#147 JVMIE
She's worked with Recording Academy / GRAMMYs award winning Dave Audé and had a number 2 on the Billboard charts in the states. Now in Gold Coast and being a finalist in the Gold Coast Music Awards this year she shares her journey as a mum #singer #songwriter and also shares about her collaboration with Sheppard for the Olympics this year creating a song to help better athletic performance.
Jamie has maintained an independent artist over the years of her career even after what looked like very good offers from major labels however it was more important to her to maintain her independents over the years than to join with them to keep her music limitless. She has made her own way making movies and working with amazing creative producers in Australian and the US living in LA for a while before returning to the Gold Coast Australia during the Covid pandemic.
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Transcript
Rae Leigh: Welcome to a songwriter tryst with Jamie Lee, Wilson, AKA Jamie, J VM I E.
Very interesting spelling. How are you?
JVMIE: Good. How are you going?
Rae Leigh: Good. You're going to have to tell us where the spelling of jamie came from.
JVMIE: Oh, well, uh, I'd been releasing all of my stuff under Jamie Lee Wilson, and everybody tells me, I sound like I'm a country singer. The name sounds like a country singer. Uh, so.
There isn't anything wrong with that, but there is something wrong with that when you do electronic music. So I decided it was time for a name change.
And, um, I, I thought of all these really cool, crazy names. And I was like, nothing is working for me. So I just wanted to use my name and there were no other Jamie's out there. Just releasing under Jamie, except for Jamie XX or jamie XX, whichever one it is. And, um, but I thought as soon as you Google Jamie,
It's not going to come up with anything.
So we decided to put a V in there and then someone else had a really great idea. A couple of years later, which was to change. There was another letter I could've used that looked like an a, which would have been a lot more obvious, but Hey, ho uh, we just decided to go with the JV Mia.
Rae Leigh: that's cool.
JVMIE: Yeah, well, I hope so. It was a good idea at the time. So now I'm stuck with it.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. You stuck with it. It's fine. It is what it is for now.
And it's just, um, it's, timestamping that period of this period of your life with, as an
JVMIE: That's right. I may come out as peace symbol or something like prince at some stage.So.
Rae Leigh: yeah, no cool. Whatever you want to do, you know? Okay. All right. So let's start with, um, tell us a little bit about who you are and where you come from.
JVMIE: I was born and bred on the gold coast in Australia, and I've spent a lot of time overseas. I work in music, I'm a singer songwriter, but I predominantly do a lot of top lining for electronic music. I work with a lot of different DJs and record labels working on dance tracks, which sort of came about randomly when I was living in the UK.
And yeah, that's kind of me in a nutshell, I've been based in LA the last, six or so years, nearly seven years, and then cOVID hit. So it forced the return back here, which turned out to be a real blessing in disguise, actually. So now I'm back in Australia in Queensland and, yeah,
Rae Leigh: is how we met at
JVMIE: which is how we met at a songwriters night. Yeah. Which was super cool.
Rae Leigh: Tell me, like, are you signed with someone at the moment publishing or or label or are you
fully independent?
JVMIE: I'm fully independent. I've had, um, I've had a few offers for different deals, but, um, I just, I took the advice not to sign unless I really had to sign. There was one deal. I was very close to signing with a label in Australia and I've been offered some stuff with other dance labels. All over the place. Um, but I always felt they would sort of limit where I wanted to take my music, which was to sort of be limitless.
Um, I do a lot of music for film and TV as well. So a lot of my focus is there. Um, and it really does help to be an independent artist in that situation. So you have the freedom to sort
of go anywhere without restriction. But I do have a lot of songs signed to different labels,
like universal and Sony.
Whole bunch of dance labels. Yeah, I've got lots of songs that are assigned to different,
major and big indie labels. But I haven't signed as an artist or as a writer myself.
Rae Leigh: right. So you actually just like sign off the copyright part of the song rather than, and keeping yourself as an independent.
JVMIE: That's right.
Rae Leigh: That's really cool. I've actually not heard of anyone doing that before, or like how, how did you come up with that idea or is it just happened naturally?
JVMIE: It's sort of happened naturally originally. I mean, I've always done music. So from a little kid, I was like, I just want to do music. And the dream was always that someone was going to. Pick you up from your bedroom and say, oh, there's your big break. And it just doesn't work like that. So as time went on, I realized it's a series of breaks that happen.
And you just sort of learn as you go. There was no sort of path, which I found a little distressing at the time because I was waiting for something to magically appear. And, yeah, I just figured it out along the way. I never really pushed for a major deal. I met with a few labels and. I remember I was in my teens and I was looking at, I was talking to someone at a record label and they really wanted to pigeonhole me into, a certain style.
And they basically said, I couldn't do R and B, which is where my voice at the time was sort of suiting because I wasn't black. So that was really interesting advice. Yeah.
And it was just really disheartening that they, that's the way they thought and that everything had to sit into a little sit in a little box.
And I do see that now I do see how it works. Um, and I do see how it sort of can benefit an artist to focus on one genre and stick with that, and then release projects under different artists names. But, um, yeah, I just sort of, at the, at the time, I never really, I never pushed for a deal. Really. I just pushed for a single release.
And, um, then when I got off a deals, they sort of just came to me, uh, from different places. People would say, I want to come, can you come and meet with me? Let's sit down and have a chat and we want to offer you this deal. But publishing deals would always
sign me off for the next sort of 10 years. And I'd heard so many nightmare stories.
I was just reticent to sign anything unless it was the most incredible deal I'd ever seen. So. And yeah, some one came pretty close, but I was still like, yeah, And then looking back, I probably,
it would've actually been a great deal to sign because when you're signed with a label, your,
they do all the legwork. Um, yeah. So, yes.
Rae Leigh: Oh, it's good. It's good feedback.
I'm just, you know, it's always interesting because I've heard all the stories as well, and there are a lot of horror stories. So it it's good to be prudent, but it's also good to, I think there is power in numbers, you know, and that's where I think, you're not really signing with anyone for. What they can do. It's usually more about like who they know and how many, you know, how strong is their team and that sort of thing. So I've got to work together and support each other.
JVMIE: that's it Yeah. it's, kind of impossible to release an independent our song and have it be heard by anyone unless you're teamed up with a marketing team or a label or something. So I've sort of discovered that over the
Rae Leigh: I think it makes sense though, because it's, it's, it's so much easier to promote someone else than it is to promote you. So I don't know if like I'm a pretty good sales person. I I'm okay at promoting myself, but I'm so much better at promoting other people.
JVMIE: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: I think that's a normal natural thing because it's like, I just want you to look at, you know, Jamie Lee, Wilson, because she's amazing.
And she's got awesome songs and there's nothing self-centered about that. I'm like,
You know, that's easy to say or is the pass at the same thing about myself? It's like, oh, that's a bit arrogant.
JVMIE: right. Yup. Yup. It's interesting. That's what you notice , in lA when when you, you meet anyone, they basically, they've got their elevator pitch ready to go. And at first you're like, oh, this seems a little strange. And I'll just be like, I'm not, I don't have to, I'm not going to name drop or, or tell you what I've done.
And then you realize if you don't.
That's a missed opportunity that could connect you to another opportunity. So you end up yeah, you got to get comfortable with it and you, you have your little elevator pitch ready to go. And then that's that.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, let's go back to the beginning. Tell me, you said you were really into music when you started wet. Like what inspired you? Was there a moment where you were like, oh my gosh, I love music because of this event.
JVMIE: Um, not really, to be honest, I sort of, I don't remember a time when I didn't want to do me. I didn't know exactly where I would channel it. I started off having, um, oh actually that was kind of a moment. I started off having piano lessons and the teacher was like, she's really musical, but she doesn't practice.
And I just got sick of playing jingle bells over and over again. And I'd rather sort of sit there and make up my own songs. So mum took me out of that. I was having dance lessons. Um, and they had like a little group vocal group and they said, she's actually got a really good voice. You should get her into private lessons.
And so mum took me out of there and put me straight into private lessons. Um, the neighbor, I remember going to the neighbor's house and they had these trophies all over the wall and I was like, Ooh, where did you get those from?
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Yeah.
JVMIE: And it was all from this. A lot of them were from spotlight entertainers.
Whatever it was called spotlight entertainers competition on the gold coast, where there, funnily enough, a lot of artists that came out of the gold coast, uh, Sophie monk was in it all the time. Ah, there's a couple of a major
choreographers that came out of that as well, um, that are doing amazing things.
So there was, it was sort of
this little hub and, um, her teacher was Neil Sanger. Who's since passed
and he was my teacher for nine years and I went to him every week. And, um, yeah, that's sort of where I got my stop started doing, seeing lessons and he had a photo wall and I was
like, right. I want to get a photo up on the wall.
And he said, well, you have to win a
major
competition. And, um, then I beat Sophie monk.
Rae Leigh: Oh
JVMIE: very excited. She has an incredible classical voice. And, um, she'd always do this, uh, this ugly
duckling song and
she's, she's so beautiful and it's inside and
out that girl. And she came out and sang this song and she'd have this ugly duckling costume on, and then this beautiful dress would fall down.
And, uh, yeah,
Rae Leigh: Okay. Yeah,
JVMIE: randomly she's just released a song,
But
Rae Leigh: I'll
JVMIE: is super cool. Anyway. Yes. So, yeah, that was sort of how it started. I started doing,
um, competitions and then I joined a band
Rae Leigh: But how did you beat Sophie monk? You said you beat
Sophie monk.
JVMIE: we'll just in this spotlight entertainers competition. I just remember that. Uh, yeah, it was
a,
a career highlight.
Rae Leigh: funny.
JVMIE: her up. I just won the one year one.
Rae Leigh: You got to hold onto the
JVMIE: the overall for the year.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Okay. Very cool. I have a friend of my husband's, who was a race car driver. And when he was a kid, he beat Lewis, Hamilton, and he kept the scorecard in his pocket at all times.
Sure. I mean, like I said, it's one of those
JVMIE: that's awesome.
Rae Leigh: me of like my friend anyway.
JVMIE: That's it? That's it?
Rae Leigh: I bet her. Okay. So, um, you went and then studied and like you actually, cause it's a big thing to go from being a kid, doing music musicals. A lot of kids do music to then actually going, when I leave high school, this is going to be my career. That's like a whole nother decision point. That one makes in one's life.
What was that journey?
JVMIE: when I was, when I was in high school, I didn't like I missed my high school graduation because I
had a gig. I missed, um, all my friends birthdays. Cause I had gigs. I started doing gigs when I was 13 and getting paid to do shows and I was earning really good money.
Yeah, I was, so I was actually performing already when I was at school. So it was a natural progression for me to continue studying. And I was training classically as well with my teacher. So when I went to the corner, I went for the. Opera exam as well as there was a jazz degree. And that was all that was on offer at the time. There were no contemporary, the contemporary core started, a year or two into mine.
And yeah, I, aced the jazz exam and they laughed at me and my opera exam because I sang Andrew Lloyd webber. And, so yes,
Rae Leigh: Okay. So you got into jazz, right?
JVMIE: Going into jazz. And that was, I wasn't really into jazz. I actually had joined a big band when I was in high school called coastal sounds and we'd rehearse once a week at the library in Burley.
And that was my first introduction to jazz. And it was a great introduction to jazz. We were doing all the standards and it was a big band and it was such a, an amazing experience. From there, I went and studied jazz at the corner and did four years there and came out with a bachelor of music, had some amazing teachers.
It was an incredible experience and a great place to network. But I still wasn't writing that much. I worked with John Hoffman was the band leader there. He's done some incredible things in his career and he, I was part of the big bang. At the corner as well. So I started writing some vocals for, jazz songs that didn't traditionally have vocals.
And that was sort of, I started doing a bit of that. I was, you know, writing a few songs in my bedroom and then actually started collaborating with, Kia Knotel he writes with Caitlin Hyde Kean is married to Kate and he was one of the greatest writers, I've ever worked with still to this day. He taught me so much just in the few sessions that we did at uni.
So that sort of started writing there and we played Woodford folk festival and a few things like that. It's all just sort of been a natural progression. Everything's sort of one thing's led to another thing which has led to another thing which is, you know, someone will be at a gig and they'll book me for another gig and someone will be in the audience and they'll we'll, You know, network and collaborate. Networking seems to be the key thing in this industry.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. You need to be able to just say hello to someone
JVMIE: That's right.
Rae Leigh: and, um, and keep you cool. But it's, it seems to be a. That, like you just said, it's one thing to the next, it's very rare that, you know, what's going on. I mean, unless you're doing Covey's I know some people who do a lot of covers or they're, they've worked, you know, for 10 years in the industry and have built up their name. And so they've got,
you know, they're booked out for six months in advance or 12 months in advance before you kind of get to that stage. It is kind of like gig to gig. Isn't it? You don't really know what's going to be up next. How have you sort of navigated that lifestyle of just going with the flow, like.
JVMIE: Well it, yeah, it's hard. I just said in a interview on the weekend, it's kind of like spinning plates. You're always focusing. I find, I have to separate, uh, do a day of creative, do a day of songwriting, do a day of any production stuff. I don't do a heap of production, but when I'm doing production stuff, it's like do one day focusing on that.
And then when you have to do the business side of things, booking shows, taking photos, all of that sort of stuff has to be on a separate day. Cause it just, it's totally different parts of my head. I have to organize that differently. And as for, not as for how it's sort of planned, I do tend to have a lot of gigs at the moment.
I've got a residency. So since coming back to Australia, that's been, yeah. Great. It's been weird. I've had lots more live shows since being back here. Which has been awesome. And despite the pandemic, um, it's been kind of crazy. So yeah, but one, like I've got lots of shows booked out and then I'll just get off.
Are there shows that will slot in between that.
Rae Leigh: Yep.
JVMIE: So, yeah, that's sort of how it's worked out for me. And then one gig will lead to another gig as well. On top of that. So it's things that are said in the pipeline.
Um, I'm a bit of a workaholic. So if I have a space where I don't have anything booked, I'm like let's quickly fill that space.
So I don't have to sit still for five seconds.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. I mean, cause I mean the world could collapse if that.
JVMIE: That's right. So, you know, to.
Rae Leigh: I get it. Uh, yeah. So tell me like, cause you do a lot of collaboration, plus you do, you said you'd like TV and film work and you, you did that song for the Olympics as well. Um, tell me a little bit about how you got into all this collaboration work that you do and how you fit that in, because it's almost like a side business to what you, you know, your live performances.
JVMIE: Yeah. Um, how did I get into collaboration again? It just sort of happened. Um, I think the first collaborations I was doing were, so I tend to hear the way I write is I'll tend to hear a melody in my head and then alongside of that, I can hear the whole. Orchestra playing. I can hear the whole band playing.
And, um, when I first started writing, I had no outlet for the musical side of things. I could sit there for hours on the guitar and try and figure out chords. Um, but I'm like, that's not the court I want to hear. So I would then go. I'm hearing this cord. Can you help me? And I'd work with different, um, different instrumentalists at the con actually, that's probably how it started.
And I'd say, this is what I'm hearing can, and then that's it. That's it. And then why don't we do some more writing together? So we'd sit down and do a session. So I wasn't collaborating with other, other vocalists. I was more collaborating with other writers. And then when I was in, um, where was. Somewhere in the states, I think.
Um, and I was working with, um, a big writer over there that does a lot of top lining and a lot of production. And he said, why don't you write with other top liners? Why don't you write with other singers? And I was like, well, cause that's what I do. And he said, but you get so many offers for work. You can split this up.
You can, then you guys write together, you know, that that project gets.
And then you can go off and write some other stuff. And I was like, you're right. I can be even busier.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
JVMIE: then I started collaborating with other writers as well. And,
um, Yeah. it's interesting. Sometimes it's great. Sometimes it's
not, you have on days and off days.
Um, but when it's
on it's so. It's great. And I think the key to it is building
confidence in yourself as a writer, when you go
into a session, um, just knowing
that sometimes, sometimes you have good days and bad
days and, um, that
but you're also good
at what you do. And once I built that confidence in myself,
that's when co-writing sessions became really productive.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. I,
think that you're right. Having the
confidence um, to trust your intuition, um, as well, like that was a big thing for me. Just because I, you know, when you're starting out, you think everyone else knows more than you
And so I used to shut myself down and just trust everyone else
but then
I'd leave, not liking what we'd done,
JVMIE: that's right.
Rae Leigh: know? So, yeah. Um, learning to have the confidence to speak up and
trust
your
gut when something either feels good or feel it doesn't feel good.
Um,
JVMIE: Yeah. And even like some of the best writers I've worked with that work that are doing, you know, major, major, major, major, major stuff. Um, you can see that they're, they've got insecurities as well. And they're like, oh, I don't know about this. What do you think of this idea? Or they'll just sort of throw something out there.
Um, Another amazing writer and really good friend of mine, Chris Willis, who does a lot of stuff in the dance world. He did a lot of stuff with David getter. Um, yeah, if you look him up, he's, he's just amazing on every front and a beautiful human being. We did a session together and he's like, okay, let's just start riding on this track.
So he turns on the. And jumps on the mic and he's just like starts riffing and he's, he's insane. And I'm like, okay. He's like, what are you, what about you? Do you want to throw some ideas down? I was like, okay, dude, dude. And I had no idea what to do. I was so intimidated.
He just jumped in and it was like everything that came out of his mouth.
It could have been a number one hit and
Yeah, so you just sort of, but people write differently. Other writers that I've worked
with are just, you know,
We'll sit down and yeah, I like to be prepared. I come when with a few
things in case the energy's not
there. I'm like, well, I've got these
couple of ideas I've been working on.
Um, we could start with this, but that will also drive this the session in a direction that I'm in
charge of
which you don't necessarily want. You want to let
that magic
happen in a session if that's why you're there to bounce off each other. And
Rae Leigh: Yeah,
I love that
I think, yeah, it's important to sort
of be open to each other and you know,
not shutting other people down. Otherwise you might as well just write the song yourself anyway.
JVMIE: Exactly. yeah.
So, yeah, So I do a lot of that and I also do do a lot of writing on my
own as well, where people will, um, send me tracks
and I'll write vocals for those.
Rae Leigh: Okay. So tell, tell me about,
um, cause you had a great story about this. The Olympics has just been,
um, and
being a part of a project that was writing
a song for
an Olympian. Tell me about how you got involved in that and what, what that was for
JVMIE: So, um, there's a producer on the coast, James Todman and he'd left a voicemail on my phone and I was staying at a friend's house and, um, I woke up, got the voicemail. I've got this song, uh, this project that is for the Olympics. Can you call me back? Are you free this weekend? I was like, right. So I quickly throw on some clothes.
I drove home on the way home. I was like writing ideas in the car, like it's a 10 minute drive and I was writing ideas in the car on the way home. And I had about three ideas. By the time I got home jumped in the studio, we jumped in the session and I was like, well, I had this and he's like, I've got this track.
Why don't we try running to this? And we just sort of threw some ideas backwards and forwards.
Rae Leigh: Yep.
JVMIE: The whole project was really, really cool. It was with Samsung and Optus and they are, they were trying to improve the athlete's performance by even just by 1%, which is huge with, for an athlete. So we, we, our task was to write a song for Steph Catley, who is the, I believe the vice captain of the Matildas, the soccer team.
And, um, she had given us.
EDM into electronic music. So, um, that's why we were a natural fit because we've both done a lot.
Rae Leigh: Yep.
JVMIE: And, um, they pitched us with a couple of other people and we won the bid. And then we were just sort of working the track we'd written about actually probably in the end, maybe 10 different ideas for it.
And a few that we pitched
and, um, we had one, we were really happy with like, we're like, yep, this is the one we had to include the word believe that was her big, a word. And then she had a quote about there's always ups and downs, but, um,
Uh, what was it? They were always ups and downs. I can't remember. And we threw that into the song and in the end I had one more idea and I said, what about, what about, what do you think of this?
And he's like, eh, We'll say, why don't we just throw it in there and we'll see if they like it. And then that ended up being the one that they chose. So, yeah, so that was that. And it was, it was just, it was a bit of a strange one because the Olympics, because of COVID and there were no audiences, it was just, it was a little sad.
I feel for the Olympians to go over there and not have that normal, um, hoopla that usually surrounds the Olympics. That was a bit sad. Um,
It was so strange and it was like, aren't they this weekend? And normally it's like, oh my God, the Olympics are coming up and everyone's watching and it's on everywhere.
And every screen you pass and there's a buzz in the city, but yeah, the pandemic sort of
changed.
All of that this year for the Olympics, which was weird,
but, um, it was still super cool. They did this amazing
video. You can see
it on, on
YouTube and, um, and then shepherd recorded
it, which is one of my favorite Aussie
bands.
Um, I just
think they
fire. So that was an honor to have them sing the
track. And I was really stoked to hear that they, they were going to be doing it. So,
um,
yeah, that was super
cool.
Rae Leigh: so cool and I loved seeing how it all came together and I watched that YouTube video and, um, with your song and the
other songs as well. And, um, I thought that was just such a beautiful story. And even though it wasn't the same this year, the
Olympics, there was a real hope and positivity. Really, I think helped a lot of, I know I helped a lot of my friends just
get through lockdowns, you know, and people who were feeling,
you know, the pressure and depression of, and all the mental health stuff that's going on with lockdown and COVID and the world changing and all the other stuff going on it, I think it kind of helped people through that.
Plus, you know, everything is changing, but that was still kind of the same,
JVMIE: Yeah. And they were able to persevere despite
all the restrictions and they still made it
happen.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. You know, sports have, um, have done a lot, I think for the community, as much as there's been a bit of a war between sports and music.
JVMIE: Jen get me started.
Rae Leigh: Yes. I understand.
Like, and that's a, that's a political thing, but I actually think
that the sports, as much as music have,
um, really aided
in the community's ability to be resilient through everything that we've been through in the last few years.
So, um, I actually appreciate it
for, for that what that's happened. um, all right.
Let's keep moving. Cause you, I mean, you've done so
much. I want to ask you, cause I know that you've been doing it
for so long and you've traveled all over the world and worked with all these
amazing people. Is there one experience that for
you?
It goes like, this is my highlight. This is so far the song or the project that I'm most proud of.
JVMIE: um,
what's tough because sometimes like obviously the Olympics one was quite high-profile, so I'd have to say that's definitely,
um, that's definitely been a career highlight for me. Um, And there've been so many different things
along the way. Um, I really wanted to get a number one on the billboard charts.
That
was a big goal for me. And then we got a number two,
Rae Leigh: Yeah. What was the number two?
JVMIE: Uh, I was with back to love with Dave all day. Um, who's an incredible producer and that started because we were, uh, he played one of my songs, uh, with Jesse Vaughn as his track of the week fuel to the fire. And, um, and I just saw it, it just came up online somewhere and I was like, oh my God, he's one of my favorite DJs.
And he's just played, um, one of my songs. He does a lot of commercial remixes, uh, sort of big EDM remixes for. Uh, pop artists. So he'll remix Beyonce when she releases a
single and whoever's, you know, Ariana Grande day will lease something and he'll do the dance remix. So that'll be the club mix.
Rae Leigh: Cool.
JVMIE: And I just love his style.
He's, he's super talented and super commercial. Um, but he's just, yeah, he's awesome. And he's uh, yeah, we just wrote a track together and, um, I was doing a track at the time as well with Todd Terry. Who's a massive house music pioneer, which was just another massive highlight. Yeah. And, um, yeah,
and so that was just rising up the charts and that hit number two.
which was amazing. And then it was in the, in the top 30 of the,
streaming charts with like the chain smokers and a whole bunch of other awesome artists. And, um, and I also collaborated with
those guys as well, which was really cool, but we didn't end up releasing the songs, but
um, Yeah, we work together and they're just the funniest guys,
the funniest guys ever.
Um, yeah. So the track with Dave
that the billboard song was, was really, really great. Um,
Rae Leigh: Are you still going to try and get a number one?
Like, or you like, oh, fridge number two. That's pretty
good.
JVMIE: Uh, I can rest with number
two, but yeah, I'm definitely I'll be back billboards. I'll be
back.
Rae Leigh: I'm sure you will be.
JVMIE: yeah,
the pandemic sort of, uh, because it stopped the, uh, LA experience for me, it was, um, it just sort of put a
massive spin on everything that was happening at the time.
Um,
so yeah, it's, uh,
If that makes any sense.
I was, yeah.
the aim was for another billboard,
uh, thing. Cause it's a whole process. The whole it's it's uh,
yeah. As with anything in this industry, there's a whole process you
go through, it's not like, oh wow. We're number one on the charts. Although we did have, I did get an oh wow. On Friday when I found out
this other album is number three on the UK charts.
So that wasn't a well,
so, but it's still been a
process with the label.
Rae Leigh: Okay. So that's, that's actually
segue. Cause we talked about that beforehand, but we haven't brought it up. So let's
talk about your songs. You've just released on the weekend. Number three, on the UK
charts already.
Tell me about your what's
going on
this new album.
JVMIE: So the album's
called 1990 X. So 1 9, 9
X, and it's with Genex, G N I X. Um,
and it's just come out on above and
beyond label and junior beats, which is also a
dream come true. They're just such an
awesome label. And they were
a breeze to
work with
really. Pro, you know,
when you start working with different labels, there's
a lot of Cowboys out there. So,
um, it's really nice to
when you work with a great label, that just makes
it easy and keeps
it professional. Um,
yeah. And so it was
a
great experience. So what was
Rae Leigh: That's all we want is someone to be professional.
JVMIE: it, that's all we want. Just be fair,
be kind. And don't be a moron. Uh,
yeah.
Rae Leigh: That's your quote for
this one.
JVMIE: Yeah, we can open with that. Well, I just, I, I had a, um, I just had to set a goal, not to work with pardon my
French, but any dickheads,
because there's so many in this industry and you
just come across these people and there's just so many
Rae Leigh: have an allergy to dickheads. I,
yeah, I can't do it.
JVMIE: meet too, but I find it's a delayed reaction and then I'm like, oh, And then I'm coming out in hives.
No, there, um, anyway, the album's been, the album's been great. Um, it was a really beautiful experience. He he's based over in Europe, somewhere and, and June is in London. Um, and his manager actually reached out and said, what are you working on at the moment? He'd heard a lot of the stuff I'd done with Lionel Cohen, which was this.
Completely independent. Try not to go insane during lockdown album that we created when I came back, um, which was awesome. And he'd heard some of that and he's like, right. I think he'd be a great fit for this project, with this artist I'm working with. And, um, the album is, is really beautiful. It's, it's got a lot of throwbacks to some nineties stuff to do with his life and his story, but we just created this.
Really two really cool tracks. I'm really proud of the album opens with one of them, which is called until I find you, which is sort of really soft and pretty. And then it goes into breaks, um, which is really cool, but really tasteful and just works well. And then the other track is I'm awake, which is actually a pretty cool story.
Um, I don't, I don't know if you know the law of attraction, but I mean to LOA stuff. And there's a podcast that I started listening to, um, with Janette Moore, the good vibe coach, and she's incredible for anyone interested in getting into LOA stuff. Just check out our podcast. She's she's really, really cool.
And she sent out this newsletter and it's, she said, I had this dream where I was singing this song. And, uh, it was I'm awake. I'm awake to feel the wonder was this lyric. And she said, I Googled it. And to try and see if it was a song and it's not a song already. And she said, I couldn't get out of my head.
And, um, she's like, if there's anyone out there that's, that's wants to turn it into something, you know, go for it. And so I wrote her back and I said, Hey, Jeanette, love your podcast. Uh I'm in music. And you know what I'll I'll I'll I'll. Oh, write it down and I'll see if anything comes about from it. So rather than trying to force that lyric into a song, it just sort of naturally it was sitting there in my little list of ideas.
I have a notes page in my phone. That's just full of different ideas from conversations and different things that pop up. And, um, I've wrote it down in there. And then I got sent this track from Genex and I was like, oh my God, this is perfect. And so it's this, just this really beautiful song. Um,
That came out of that experience.
And I just, I was the first, she was the first person I messaged with the song and I said, I want you to be the first to hear it. And she's like, I'm
crying. She said, my heart literally just skipped a beat. I'm crying. This is so beautiful. And, um, yeah, it was really, really cool. And just cause she's given,
she gives so much.
To her community, through her podcasts and all this other
stuff, she's just such a shining
light. And, um, she's so
positive and uplifting. She talks a lot about our
cats.
That's a pre-warning for anyone
Rae Leigh: Thank
JVMIE: to get into her podcast and a lot of
cat stories, but she's just got this
infection.
Amazing positive energy. So anyway, that was the story behind the second
track on the album and yeah, it just got released this
week. And, uh, it's sitting at number three. Well, it was sitting at number
three on Friday on the UK dance albums chart.
So
Rae Leigh: if we all go stream it, then
it'll hopefully go
JVMIE: yes, please
go.
Rae Leigh: I don't even know how that all works. The
algorithms of charting and things like that. I, um, I, I still wonder
how, like, how do you even know?
JVMIE: it's all very weird. What bloom, what blew me away was when I released the stuff with Lionel, I had like a hundred thousand monthly plays or something on Spotify. And then it went down to 5,000 as soon as we started releasing this independent album. And I was like, what? Because they weren't getting as many hits because it was an independent release.
We did
zero promotion. We just literally went.
I don't care.
I'm just going to put these songs out, cause I need to be working on something or I'm going to go
insane. And um, so we just sort of
started releasing it and, um, Yeah, it really dropped down the monthly listeners, which I thought was really sad because they
should be encouraging people to release as much music as possible.
But
it, it doesn't really support that with the algorithm. So
Rae Leigh: Yeah, I'm not going to pretend like I understand anything about how that
algorithm.
works,
just to let it to a world of its
own, but
JVMIE: It is a world of its own.
Rae Leigh: just live by the algorithm
and see what comes up next. I've had some really random stuff come up
in my algorithm, but I guess I'm listening to a wide variety of
genres.
Like. Because of that, my job with this, it's like, I'll listen to anything that kind of gets sent through. And so then I don't think my algorithm has any idea of what I like.
It's just like this person's weird. Um, I'm confusing
the system. Yeah. I like to mess with people. Um,
all right. Tell me, uh,
in all of everything you've done your degree and all the experience you've had, what's the best and worst advice you've ever been.
JVMIE: Ooh, best advice. When I first started out, I was going just to as much live music as possible. And I'd always wait until the band was packing up and go and chat to the band afterwards. And I was like, you know, what advice do you have for someone who wants to get into the music industry? And literally everyone would say, never give up, just don't give up.
They were like the amount of times that we've been rejected and, that person just didn't know what they were talking about and just keep pushing, keep pushing, keep doing what you do. That was the best advice because when you see your favorite artists to being rejected as well, and they've had some dips and turns along the way, um, yeah, the worst piece of advice.
I don't know if I've, I can't really think of the worst. I'd probably say that experience I had that I was saying with the, the record label when they were, I sort of. I put all my faith in someone who was in a high position and you sort of look at that and go, ah, they know what they're talking about.
So.
You know, not that I let it stop me, but it just put a little, a little calmer in the path and it sort of stopped me going towards it stopped me going in a certain direction, um, which I sort of see
everything along the way as part of the journey rather than this should have happened or shouldn't have happened. But it
Rae Leigh: Mm.
JVMIE: yeah. Uh, me putting so much power into other people I'd say was my own worst advice.
Rae Leigh: Uh, I love that, you know, I think as women, we do have a tendency to
hand over our power a lot easier than maybe the opposite sex. Um, And that's, it's not like we do it on purpose. We don't, I don't think we even realize we're doing it, but we do. And I notice I do it anyway. And, um, yeah. I've got a song coming out soon, which I'm excited about, but it's just, it's about that taking your power back,
JVMIE: Oh, very cool.
Rae Leigh: I'm excited about.
Yeah, it was, it was a competition one. So,
JVMIE: Well, it's, it's hard because I think there's so many, it's such a male dominated
industry. Even if you look at the, you know,
Rae Leigh: Even now,
JVMIE: Even now, even now. And there's so many incentives that are coming out now where they're encouraging women in music, um, which is fantastic, but we need, you know, we need a lot of more women producing music, but there's just like, I've seen just throughout my career.
There's just not, there's not as many, like every conference I go to, I go to the Amsterdam, um, ADA amsterdam dance event and the Miami music conference. And I'll literally be the only
person. With a pass in the room, the only female, sorry, not the only
Rae Leigh: Yeah. I was just like, that'd be
weird. Yeah.
JVMIE: there was one conference. We went to one year and I went with my manager at the time.
Who's a woman. And we were literally
known as the blonde and the brunette. And at the time we were like, oh, that's so funny
because you don't
want to say you bunch
of
idiots, but it's like, you're immediately being graded.
On some,
on a
completely different level of factors than you are
if you're in the sea of dudes
walking through the room.
So it's just, it's a totally
different
experience. And it's, it's, it's very
easy
for people to be for women to be intimidated by
that experience.
Rae Leigh: you have to
JVMIE: And you really have
to have
a head on your shoulders.
Rae Leigh: Someone, a business mentor
taught me once when I was much
younger, he said, And he was banging on it. Like he was just trying to be a
Frank with me and he's
older guy, but he was trying to say that, you know, if you ever need a serious
business meeting where you need a business decision to be made in that meeting, he's like, you just have to have a guy.
And he, and he told me it was mainly because if there's guy in there, it's going to be a
hundred percent business. If there's a female
in there, it's going to be. Maybe 70, 80% business, 20, 30%. They're going to be thinking about how they can get in your pants. And, and I was like, I totally get that. I really appreciated Frank honesty, but it's like,
like sex is great.
Right. But like there's a time and a place, you know?
JVMIE: Yep.
Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Um, and it is, it's sad. And like, even now, like when I see festival lineups, like I'm always, I always have in the back of my head, like, couldn't, we have had some more female representation, you know,
JVMIE: not like
it's not out there. There's so many incredible female
Rae Leigh: There is. And how many festivals do you say the FA the female is the headline?
Like never,
unless it's
JVMIE: And it's the same.
Yeah. And it's the same in the dance music world. It's all about, um, it's all about the DJ and it's not about.
It's not about the people that are writing the songs. Sometimes the DJs don't
even
produce the songs, but that's the same as pop music. So it's no
different, there's been a big hoop blur about that, but it's like pop music's the
same majority of the pop artists.
What a lot of the pop artists aren't writing their own music anyway. So
they're just, you know, the face of the product, but it's just the industry. I get that. But I do think there needs to be so much
more diversity, but I don't think it should be diversity for
diversity's sake. I think it should be, let's get some really talented.
Yeah.
'cause I
Rae Leigh: step it up. Women
JVMIE: Yeah, exactly. Just put yourselves out there, get into, you know, start looking at production start. You don't have to be an artist either. You
can, you can be writing the songs, you can be producing the tracks. Um, and I'm seeing a lot more of it,
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
JVMIE: 99.99999% of people I've worked with are men.
And, um,
Yeah. I grew up with two older brothers, so I'm, I'm
really comfortable around guys. So I don't have an issue in that
sort of a situation, but it does often
lead to,
as that person said to you, it does often
get
into
tricky situations. I
just,
yeah, I've been very lucky in certain situations where I've put myself
into
very bad, bad
situations that could have been terrible. and luckily I got out with some really high
profile people too, which is just sad.
Rae Leigh: it is sad and it does happen. And, um, You know, I guess a lesser strong woman wouldn't have been so, um, safe. Yeah, it does. It takes, it takes a lot of courage to get out of these situations, but it sucks that we get into
them
JVMIE: right. And at least there's a conversation happening now. At least people are talking about it. Me too, I think has been really great for women and specifically for
women in the arts, because you know, all the
Harvey Weinstein stuff that goes on on so many
levels and you see that across the board in music and, um, yeah, I think it just needs to be a conversation.
So.
People can start talking about it. You can see like, even at PRA sent out an email, seeing saying this is okay, this is not
okay. And yeah, it's a shame. You can't just go
to a session with someone and know that it's just about
music,
Rae Leigh: but I think like the fact that we're having
the conversation is also then going to make like, put that into the minds of the guys out there who think that that's okay.
Because I think sometimes men
just thought that that was okay, You know, as
well, like I'm allowed to hit on a woman and you know, all
this other stuff.
So like,
educating
men that like, this is what's okay. This is what's not
okay. But also.
Second guessing it's like,
should I just be a hundred percent business in this meeting? You know, like maybe you should, maybe it's just a business meeting guys. Um, cool. Okay. So, um, if you could go back in time and talk to yourself as a, I guess a teenager when you're working, I mean, you were, you were working your butt off from so early.
What advice would you give to yourself now with the hindsight that you have for any of those other ambitious teenagers out there doing the same?
JVMIE: Um, it's easier said than done, but I'd say believe in yourself. Um, you have to sort of back yourself a hundred percent, um, and you have to have a really strong self-belief. So I'd say I did have confidence, but I'd say just to really believe in yourself and I'd say start writing earlier, because I think writing is where it's at.
You have a lot, you have a lot of options, you have a lot more creative control if you're writing and not just if you're singing or playing an instrument, if you're writing the songs and, um, and your songs just get better and better.
So when you first, I mean, I still look back and think, oh, I had a couple of gems when I first
started writing, but I also had a lot of crap and I looked back and I was like, this song is awesome.
And I'm like, no, it's not. that song is terrible, but you get those songs out of the way. So I'd say, yeah, as advice going back, I'd say, just write as much as you can network as much as you can
and believe in yourself.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Cool. I appreciate your honesty about writing crap because it's, it's good for us all to hear that no one writes a hit every single time they brought a song, you know,
JVMIE: Well, that was actually yeah. Hits a rewritten hits. Aren't written they're rewritten. That was a quote from someone.
Rae Leigh: that one from somewhere too. And I actually really liked that one. And I've, since I heard that
one, I've been rewriting for the first time in my life. And
JVMIE: Yeah. And It's hard.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Oh, it is so hard. It is. So
JVMIE: hard cause you like, this is my baby and this is perfect. And then you change one word and you're like, but this is more perfect.
Rae Leigh: better. Yeah,
JVMIE: yeah. I definitely think rewriting is such a great skill to have as a song.
Rae Leigh: A good exercise and it. helps you become less attached, I think
JVMIE: Yes, exactly. Which is another thing you need as a songwriter as to not be
attached. That was the other great advice. Kia Kia nuttall said to me once years ago, um,
he's like, don't hang on to any ideas. You can always write another song And I was like, you're right.
You can always write another song. Cause I was just like, but this idea is so good.
And I want to save this for this.
It's like, you know what? There's so many good ideas out there and they come from all different places. So just keep writing, writing, writing, writing.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Just trust the process. I love that advice as well, because I have definitely met some people or, you know, I've heard the advice of don't get bogged down on one particular song being the song that builds your career, like just do the song And then do another one, you know, and like, just keep going
JVMIE: just keep writing.
Rae Leigh: yeah, exactly.
You just, you only ever get better. Right. And learn, you have to reflect where you're at now. And if you've heard a song 10 years ago, it's going to reflect who you were 10 years ago, know who you are. So,
JVMIE: totally. And then just, you know, make sure that what you like. I look back at songs that pictures I had with some big producers, um, a while back that didn't happen. And I was like, I don't know why they didn't choose this song. It was awesome. And then I looked back and I go, actually, it wasn't, it was missing.
Like, if I'm really critical, if I'd rewritten this idea, it was good. But. You know, and it's also subjective. Maybe they're not into it because it's not what they had in mind. That's the, that's
the difficulty with top lining is your trying to work with other people's, um, ideas. But yeah, if
you just, just, when you make, make sure it's perfect to what you really want to hear, don't hold onto your songs and be like, I'm never going to release this because that's the other curse is when people don't release anything,
Rae Leigh: Yeah. That'd be a
JVMIE: make sure you're happy with it. Yeah, exactly. make sure you're happy with it.
Rae Leigh: absolutely. If I. Waited till I thought it was perfect. I wouldn't have released anything yet.
JVMIE: That's it. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: I don't know if I'll ever find anything. Perfect. But I'm, I'm enjoying the journey and
that's what it's all about. Right.
JVMIE: Uh, it's all about the journey. A hundred percent.
Rae Leigh: All right. Here's my favorite question.
If you could co-wrote with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
JVMIE: There's so many Sosa, so many, uh, I'd have to say probably journey Mitch.
Rae Leigh: Okay.
JVMIE: I just think her lyrics are so effortless and conversational, but still poetic, like case of view. Oh, if I could drink a case of you, I love that song. I mean there's heaps, her Stevie wonder, I think is amazing too. He's always most often the sole writer on a bunch of, on most of his songs,
Rae Leigh: yeah.
JVMIE: so yeah, but I'm a huge. Huge Joni Mitchell fan.
Rae Leigh: Cool. Love it. And what are you doing now? Have you got, I mean, I know you've
just released 19 nine x. What, what are you, do you have anything I expect that you probably
do, but like you're performing on a regular basis or have you got anything else that's
JVMIE: Yeah, I've got lots of shows coming up. And, um, riding wise today, I'm, um, I've been trying, I've been so busy. We just had the gold coast music awards and a whole bunch of other, oh, the last couple of weeks have been absolutely mental. So, um, and I haven't had the space mentally to sort of write and sit down and write.
Really excited today. I've got a couple of songs I'm working with with a producer in the UK and, um, yeah, we've got this really exciting project that we're working on. Um, yeah, that's what I'm working on at the moment. And then it's always like, um, film sort of pitch tracks coming up as well. So I'm doing a lot of that stuff.
Um, but this new artist project that we're looking at
is, um, tentatively called Aries. So if, if at the time of release, it's still called that I do not know, but that will be the project.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Cool.
JVMIE: And then I've got a few more things we're working on, with Lionel Cohen, we just got nominated for another, hollywood music and media award for, production for one of our songs, oxygen, which just came out, which is super cool.
Thank you very much. So that's really exciting. And then obviously this project Magenics has just come out. So where we're working on some new songs and I'm doing some new songs with as well. Who's another big trans producer. So yeah, there's a whole bunch of different little things in the pipeline
Rae Leigh: are a busy bee, which is exciting to see. I always say, if you want something done, give it to someone who's been.
JVMIE: Yeah, totally.
Rae Leigh: they will get it done.
Um, well, I mean, that's, that's pretty much all of my questions I have for today and I really appreciate you sharing because I see how busy you are.
And I'm excited to continue to see more and more of what's coming out. And I loved in the
deep end, by the way, it was a very deep song.
JVMIE: you.
Rae Leigh: Um,
JVMIE: thank you. Yeah, I love that song. That's probably one of my favorites.
Rae Leigh: Really, I think some of the lyrics in there just like hit me in the heart, you know, when like a lyric just kind of punches you like right. Where it feels good. I needed that. I needed that. Um, so yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna put your, just, um, all your socials and all your links and Spotify and everything I can find on your link tree, into the description of this podcast so that people can. Say hello and reach out and support and follow and listen to all the stuff that's coming out. So I really want to support you and do anything we can do to support you as an artist. I think what you're doing is incredibly admirable. And I really appreciate you taking the time out to chat to us. But is there anything else you would like to say before we finish?
JVMIE: No, just keep doing what you're doing. Cause I love the community. You're creating it. This is really super cool. And yeah, it's really great for songwriters and artists to listen to this sort of thing and hear different people's journeys and that everybody's journey is totally different. And yeah, and there's no right or wrong.
Just keep creating because the world needs your arts.
Rae Leigh: Oh, what a beautiful way to finish. Thank you very much.
JVMIE: Thanks for having.
