Jemima As You Are

Songwriting began as an emotional outlet for Australian musician Jemima, but quickly became an insatiable desire to tell stories that mean something.

Her upcoming single is a fine example of this. The track, called "As You Are", is about falling for someone, but most importantly, accepting them for who they are. The use of saxophone, sleigh bells, and a 1966 Höfner violin bass leaves "As You Are" reminiscent of a '60s love song. But Jemima's contemporary melodies and vocal delivery make the single very much welcome in 2020's pop scene.

The new song is a departure from Jemima's last single: a confessional ballad called "Patient" which explores the intricacies of mental health. During the first three months of release, Jemima donated 100% of the money earned from the song to the Black Dog Institute. On its release day, "Patient" reached #2 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart for Australia. It also won the approval of Aussie folk musician Angus Stone. After hearing the song, Stone invited Jemima to his home studio in Byron Bay to sing backing vocals on his latest release, "Streets of Your Town", which is part of the benefit album Songs For Australia.  

Jemima's devotion to music has been clear since she was a teenager. She would spend her weekends busking on the street and by 16-years-old, was regularly gigging around her hometown of Newcastle. She lived in her van during her late-teen years, road-tripping the east coast of Australia and playing music wherever she could. Her dog Levi came too, naturally. At 20-years-old, on a whim, Jemima decided to move to London. Just two weeks later, she was standing at Heathrow airport.

Jemima became a regular performer at bars in Soho, Camden, and Kensington. Not seeming to understand the concept of a "day off", she would use her non-gigging days to busk in London's busiest streets, armed with fingerless gloves during the winter months, and an unwavering desire to connect with people.

She auditioned for and was accepted into the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM London), where she studied a Bachelor of Songwriting and was taught by the likes of Bernard Butler (former guitarist and lyricist for '90s rock band Suede). She also learned piano and ukulele and took up drum lessons.

Jemima returned to Australia with her poetry and songbooks brimming. She is now set to release her debut EP, which features five tracks including "Patient" and "As You Are". The EP will be released in September.