| Jem |
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In the four years since Finally Woken dropped, Jem has spanned the globe. Born in Wales, she now resides in Los Angeles. On the same day that a family friend sends a text about hearing Jem's music in a café in China, an e-mail arrives from a fan listening to her in Bahrain. Taste-maker Nic Harcourt, Music Director of KCRW 89.9 FM Los Angeles, was one of her earliest supporters. And thanks to exposure via TV shows including The O.C., Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, CSI Miami and Six Feet Under, literally millions of listeners worldwide have heard her music. Down To Earth was recorded in Detroit and Los Angeles, with production and writing duties shared with cohorts both old and new. In the Motor City, she worked with Jeff Bass, one of the two brothers credited with discovering Eminem. Not that either party was preoccupied with crafting straight-up hip-hop tracks. "Jeff actually loves making all types of music, which is awesome, we really clicked." Los Angeles found her in the studio with Lester Mendez. His impressive résumé includes Shakira, Santana, and Nelly Furtado, but it was his arrangements for The Love Album by Chris de Burgh, one of her mother's favorites, that clinched it. ("It was a sign," she chuckles. "I thought, I have to meet this man!")Down To Earth reflects the far-ranging influences of the singer-songwriter. The sensuous "I Want You To…" kicks off with rapid-fire Spanish chatter. Produced by Mendez, this tempestuous, Latin-flavored track was initially a collaboration earmarked for a solo album by turntable whiz Cut Chemist (Ozomatli, Jurassic 5). "My first version of that song was so sexy, it was ridiculous," laughs Jem. "We really had to reel it in." The inspiration, she admits, was a bit salacious, but not autobiographical. "I just had this vision of two people meeting on the dance floor, and basically wanting to ravish each other right there." In the end, the co-creators decided that, to paraphrase pop psychology, Jem needed to own these feelings herself. "We decided to put it on my album instead." One last thought on that album title: No matter how rapturous a reception she receives, Jem shows no interest in the fame game. "Ever since watching There Will Be Blood, I've been thinking about Daniel Day Lewis. He's such a wonderful reference. He does his own thing, comes out of the woodwork, is absolutely incredible…" and then discretely steps out of the public eye. Point taken. Down To Earth will surely push Jem even further into the stratosphere, but she intends to remain securely rooted on terra firma.
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