| Name |
Jem |
| Height |
|
| Naionality |
Welsh |
| Date of Birth |
18-May-1975 |
| Place of Birth |
Penarth, Wales, U.K. |
| Famous for |
Singing |
Jem is a Welsh singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Penarth, Wales, she began songwriting at an early age. After graduating University in 1996 she worked as a DJ as well as co-founder of Marine Parade Records in Brighton. By 2002 she was focused heavily on writing and singing her own songs, collaborating with various producers in the United States such as Guy Sigsworth, Yoad Nevo, and Ge-Ology to help create what would become her debut studio album: Finally Woken, released on March 24, 2004 through ATO Records.
Popularized by singles "They", "Just a Ride" and "Wish I", the album garnered generous sales and chart performance in the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe. Jem followed up her successful debut with her second album, Down to Earth, released on September 18, 2008. Jem's musical style is varied and encompasses genres of trip-hop, electronica, pop rock and new wave, with critics often associating her with other female British musicians Dido, and Beth Orton. In 2000, Jem moved to London where she began collaborating with other writers and producers. Two days into her first writing session with acclaimed electronic producer Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Frou Frou), the song "Nothing Fails" was born. With the lyrics eventually being picked up by Madonna for her 2003 studio album, American Life. In 2001, Jem travelled to Brooklyn, NY, teaming up with hip-hop producer Ge-ology (Mos Def, Talib Kweli) and co-producer Yoad Nevo (whom she met in Autumn 2002), where they succeeded in fusing her many musical influences to create a fresh and distinctive new sound. In March 2002, during a trip to Los Angeles to visit friends, Jem stopped by independent radio station KCRW to leave a demo of her song "Finally Woken" in Nic Harcourt's mailbox. Credited with being the first American DJ to play Coldplay, Norah Jones and Dido, Harcourt immediately began playing it on his show Morning Becomes Eclectic, whose popular listeners included big names in the music business.
The track quickly became one of the most listener-requested songs at the station, landing Jem in their top 5 played artists of 2003, all prior to any record label being attached. Since late 2009, Jem has been writing new material for her third studio album which was originally planned for release in 2010, however, since her record label ATO severed ties with Sony and RCA in 2007, her ability to effectively produce a new album have been stunted. Jem and her brother Yestyn of Glass Pear collaborated in late 2009 to write and produce a Christmas inspired single "Until The Morning Comes" which was released on iTunes on December 4, 2009. Between March and September of 2011, Jem worked towards releasing an album to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the 11th September terrorist attacks. She produced and contributed to a record entitled "Ten Years On - A Collection of Songs in Remembrance of September 11th 2001." Other contributions to the album include songs by Pink Floyd, John Lennon, Alanis Morrisette, and John Legend. The album is on a limited edition release for two years, ceasing production in September 2013.
