rock.pop :: interview :: JEM

by Sage Sexton

At the beginning of my interview with Jem I told her to excuse my out-of-it voice… I was suffering from a slight hangover. “I hear that eating cabbage is a wonderful cure for a hang-over…but it smells really bad.” Thanks for the tip, Jem. Maybe I’ll try that one next time. 1-42 gets the scoop...

At a very young age, rock-pop-trip hop artist Jem Griffith, or as we know her, Jem, knew that music was in her blood. Writing songs at the ripe old age of 11 and then getting her first mini studio at 13, Jem was on her way to becoming the sensational singer/songstress she is today. She’s graced the gamut of the music industry helping to set-up and run a label, Marine Parade, collaborating with Guy Sigsworth and Madonna, and releasing her full-length album, Finally Woken. Compared to the likes of Dido, Sinead O’Conner and Sarah McLaughlan, it’s nice to see a newcomer on the scene with credible and comparable talent.

With just one day left before the US release of her new album, Jem dialed me from her London flat to talk about that recent triumph and a few other things. I barely got a “Hello” out of my mouth before Jem started with the Welsh accent I was itching to hear. The girl was sweet, bright, amusing, and totally open. She was packing things up and I assumed she must have been surrounded by boxes and paper.. I was pleased to find that if she was in a hurry, she certainly didn’t act like it. “I’m in London packing stuff right now and you wouldn’t think that anything was going on but it’s nice to hear people say ‘Oh, your album’s coming out tomorrow.’ It makes it real.”

Jem told me how magnificent it was to go to America – that she was glad to have the album released first in the US because this was really where she had gotten her start. She didn’t exactly try to get onto the radio, it just happened. “I was embraced by KCRW.” Jem is happy about it because, musically, people are crying out for new stuff. Which is great because she is getting her band together to rehearse and wil hopefully be on tour in the US in June. When checking the Coachella Music Festival line up, I noticed that she was listed to play that weekend. However since then, her name has disappeared. An unfortunate occurrence, but Jem swears it’s all her fault. Dates were pushed back so Jem could organize a band in the UK and begin rehearsals, but she didn’t want fans to think she just didn’t want to perform at the festival. Jem made it abundantly clear, “I was flattered and honored.”

Jem is also, as many may already know, an accomplished DJ. When asked whether she prefers that over singing, she explained that her DJ gig is mostly a hobby, and clarified her feelings further saying simply, “I love it!” Wanting to spread her enthusiasm for he music collection, Jem even started a female DJ night in a club in London and eventually picked up a residency at a club in Wales. More recently she played a party, hitting the decks following dub-trip hop artist Talvin Singh. But in reality, singing truly is her passion and forte.

It’s almost a rule to know what strange songs or artists that your favorite artists are into. When I asked her what might surprise a Jem fan she said, “Chris de Burgh - ’Lady in Red’.” Having been raised on that song she’s not afraid to admit she loves and listens to it still. She enjoys a lot of classical music, reggae, and “hard core”, and specific artists The Gravediggaz, Norah Jones, and even the E.T. Soundtrack. “People like to box people...record companies…radio stations…” she explained, “but it depends on your mood and what you want to listen to. I have very well rounded musical tastes.”

Unfortunately, one of our phones decided to quit and when I got her back on the line there was only time for one more question. I felt it my civil duty to ask, “Do you watch The Simpsons? Who’s your favorite character?” With a burst of delight she said, “I love The Simpsons! Homer is my favorite. He’s just classic.” Between giggles and that Welch inflection, Jem seemed to be rummaging through her mental database of great episodes and busted out with “I choo choo choose you,” and laughed with me about it for a bit. One knows a girl is all right when she can directly quote The Simpsons.

Finally Woken was released March 23, 2004 on ATO Records.

2004 1-42 Online