I was younger, sir, the memories of the best.
Rae Leigh: Uh, well. you going to have to get over there as soon as you got, I want to go back there as well, but obviously none of us going anywhere at the moment, unless you want to fork out a small mortgage for it.
Harmony Jakie: Yeah,
Rae Leigh: right. So tell me about your, your songwriting journey as, as a, an artist and a songwriter and music. Like where does it stop?
Harmony Jakie: Well, I've always been a pretty like decent person at songwriting. So I started kind of at like eight years old, you know just writing little songs here and there. So my family performing the little family of. As I did, and then I sort of got better over the years, like finding my style of music, finding what I like writing, finding what I want to say to the world and like who I want to listen to my music and what I want people to take out of it, I guess.
Rae Leigh: It's not an easy thing to do. And you probably, I mean, I don't know if you're still doing, I'm still doing it. If I'm want us to still try to refine and define and everything, what, what do you kind of do? What's your process for exploring that side of
Harmony Jakie: Well, it. honestly varies. Most of that lately. It's been like, firstly, opening up a dark writing down what I want to say to the world.
Rae Leigh: Yep.
Harmony Jakie: honestly, It's just grabbed my guitar and just see what sounds good to me. And then what sounds good for other people?
Rae Leigh: And what do you? want to say to the world? Most of the time?
Harmony Jakie: It varies. It really does. It's I just want to inspire people, I guess, and people my age, because I'm quite young. I don't think many people are that confident in the music industry. Well, where I'm from. just like get out there, like do it for yourself. Not for anyone else, I guess. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: a really good way to think of it.
Harmony Jakie: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: How old are you? Because I was debating with my husband. We were looking real like, Hmm. She could be 30. She could be 15,
Harmony Jakie: I am 15.
Rae Leigh: 15.
Harmony Jakie: Yeah. the third one. Really? Yeah. A lot of people have contacted me. Hey, are you like, you know, twenties? I'm like, no.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. well done. So, how does a 15 year old become so confident in her music and who she is. Because that is a, it's an unusual
Harmony Jakie: it is, it really is. I guess my parents are very low. They give me a lot of feedback. And at the start it was a bit like I'm pleased. Don't tell me that's bad. Like you get used to it. And I think just having like critical people around me has really like helped me learn to just like, I guess, take in the criticism and don't like, use it in a bad way against yourself, I guess.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, that's awesome. So, so Y like, is this something that you want your life to be for the rest of your life? You want to be in music and a songwriter? Like what, what's your dream
Harmony Jakie: My dream would definitely to do music as a career songwriting music. It just just wherever it takes me, honestly.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Yeah. and what's inspired, like what inspired you that that was something that you wanted your life to be dedicated to? Is there someone or something that happened or someone you've seen do it that you're like, that's me also.
Harmony Jakie: Honestly, not really. It's just like, seeing all these people, like in the music industry, like someone like ed Sheeran, he writes his own music and like, whatever it's really inspiring. And I actually watched Billy Eilish. Like documentary about how she like evolved.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Harmony Jakie: And I saw all the equipment, she got, we, we got every single one of it at home. Yeah. It just kind of, kind of like that.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. okay. So what have you, you haven't released anything.
Harmony Jakie: Not yet in the makings of it.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. that's exciting. So what's, what's the plan? What, what are you going to release first or do you have any ideas on what your strategy is going to be?
Harmony Jakie: Well, not a hundred percent. I'm kind of still in the makings of getting my head around the ball, but it's just, I have a few songs, but I've got one that I like really love and it's called appetite.
Rae Leigh: Oh, okay.
Harmony Jakie: just spout my life about like finding happiness in someone else.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Harmony Jakie: So I think I'm gonna release that one first, but I'm also going to be pretty busy next year, because I'm going to be recording a soundtrack for a Netflix movie.
Rae Leigh: Cool. What's the movie.
Harmony Jakie: It's called the Cincinnati spin.
Rae Leigh: Okay. So how did that come about?
Harmony Jakie: Through Instagram, actually, I got approached by this amazing costume director and he's just, he actually wanted me to be in the movie, so I auditioned, but they thought, I thought I was 25. So I was bit too young for the main part. So they lacked my voice and asked me to be in the soundtrack.
Rae Leigh: If I want to say I had the same problem when I was your age, most people thought I was mid twenties to late twenties. And now I'm in my thirties and people still think I'm in my twenties. I'm like, I mean, that's kind of cool.
Harmony Jakie: It's a compliment.
Rae Leigh: It's not a bad. It is it's well, yeah, I was 12 and I was I think just Cause I was, I was tall or you tall. Cause I saw you
Harmony Jakie: I am very short.
Rae Leigh: You're very short. Okay.
Harmony Jakie: That.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Right. Cause I I thought it was my height. I don't know that people thought I was. But I dunno. So what with the acting and the casting, and then it obviously you've got this, so they found out you're a musician and producer, or, you know, you do your own music and that will like, Hey, you want to do something for this show instead of acting.
Harmony Jakie: Yeah. Basically.
Rae Leigh: that's awesome. and how, how, like, what are you going to do? How does that, how does that process work?
Harmony Jakie: no, not like at the moment was doing like the. works of figuring out, but all I know is my vocal coach, he's going to be coming in the studio with me and they're going to give me a bunch of songs to learn. Just recalled the. When they're happy with them, then they'll get added to the soundtrack, which is pretty insane.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, that's awesome.
Harmony Jakie: just weird to think that my voice is going to be on a Netflix show, but yeah,
Rae Leigh: sure. That's just like, that'll be one thing. And then in 10 years time, you'd be like, oh my gosh, I've done. So that so many times now,
Harmony Jakie: that's, that's the, that's the goal.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, exactly. And your vocal coach, how long have you been working with them? For?
Harmony Jakie: I've been working with her since I. 7 8 1 of those. So a while now this Andrew aim,
Rae Leigh: Okay. And how's that been going? Like, how do you find working with a vocal coach has developed you as an artist?
Harmony Jakie: well, it's been, the criticism has helped, like, she's a very honest person, which I really like that. And she's a great singer herself. So I guess just learning from her, listening to her sing has really taught me. I who I am as an artist, Steven?
Rae Leigh: yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. So what about collaborating and working with other people? If you've done much co-writing yet or working with other people on.
Harmony Jakie: No, I've been approached and I'm like still wondering if like the genuine people, like, but other than that, no, I haven't done much car riding with like, with friends and. That do music. Yes. But it's not the same as doing it. Someone that's in the industry.
Rae Leigh: Okay. Yeah, No, I understand what you're saying. I think it's pretty messy. I know that, you know, Taylor swift and ed Sheeran sort of promote that they write their own song, but they actually do a lot of co-writing as well. Which I think is also, I think it's when you kind of get like, like you said, with the criticism and the feedback, I think that when you co-writing, you get that, instant criticism and feedback as you developing the song. And so you kind of just evolves in a different way than when you're by yourself, not by yourself is cause I love Bob morton heaps of songs by myself and. Sometimes they're my favorite as well.
Harmony Jakie: yeah.
Rae Leigh: Just different,
Harmony Jakie: Yeah, I can see how riding with someone can benefit your songwriting for me in a way. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. It's just different. It's just completely different. What about as far as like advice that you've had so far with people that you've met in the industry and what you're doing and how you're moving on, what would you say is the best advice that you think you've received? So.
Harmony Jakie: Criticism in that. But I think the main part was I used to be very like scared to perform And scared to sing in front of people. And people were just like, how many big confident. So I think singing and with music, you just have to be confident with who you are and. Because those nerves will always be there, I guess when you perform and that. like, I still get nervous, but I just know that I'm doing my best. I can. And I'm great for myself. Not for anyone else.
Rae Leigh: And there's confidence in that. That's beautiful. What's been your, like your biggest aha moment or experience, I guess it could be worse or best experience, I guess, with performing, but like a moment where you feel like you really grew with that.
Harmony Jakie: That's a good question. I think it's just, I performed at the side of the year. This one performance. That's what I can remember. And I was really, really nervous, honestly, but often I I got up on stage. I did, my first song was shaking. Absolutely terrified. And.
Rae Leigh: I hate that.
Harmony Jakie: I know it's the worst feeling, but can also be the best. My second song, I was just like how many, you just got to relax, took a few breaths. And I think after that day, that performance, I just like grew, I guess, in a sense. And now since then, I've been a lot more confident with my senior performing, I think everywhere I go now it's cool. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: And do you have a Bohemian or like how, how are you organizing these shows and things that you're, you're singing it.
Harmony Jakie: I have a agent, which is for singing, acting, modeling, all of that stuff. But most of the things I get is honestly, by myself, my mom is a big help with that. She's very good at getting me little jobs here and there.
Rae Leigh: Okay mum.
Harmony Jakie: Yeah. I know.
Rae Leigh: Uh, those parents are the best when they're supportive of their children in the arts. Like you don't know how big of a difference it really makes to someone. And I only I'm making an observation based on the fact that I've talked to over 160 people. And that the difference between the people who had. supportive families or even abusive families versus the people who had like really supportive parents. Oh my gosh. It's crazy. It's crazy. The difference it makes for someone, well, we all need someone to support us and believe in us. So I love parents like your parents. Sorry. I love your parents, But I want to be that parent.
Harmony Jakie: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: That's good.
Harmony Jakie: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Cool. So, If you could go back say in time, is there. anything that I don't know. it's a really short period of time that you, like, how long have you been actually been performing live?
Harmony Jakie: Since eight years old, sir, not too long, but.
Rae Leigh: Okay. So, but it's still like, that's actually, that's pretty huge. I was going, I didn't think it was gonna be, as long as that. And so if you could go back and sort of talk to yourself when you were a bit younger and you just started performing, what would be the biggest lesson or that bit best advice that you would tell yourself, even at that age about the future or what they can do?
Harmony Jakie: I guess just relax. Like I think I used to set unrealistic goals for myself, with my singing. Like I want to do this by the end of the year. And it's like, it was a huge goal. Like something an eight year old just couldn't achieve.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Harmony Jakie: But I think I've just learned to set like little goals, like daily goals or weekly goals that I can actually achieve with my
Rae Leigh: Yeah,
Harmony Jakie: So I think that's helped just realizing you have to be realistic.
Rae Leigh: yeah, yeah, absolutely. And it's, it's not about like, I think a really common thing for creatives is like you have this vision or this idea and you want it done. Yes.
Harmony Jakie: yeah,
Rae Leigh: Do you ever have that feeling like you just want it to already have happened, but like the the fun part of creating is the creating part. Like once you've painted a painting, it just sits on the wall. It's kind of boring. Like the fun part is picking the colors and picking the paintbrush. You know, you're like in a musical format, like for me, that is the exciting part about it. And I've, it took me a long time to learn that to like just enjoy the process.
Harmony Jakie: yes, exactly. I like how you said that. with the painting, it makes it a lot more interesting. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. I'm, it's the same thing. It's just, it's easier to visualize it. Trying to explain, picking the sound or the loop or the cord.
Harmony Jakie: it sounds a little more boring that way.
Rae Leigh: It just it's hard to, harder to visualize, especially like everyone does painting in high school. Not everyone does music, so it's, you know, we all learn colors. We don't all learn chords. Isn't that sad? like,
my
Harmony Jakie: It is.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, my kids lying like colors in preschool, like, you know, blue and yellow mint green, but everyone learns that, but no one goes like C and D go together. It's not a thing, but it should be, I think, because it's such a powerful, powerful, way. to express ourselves as a, as a musician. Did you, like, are you more of a lyrics person, would you say, or a melody person, like when you started playing music, was that first or was it poetry type?
Harmony Jakie: I'm more lyrics person. I'll picture this. Like idea in my head. I'll just write for hours on end. Now let's go good and short. I can write a song in a shorter amount of time. Thank God. But yeah, I think I'm more lyrics person.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. That's cool. And so, what do you do with melody then? Do you like, how do you come up with your melodies?
Harmony Jakie: Well, honestly, oh, my guitar piano. One of those just seeing, see what sounds good. And just go with it most of the time. It doesn't sound good. So after go over and over again, but yeah, it's the process. That is cool. It's fun.
Rae Leigh: cool. I think everyone's different with that. Like I think I'm definitely more of a melody person. The more I talked to other people, especially lyricists, like I thought before that I was both, but I think that the melody comes to me easier than. The lyrics and like the P like you said, there was a picture and you'd just write, like, you go with it. That's, that's harder for me, but that's beautiful. I love working with people like you, because then I can just chucking my melodies and I get the cool, the cool lyrics And And, it works out Well,
Harmony Jakie: Yeah,
Rae Leigh: All right. If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why
Harmony Jakie: that is a great question. Oh, my God. I've never thought about this. Probably someone like Whitney Houston,
Rae Leigh: Oh, why wouldn't he?
Harmony Jakie: her vocals are amazing. Unbelievable. So just to,
Rae Leigh: I mean, yeah.
Harmony Jakie: just to work with someone with that like range of like experience also is just, would be amazing.
Rae Leigh: I'm sure you will. One day, obviously don't Whitney yeah, like the, that comes like, and, and you've been training for So long. I'm sure you've got an incredible range that you've been working on as well. So I'm looking forward to hearing some of these new tracks. Do you have an idea on when they might be released like appetite?
Harmony Jakie: I'm harping the start of next year, but hopefully COVID, doesn't mess that up again.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Is your agent helping you with like the release and stuff or
Harmony Jakie: No, I'm sort of doing it on my own with my vertical courage. Cause I've got like, I have a picture in my head and I don't want anyone to like mess up that
picture, I guess.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, Yeah. Fair enough. Well, I do wish you all the best, and this is the part of the podcast, I guess, where you get to say whatever you want and share anything you like with other songwriters or artists out there that are aspiring to, to do more. Is there anything you'd like to share?
Harmony Jakie: I guess. just be yourself. There's not really much you can do with what people say and how people act towards you and your music and your journey. There's always going to be those people that put you down and don't want to see you succeed, but I guess you just have to Like block them out and focus on yourself. I think that's the best part of it just learning who you are in with music has been like, have you thought of me? And I know it's a big part of a lot of people, so I think it's just focusing on yourself, not worrying about what anyone says. I think that's the biggest spot. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: I used to be really shy. Like I couldn't, I wrote songs in my bedroom and I would not sing it for anyone or I would die. Like that thought I would spontaneously combust if I started singing in public and I had this epiphany one day where it was like, Most people in the world. And I'd probably say like, I feel pretty confident to say 99% of people in the world are very self-centered in the sense that like, we're always thinking about ourselves and that's, I think that's normal, it's self preservation, but like the idea that we think about someone else to a point for any other reason than ever a reflection on ourselves is very rare. Especially if we don't know the person. And so. I think that helped me get over, like what you just said, like that whole, who
cares? What other people think? Because the reality is what they think is just a projection on their experience and their beliefs and who they are as a person. And it was like, huh, I could run down the street naked and no one would really care. Really. Once I got that confidence, I was like, oh yeah, I didn't care anymore. I was seen in front of a thousand people. I didn't care because it doesn't really
matter, but it is it's, it's something we all have to come to terms with like that. The confidence in self-worth and doing it before, you know, you can is hard, you're gonna do great. And even if. 10 singles. Don't do what you want them to do. Like, just keep doing it.
Like if you still don't it food. Cause you love it. That's awesome. Do you have like a, if this doesn't work, I don't want to be a nurse or something? like do you have any other career plans?
Harmony Jakie: Honestly something in the music industry, like a songwriter for someone else or. Like a music teacher, anything with music? I can't see myself doing anything about music. Cause I think anything else like bores me to death. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. We can tell you about real passion. If you could live anywhere in America, where would it be? Like, have you thought about that? LA Nashville. New York.
Harmony Jakie: I'd love to say LA, but I think the weather like it would, no, that would not for me. So probably somewhere Like, Nashville. Somewhere a bit more quiet, I guess, but
Rae Leigh: Nashville, quiet it's music, city,
Harmony Jakie: I know
Rae Leigh: right?
Harmony Jakie: Yes, yes.
Rae Leigh: It's not quiet. Well, I, in my experience before COVID it was definitely not quiet. I think when I was there, they said they have 50 bands playing at any given time, everywhere, all over the city, 24 hours a day, at least
Harmony Jakie: yeah. I mean, the museum is amazing. I've met so many amazing artists that come from Nashville. but
Rae Leigh: Have you seen the TV show?
Harmony Jakie: no,
Rae Leigh: Nashville?
Harmony Jakie: no, I haven't.
Rae Leigh: Someone. So I'm from the podcast, caught me on to it and I started watching it recently and there's like six seasons and 22 episodes per season. And it's all about the music industry. And I'm now obsessed. Yeah. So I've, I've gotten onto that a bit. Someone's been telling me to watch it for ages and I've kind of like, I just, I'm not a big TV watcher. I like to act and model and stuff like you as well. But gosh, I did like so much modeling in Melbourne. It's crazy. But yeah. And so I finally was like, oh, I've got nothing else on my watch something. And I finally watched it and I'm now I'm obsessed because it's all music industry and it's very funny, but very dramatic as
Harmony Jakie: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: over drama size. But I think you'd like it. All right. Cool. I'm going to put all of your socials and links so that people can follow you and. to, hopefully be in anticipation of your first release, just like me. But is there anything else that I need to put into the blog or the description for people to find you.
Harmony Jakie: I think we've covered most spaces. So I think we're.
Rae Leigh: Awesome. Well, please keep me up to date. And let me know how you go put some playlist as well on Spotify and apple for our artists new
singles to kind of share and keep everyone up to date with the songwriters family. But I just want to encourage you and. Yeah. keep doing what you're doing. And I wish I was as confident with my music as, as, you are at 15. And it's so inspirational and well done, mom and dad and keep doing what you love and follow your gut. You know, don't, don't, let other people tell you what to do. You gotta do what you want to do and learn as you go
Harmony Jakie: Yeah. Thank you so much.
Rae Leigh: now. Thank you so much for jumping on having this call with me.
Harmony Jakie: Thank you
