1. You’ve just put out a new project called, “New Girl.” Tell us a little about the project!
My new EP “New Girl” is something I decided to release myself—it debuted at #6 on the iTunes Country Album charts on 11/22/19, with zero promotion or support of any kind (I am an independent publisher and songwriter). I completed the entire process/creation of it from start to finish (including all mixing, recording etc.) in 30 days, alongside the incredible Brad Hill, who agreed to the insane time constraints of my work schedule and coproduced/engineered/mixed everything. I believe Country Music deserves the perspective of female artists & songwriters working to uphold the standards of songwriting that made me want to move here and be a part of this community over 20 years ago. My goal was to write and create songs and music for this EP that would honor and be true to the craft and depth of emotion in line with where we came from.
I still keep writing songs & then singing them because I believe the truth that starts on the inside of me ultimately belongs on the outside. Because I believe openly sharing my mistakes, my misses, my miracles, the darkest, the highest, the betrayals, my loves, what I really felt when it all went down or when it all fell into place, what I lost and what I didn’t—is how I connect to this world, and to whoever is listening. While I was writing & making “New Girl,” as I started to write and weave in the uncomfortable facts, the whole story, I got scared. I started to wonder if I was allowed to talk about what actually happened in my life, in my heart. If it would be allowed the chance to matter in country music. And that’s when I realized—little by little— that it’s all MY story to tell. Key word: Mine. No one can grant or withhold that permission but me, for me. I can’t believe I ever thought otherwise...I hope people can listen to my songs & feel empowered again, broken again, in love again, lost again, okay again. I think we’re made to feel like we have to stay close to the surface with our words and posts and actions SO much of the time...and I just think taking things all the way & leaving nothing out, no matter how beautiful or how devastating, is the only way. So, I did.
2. Is there a song on the new release that you identify with or resinate with most specifically? Any song that you just love?
Yes, both “Life’s A Party,” and “How You Get To Heaven.” I identify with “Life’s A Party” (cowritten with Bobby Hamrick & Josh Grider) the most at this moment in my life—the song is about how life and a party both can have: some people who leave and never say goodbye, a surprise guest show at the last second, some people who stay to help clean up messes they didn’t make... Right now in my life, I’m having arrivals both personally and professionally that are unexpected and life altering in enormous ways. It can only be explained as magic and the song is resonating more than ever. “How You Get To Heaven” is another song I believe in dearly (cowritten with Ken McMeans). I would love for it to find a home with an artist in country music who’d be willing to say it. I think it represents me so much, too, concerning what I am capable of as a songwriter.
3. Who were some of the talented people who helped develop and support “New Girl?”
Every name you see worked SO HARD for this. They each gave everything they could possibly give and then some. I love them all dearly & I am in awe of their brilliant talents: Brad Hill (mixing, coproduction, engineering), Devon Feldmeth (stunning design & art direction), Ken McMeans (cowriter & this project would not have been possible without his generosity), Rachel Thibodeau (vocal engineering & amazing cowriter on “Warn A Woman,” one of the most important songs I have ever had the honor to cowrite), Fred Eltringham (all the drums and all the heart), Rachel Loy (Bass & band-leading for our one and only tracking day, I am in awe of her always), David Dorn (brilliant work on all Keys, he especially made “Life’s A Party” one of the most beautiful tracks I have ever been a part of), John Osborne (guitars on ”Let Go Of My Heart,” I met John 17 years ago & he has always been in my corner through everything), Dan Dugmore (steel, fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine when he agreed to make this record with me), Justin Schipper (steel, I trust Justin with my most important projects, he brings an other worldly creativity always), Chris Donegan (guitars on “Warn A Woman,” Chris is on another level) & Grant Vogel (BGVs, one of the best new artists and writers we have in town), Justin Ostrander (guitars, he brought tones and solos to this record that took songs to levels I did not think were possible), and my closest most trusted circle of cowriters I haven’t yet mentioned: John Martin, Bobby Hamrick, Josh Grider—the record would not have been the same without their brilliance.
4. You’ve had a cool journey! Talk about the balance of being both an artist and writer in all the facets you’ve worked.
I have been so lucky to have doors opened to me that I never even dreamed about. I am a touring independent artist while writing full time for other film/TV projects and artists. In this last year, I was brought on as the sole composer for a new broadway musical in development, called “The Kings’s Wife,” by Tony Nominated Producer, Jen Kranz (The Prom). I had the chance to cowrite and perform the entire soundtrack for Burt Reynolds’ final film, “The Last Movie Star.” I also have started a side project as a songwriting team with Wrabel & Madi Diaz called, “The Three of Us,” where we write and release our worktapes. We just had our first big cut on Kesha’s new record with our song “Resentment,” and it also features Brian Wilson & Sturgill Simpson on the track. For me, all of these opportunities have had the greatest impact on me as an independent publisher—I am slowly proving to myself that all these years working in restaurants to pay myself to write full time, was worth it.
4. You’re an established member of the Nashville writing/artist scene, tell us a bit about your process.
I have been writing by myself mostly for the broadway musical over the last year. It has been incredible to write songs for a project that calls for uninhibited emotion, dynamics and creativity that are usually not welcome anywhere else. I have discovered another writer in me, because of this process—I have loved it. I do keep a close circle of regular, inspiring cowriters and I do some writing on artist projects that I fit into. I see the scene from the outside, for the most part. I keep my head down, disregarding whatever the current requirements for success may be. I focus on writing the most meaningful, authentic, intense and oftentimes sad songs I can and I let them do the talking and open whatever doors I should be walking through next.
6. You’re a Grammy nominated songwriter! How does that feel?
I got the news that “The Blade” had been nominated for a Grammy while I was waiting tables—my phone was in my apron & I was at the well about to run drinks when I saw the text come from SESAC. I was there working to pay myself my salary to write songs full time and I cannot remember a more happy or fulfilling moment, I thought: “..Oh my God, I think... this is going to work. I can do this.” I kept believing in myself as a writer all along but to receive that gift as a totally independent entity was life changing.
7. You recently had a huge cut on Kesha (“Resentment”), co-written with Madi Diaz and Wrabel. As an independent writer that’s huge! Tell us a bit about the song and what it means to you.
I had been writing (and dreaming) with my dear friend Wrabel (pop artist and hit songwriter) for 10 years & he had some Nashville days to write and set us up with Madi in early 2018. I found out was being dropped from my pub deal that very week of our writes but kept pushing forward while I applied for restaurant jobs again. That very first day (we borrowed an open room in the basement of Creative Nation to write) that I met Madi, we all wrote “Resentment,” along with a few other songs. I am so grateful Kesha heard it and recorded it along with Wrabel, Sturgill Simpson & Brian Wilson—her version is what you hear on her amazing new record, “High Road.“ The chemistry between Madi and Wrabel and I was instant and rare. What we have is beautiful and we have a forever bond with each other. Our Kesha cut is so special for that reason—sharing it with them means the most. I cried in a voice text to Madi & Wrabel the morning Kesha taped our song on James Corden last week—I was just so proud of what we managed to do with our sad, sad song (Madi and I are both independent female songwriters in Nashville, so to appear on a major pop record like this is massive for us given the times). We 3 have formed a little songwriting group called “The Three Of Us.” We record our songs simply: just one instrument and the three of us, as demos, and release the ones we love and are excited about. We have released two songs so far: “Call The Police” & “For Months Now,” and our 3rd single is due 2/14/20, “We Should’ve Just Stayed Friends.”
8. What’s next for Jamie?
I am actually headed to NYC next week for the first big reading of my musical with actors and band—so thrilling for me, since that world is entirely new to me! We are looking at so many opportunities coming our way as we get further into the development of the musical, this year could really see things take off in a huge way. And..this last year, as an independent artist, I headlined the Washington State Fair, played Stagecoach and just about toured full time nationwide —since the year went so well and because of the traction from my new record and the Kesha success, I am looking at a full tour schedule coming this year!
FOR MORE INFO ON JAMIE, ‘NEW GIRL,’ AND “RESENTMENT” HIT THE LINKS BELOW.
