(RockAndMetal.com) (02/25/04)

By Michael Bennett

NEW YORK, NY, USA - Dave Matthews' ATO Records, in partnership with A&R veteran Bruce Flohr, has announced the signing of Welsh singer/songwriter JEM to a new recording deal.

ATO released the singer's five-song EP, "It All Starts Here...," on October 14th, while JEM's highly-anticipated full-length debut album, "Finally Woken," is scheduled for release on March 23rd.

In the meantime, Jem's EP has already taken hold of KCRW listeners in Los Angeles, where it has become one of the most requested CD's at the station.

"As soon as I heard the demo, I had no choice but to put her on our playlist," said Nic Harcourt of KCRW.

"The song 'Finally Woken' first made its way across our airwaves last March, and 'Flying High' has become one of my favorites."

Jem wields a combination of bright melodies, soul-searching lyrics and diverse rhythms that grab you from the first listen.

Her seemingly innocent lyrics contain those closely observed details that are as much about optimism as they are about discovery.

"There was something so honest and enchanting the first time we heard Jem's music that we knew we had to be a part of her career," said Michael McDonald of ATO Records.

"We're proud to have Jem in the family and we're honored to be working for her."

Born in Wales, Jem started writing songs at age 11 and got her first mini studio at 13.

She always knew one day she'd be a singer and writer but continued through the normal channels of schooling.

While in school, Jem pursued her musical interests by working on production at UK festivals and promoting Skint Records acts such as Fatboy Slim and Lo-Fi Allstars.

She then hooked up with DJ Adam Freeland and helped set up and manage the specialist underground breakbeat imprint, Marine Parade.

On top of this, Jem started DJ'ing and promoting DJ nights in Brighton and London.

After a series of twists and turns, Jem knew it was time to exit the behind-the-scenes side of the industry and follow her dreams of becoming a singer.

Her successes during the last two years have shown that she's made the right decision.

Meanwhile, Jem is celebrating the release of Madonna's new single 'Nothing Fails,' which Jem co-wrote with acclaimed producer Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Frou Frou) and Madonna.

'Nothing Fails' was recently serviced to radio as Madonna's third single off her current album, "American Life."

For an artist on the rise, having co-written a song with Madonna who has topped charts across three decades, sold hundreds of millions of albums, created an enormously influential body of work and stood at the forefront of socially conscious artists worldwide was an amazing experience to say the least.

"When I finally heard the finished song it was the strangest experience," said Jem.

"It's not everyday you hear Madonna singing words and melodies you sang into your dictaphone at two in the morning!"

"I really admire her for being so involved in everything she does. The song sounds beautiful."

Guy Sigsworth had just written Madonna's last single, 'What It Feels Like For A Girl,' when he asked Jem to collaborate with him.

Two days into their first writing session together the song "Silly Thing' -- later to become 'Nothing Fails' -- was born.

That collaboration between Guy, Jem and subsequently Madonna, appears as track six on "American Life," and has been consistently name-checked as one of the standout tracks on the album by its listeners.

Copyright 2003-2009 Internet Music Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

---

[ Top ]