Jem | 11-16-04
by Lael H. Adams, Photo by Lionel Deluy
Rising pop star Jemma �Jem� Griffiths stands out in the music scene today for more than one reason: she has traveled across the pond all the way from the small British country of Wales, she has just released her debut CD at the late age of 28, and her mixed-genre musical statements strongly defy being placed into any one category. Whether despite or due to these distinctions, Jem�s sparkly appeal has proven to be irresistibly eye-catching and alluring to a myriad of listeners.
Although her unpredictable and surprising road to success has been laden with twists and turns, Jem, who is now well on her way to being a familiar face and voice in the popular music world, has maintained her perspective. �You can only appreciate something if you�ve had kind of a struggle,� she said. With the release and growing success of her first full length CD Finally Woken and her second US tour underway, Jem finds herself making the turn off the road to success and onto the road of success.
Music has played an important role for Jem from the beginning. �When I was about 12, I used to write songs,� she said. �We had this old out of tune piano in our house and we all used to just bang around on it and I wrote songs on the piano. I remember thinking; I�m going to do this for a career. I just knew it inside because it made me feel so happy and calm and I just loved writing music.�
The prospect of having a career in music remained in the front of her mind: from a law degree at the University of Sussex, to working in club and on festival promotion, to time spent as a DJ agent. Yet, it wasn�t until November of 1999, finding herself now totally immersed in the music world, that Jem decided to make her move. �I was talking with all of these artists and these great DJs and I just thought, oh, I want to be doing that!� she said. Never one to give up on anything, she followed her instinct that �blind faith really works� and ended up collaborating with producer Guy Sigsworth on a track for Madonna�s American Life album and working with hip-hop producer Ge-ology before having her own demos discovered by A&R; Bruce Flohr of Dave Matthew�s record label, ATO. �I�m really glad I followed my heart through all this and that�s why ATO has been so great because they really support me. They signed me and they helped me make the album that I wanted to make. They�re brilliant�, she said of her newfound home at ATO.
However, the album she wanted to make has proved to be one of such diverse musical styles that its unique sound has made it a rare gem. In an MTV interview, Dave Matthews described it as having �a celebration to it. Leave-your-worries-behind kind of thing.� Finally Woken, containing a glisten of all musical shimmers, including hip-hop, rock, techno, dance/club, and even classical, is truly Jem�s personal coloring book of musical soundscapes, drawing from her many influences and preferences. �I find it really hard to describe, but I always thought that that was quite a good thing. It�s just popular music that anyone can enjoy, like the Beatles or Madonna, or that�middle ground. Basically, I like all different types of music and I listen to soul, classical, hip-hop, reggae, and dance. Originally I didn�t think I would get signed if I didn�t choose the songwriting side or the more �dancy� side, but then I thought, I�m not just one thing, I�ve just taken it all in. I wasn�t trying to tap into every genre but I do like every music,� she said.
The diversity of this album is further highlighted by samples from several different sides of the musical spectrum, from �60�s-era Indian music to the classical sounds of Bach. � I�ve got loads of vinyls I�ve collected from weird places,� she said. ��Come on Closer� has a sample that I found on an Indian hits from the �60s record. I really like samples because they spin you off in a direction you wouldn�t otherwise go. I�ve never been wanting to hide it because obviously it compliments my song.�
Because Finally Woken so tastefully acknowledges several musical genres, it has attracted a well-rounded audience. Jem�s goals for the reception of this album are simple, yet heartfelt and passionate: �If they get anything from it, then I�m happy. My thing is just to get the chance to have it out there and that people are listening to it. I listen to music and I get really moved, like really emotionally moved. And to think that I�m in any way inspiring anyone then that�s just incredible,� she said.
Despite her success, including appearances on VH1 and MTV and playing to sold-out crowds thus far on this winter�s tour, it seems Jem is in denial of her elevating fame. Being no stranger to the music industry has guaranteed her invaluable experience and made her an ambitious, motivated, and knowledgeable professional with her feet still firmly on the ground. �You can get really caught up in this position and it�s actually bollocks. I just want to write music and get it out there and if you can stay focused on that then everything else is like�you know. I�m really happy that I still have a normal perspective on everything and I think that it is because I�m older and I�ve worked jobs. So, I don�t know what is must be like if you�re 16. I don�t see how you could appreciate things fully. But then, who am I to say? I don�t know what it�s like�, she said. But when it comes to her increasingly certain rise to pop stardom; she�s still eating her humble pie quite oblivious to her potential future. �Oh, that�s crazy! What does it mean to be an icon? I�m from Wales, I don�t know, can I be an icon?� she said, with a chuckle of disbelief. �When I did this show the other night, the guy introduced me and said, �She�s going to be a legend, talked about in 20 years�,� she said. �I was standing behind this curtain, just laughing. It�s the most bizarre thing. All of this is really bizarre.�
