We are all recycled: Music Monday

Jodie Marie

Jodie Marie is an exceptional performer from Narberth in Wales whose debut album "Mountain Echo" garnered critical acclaim from all corners of the music press and delivered a number of radio hits in the shape of "I Got You" and "On The Road", and saw her tour with artists as diverse as Will Young, Nerina Pallot and Ben Howard.

Jodie has been in the studio, working on the follow up album, expected late Summer 2014.

Questions for Jodie Marie

1 – Your journey started aged 16 when a cover song CD of yours was sent in to a B&B in Wales, can you describe how the journey has been for you?

It has been amazing! When I was 14 I recorded some songs in a local recording studio, I did it just to get me gigs in and around Pembrokeshire. I didn't know at that point that that cover CD would be the start of my journey working with the likes of Transgressive Management, Decca Records, Bernard Butler, and Ed Harcourt!

My dad had been plumbing in a local B&B in Wales and Jean Cory, (the lady who ran the B&B), told him that there was a music scout from London down to soak up some local talent. So we handed this CD to Roy Langley who listened to it and brought me to London to work with Bernard Butler in Edwin Collins' studio. I was still doing my school exams but I carried on in school until I finished my A Levels, the same time as I was going back and forth to London to work with these amazing people.

From then on, I started creating my debut album, Mountain Echo, and releasing that through the iconic Verve label, Decca. Since then I've toured the album and I am now finishing up my second album which I'm hoping to release in the next year. It's been a bit of a whirlwind since the beginning, almost like it was unreal at first, you never know what could come next! I can't imagine doing anything else other than writing music and performing.

2 – When you started working on your songwriting you spent time with Bernard Butler, how was your experience of working with him and what was the most helpful part of your work together?

I started writing when I was about 11, nothing more than poems really, it wasn't until a few years later when I had to write for my music course in school that I actually finished a full song!

I went to Bernard with a few of my own songs when I first met him, like Single Blank Canvas and Numb off of my first album, Mountain Echo. We then wrote some songs together based on the styles of songs I'd already played to him of my own. I love working with Bernard, I think he's an incredible musician and producer. I was only 16 when I started working with him for the first time, I was pretty nervous about the whole experience, but he was so friendly and easy going that I soon relaxed enough to play and write in front of him.

Writing with other people really stretches you as a songwriter. I found that before I ever wrote with anyone I had one way that I would go about writing a song and I often faced writers block. Since writing with other people, I've learned other techniques of writing and how to look at things differently in order to avoid hitting a brick wall. I think the most helpful part of writing together was building my own confidence in my writing. I'd never shown anyone my songs before working with Bernard and I didn't think they were particularly that good, but he gave me confidence in myself and my songwriting to keep creating music.

3 – Described as part Carole King and part Joan Baez, but with a phenomenal sound that’s very much your own, do you find comparisons with such historically celebrated acts daunting or does it spur you on to keep pushing yourself forwards?

I like to take it as a massive compliment, it can be very daunting though too because I've listened to the likes of Carole King and Joan Baez since I was a child. I never thought that people would compare me with some of my own heroes! I get driven to work harder on my music to better myself all the time when I'm compared to amazing artists like these. They were all very unique in their own careers and I like to think that that's what I'm trying to do with my own music too.

4 – You also worked with Ed Harcourt and sadly the news of his good friend Mark Linkous’s death came through whilst you were working, did you find this affected your songwriting at that particular time at all?

It affected the writing session in a big way. Although I didn't know Mark Linkous personally, it was devastating news. Ed was really good friends with him and you can imagine how he must have been feeling. I remember asking him if we should re-arrange the writing session for another time but he really wanted to keep on writing. We decided that we wanted to write something together that was sad, yet beautiful and that's how the song, Mountain Echo was formed. That's the beauty of music, you pour your soul into it, it's almost like a type of therapy.

5 – You’ve supported the likes of Ben Howard, Will Young and Nerina Pallot on tour, what have these experiences been like and have you picked up any advice from people you’ve toured with that has been of help to you?

I love touring, I think you meet the most incredible people. Every tour is different, I think the biggest lesson you learn on the road is about yourself. It's quite a surreal experience, especially once you've finished a tour and go back to your day to day life. I've learnt so much from supporting these artists, but what I really like is that everyone I've supported has their feet firmly on the ground. They play music because they love to do it, but at the same time, they're still human like everyone else and that's one thing that should be remembered.

6 – Speaking of Nerina Pallot, I was lucky enough to witness your beautiful performance at her Christmas show and was amazed that there was such a wisdom in your songwriting and you have a voice which belies your years, is this something that has surprised others?

Nerina's Christmas show was a really beautiful evening, it was really nice to come and support her 2 years after I originally went on tour with her. She's a brilliant artist that engages with the audience and takes the time to get to know her fans. I even met several people who had seen me support her 2 years previous and had lovely chats with them!

My family have always said I'm an old head on young shoulders, a few people have said the same thing, I just write about experiences that have happened to me, maybe it's the truth and honesty in my writing that comes through. I've been singing live since I was 7 and trained classically form the age of 6, I think that's really helped with how to use my voice and look after it.

7 – When you play live do you always play your own material or do you sometimes throw in the odd cover version?

(Personally, ‘I can’t make you love me’ by Bonnie Raitt, is one of my favourite songs ever and I would love to hear you cover that!!!)

I Can't Make You Love Me is a beautiful song, I sang that once with another big Bonnie Raitt fan, it was such an amazing moment, I'd love to play that again!

I love to throw in a few cover songs into my set. To name a few, I've played the old folk song (which Joan Baez sang), Silver Dagger, Fire and Water by Free, Guilty (Bonnie Raitt's version) and many more! I think it's great to play a few covers in a gig, you can put your own version out there and also it shows a lot of people what music you like to listen to, the history to your own songwriting, and where you're coming from as an artist.

8 – Which artist / artists have inspired you most?

I listen to a lot of different music so the list of people who have inspired me could be a bit too long haha. My biggest inspiration though is Bonnie Raitt, one of her albums is my comfort blanket, the honesty in her music is truly amazing and I've always aspired to write and deliver a song in the way that she does. Other artists who have inspired me are people like Joan Baez, Free, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Aretha Franklin, Elmore James, Jeff Buckley, Karen Dalton, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke…to name a few!

9 – Is there one song that you wish you had written / recorded yourself, and why?

Love Has No Pride. Bonnie Raitt recorded this on her 1972 Give It Up album. It was written by Libby Titus and Eric Kaz. It is the most stunning song and it makes me well up every time I hear the Bonnie Raitt version. The hurt and desperation in the lyrics is so obvious, it's an art to put such strong feelings in to words and make the listener really feel it. I think everyone has a song that they feel could have been written about them, this one for me, really is just that.

10 – What can we expect next from the fabulous Jodie Marie?

My plan next is to get my second album released in this next year. It's all recorded and ready music wise, but I need to get the artwork done and start promoting it. I wrote all of the songs, bar one, on my own and co-produced it too. It's a very honest and heartfelt album and I can't wait to tour it and show everyone what I've been up to.

Having witnessed the beauty of Jodie Marie’s voice in person I can honestly recommend her to anyone looking for female singer/songwriters that are both mature in songwriting and vocal range. It’s been a pleasure being in touch with Jodie to get some questions answered for the blog and I cannot wait to hear more from her.