Song:Just A Ride
Album:Finally Woken
British singer songwriter Jem straddles several different musical styles. She should appeal to fans of singers like Dido but Jem started out as a songwriter producer so she may have more longevity even if she is unable to break through as a singer. She was born Jemma Griffiths June 18, 1975 in Penarth, Wales. While attending law school at Sussex University, she started getting involved in the local club scene as a promoter and opened her own recording studio to further her songwriting in 1999. One of her demos got the attention of producer Guy Sigsworth (Bjork) and he got her to move to London and then Brooklyn to work with producers Ge-Ology (Mos Def) and Yoad Nevo. In 2002, her demo for Finally Woken got into the hands of DJ Nic Harcourt of Los Angeles radio station KCRW and the airplay earned Jem a contract with Dave Matthews label ATO which is distributed by RCA. An EP was released in 2003 and then the album Finally Woken was released in 2004. The album and singles They and Just A Ride have done well in England but she hasn't broken through yet in the US. Jem wrote Just A Ride as a tribute to the late comedian Bill Hicks and the song appeared on the soundtrack for the TV series The OC. It also appeared in the films Monster-In-Law and The Prince And Me. That's how record companies promote songs these days but it's hit and miss. I suspect folks heard the song and thought it was by someone else. Jem's new CD Down To Earth was released in Sept. and has reached #43 on the Billboard album chart so it's doing better than her first CD. Singles have turned up in Sex In The City: The Movie and the new 90210 TV series. As I said, Jem writes and produces her own music so she has a future even if she doesn't make it as a singer. Besides, she has a law degree to fall back on. I think she'll do well in the Adult Oriented market. Maybe RCA should stop trying to sell her to teenagers. Check out the video for Just A Ride by Jem.
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