| Jem | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jemma Griffiths |
| Born | 18 May 1975 Penarth, Wales |
| Genres | Trip hop, pop rock, folk, New Wave |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Sony BMG RCA ATO |
| Associated acts | Glass Pear |
| Website | www.jem-music.net |
Jemma Griffiths (born 18 May 1975, in Penarth, Wales),[1] better known as Jem, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Finally Woken, includes elements of rock, new wave-styled electronica and trip-hop. Along with electronic producer Guy Sigsworth (Björk, Frou Frou), she wrote the song "Nothing Fails", which was later re-worked by Madonna and appeared on her 2003 American Life album. Her second album Down to Earth was released on 16 September 2008.
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Jem was born in Penarth, Wales, a small town near the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Her siblings are Chloe, Yestyn and Georgia. Yestyn is in the band Glass Pear.
Although she began singing and writing songs during her time at Stanwell school at age thirteen in Penarth, Wales, she decided to head into law and attended Sussex University. However, she spent less time and energy on studies and focused on being a DJ agent, although she did eventually receive a degree in law. There in Brighton, she spent a lot of time promoting club nights, and helped set up and run the specialist breaks label Marine Parade. She has said she "went to class as little as [she] could without being kicked out".[2]
In November 1999, she assembled a mobile recording studio where she further developed her songwriting and music production skills. During this period, she completed four demos that would eventually set up her career in the music industry. From there, she moved to London where she collaborated with Guy Sigsworth, and then to Brooklyn to work with Ge-Ology (Mos Def, Talib Kweli). In autumn 2002 she met Yoad Nevo, who became her co-producer.
Jem's solo career began in earnest in 2002, when a demo version of the song "Finally Woken" was played on the Los Angeles radio station, KCRW. The track became one of the most listener-requested songs at the station, landing her in their top 5 played artists, and all prior to any record label being attached. As a result, Bruce Flohr was so impressed with her demos that he offered Jem a recording contract onto Dave Matthews' ATO label.
She was subsequently signed to the label ATO and released the moderately successful EP It All Starts Here in autumn 2003, followed by the album Finally Woken in March 2004.
Jem released the single "24" from Finally Woken in 2003 as a limited edition promo single, and then released her debut single, "They", from the same album, which followed the next year in her homeland of the UK, with a separate video. A remix of the song was the first release on her vinyl imprint label CrazyWiseMusic.[3]
Further singles followed in the UK, before she took a gap to write and record a new album. Whilst working on the album, with Lester Mendez, she wrote a song called "Once In Every Lifetime" for the Eragon movie soundtrack. The song "It's Amazing" from the Sex and the City movie soundtrack is the official first single from her second album, which she has entitled Down To Earth, released on 16 September 2008.[4]
Her music has been featured on numerous television programs such as Damages, The O.C., Desperate Housewives, Wonderfalls, 90210, Six Feet Under, Crossing Jordan, Grey's Anatomy, Medium, and "Wish I" was used as the theme tune to the ITV show, Celebrity Love Island.
Jem performed live at KCRW Radio in 2002 and 2004; WOXY in 2004; Popworld, Glastonbury Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Sasquatch! Music Festival, V Festival, and on Top of the Pops in 2005.
According to Jem's official website, "Jem is currently in the studio finishing up her new album" to be released in the summer of 2011 or early 2012.
She has been presented with the opportunity to pursue her dream as a filmmaker. "I've been studying film-making, screenwriting, and developing script ideas for several years now, hoping one day I'd have the time to follow my passion into movie-land and start making films." Though she is very proud of the album and promises to be making music "until I'm old and grey", she will be taking time off from music to film her directorial debut.[5]
Jem married Joseph George in September 2009.[6]
| Year | Name | Charts | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK Albums Chart[7] |
U.S. |
U.S. Heat |
U.S. Indie |
|||||||
| 2004 | Finally Woken | 6 | 197 | 11 | — | |||||
| 2008 | Down to Earth | 64 | 43 | — | 4 | |||||
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK[7] | IRE | AUS | ITA | AUT | NDL | GER | SWE | CAN | US | |||
| 2005 | "They" | 6 | 8 | 28 | 31 | 15 | 27 | 45 | 47 | — | — | Finally Woken |
| "Just a Ride" | 16 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Wish I" | 24 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "24" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 98 | ||
| 2008 | "It's Amazing" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 77 | — | — | — | Down to Earth |
| "Crazy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 97 | — | ||
| 2009 | "And So I Pray" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "I Want You To..." | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Song | Production Title | Year | Production Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Just a Ride" | Music from the OC: Mix 1 | 2004 | soundtrack |
| "Maybe I'm Amazed" | Music from the OC: Mix 2 | 2004 | soundtrack |
| "California Sun" | "Just a Ride" | 2005 | single |
| "Amazing Life" | Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends | 2005 | soundtrack |
| "Easy Way Out" | Carmen Rizzo: The Lost Art of the Idle Moment | 2005 | album |
| "The Thieves" | Weapons | 2006 | album |
| "Once in Every Lifetime" | Eragon: Music from the Motion Picture | 2006 | soundtrack |
| "Everytime" | Vusi Mahlasela: Guiding Star | 2007 | album |
| "Ecouter" | Carmen Rizzo: Ornament of an Imposter | 2008 | album |
| "It's Amazing" | Sex and the City: The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | 2008 | soundtrack |
| "Yellow" | Sweetheart: Our Favorite Artists Sing Their Favorite Love Songs | 2009 | compilation |
| "Until the Morning Comes" | Glass Pear: Until the Morning Comes | 2009 | single |
| Song | Production | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Come on Closer" | "Closer" "Las Vegas" Life As We Know It" Desperate Housewives |
2004 2006 2004 2004 |
trailer unofficial soundtrack Clip Official Season 1 Promo |
| "Wish I" | "Celebrity Love Island" "Grey's Anatomy" S. 1, Ep. 7 |
2004 2005 |
title theme unofficial soundtrack |
| "Maybe I'm Amazed" | "The OC" | 2004 | official soundtrack |
| "Just a Ride" | "The OC" "Monster-in-Law" "The Prince and Me" "Grey's Anatomy" S. 2, Ep. 2 "Summerland" "Shark" S2E03 |
2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2007 |
official soundtrack official soundtrack official soundtrack unofficial soundtrack |
| "They" | "The OC" "Crossing Jordan" "Grey's Anatomy" S. 1, Ep. 1 "The X Effect" "Strictly Come Dancing" |
2004 2004 2005 2007 |
unofficial soundtrack unofficial soundtrack unofficial soundtrack title theme "Tango/Argentine Tango Track(Series5/8) |
| "Save Me" | "Grey's Anatomy" S. 1, Ep. 6 | 2005 | unofficial soundtrack |
| "Flying High" | "Wonderfalls" S.1, Ep. 11 "Grey's Anatomy" S. 2, Ep. 20 "One Tree Hill" S. 2, Ep. 15 "Laguna Beach" |
2004 2005 |
unofficial soundtrack |
| "Amazing Life" | "Six Feet Under" Lexus ES 350 |
2005 2006 |
official soundtrack advert |
| "24" | "Ultraviolet" "Smallville" "Center Stage: Turn It Up" "Without A Trace" |
2006 2005 2008 2005 |
trailer unofficial soundtrack unofficial soundtrack trailer |
| "Once in Every Lifetime" | "Eragon" | 2006 | official soundtrack |
| "California Sun" | "Grey's Anatomy" S. 3, Ep. 22 | 2007 | unofficial soundtrack |
| "It's Amazing" | "Sex and the City: The Movie" "Medium" S. 5, Ep. 89, 90 |
2008 2009 |
official soundtrack unofficial soundtrack |
| "Crazy" | "Gossip Girl" | 2008 | unofficial soundtrack |
| "I Always Knew" | "90210" | 2008 | unofficial soundtrack |
| "Keep On Walking" | "Damages" S. 2, Ep. 13 | 2009 | unofficial soundtrack |
|
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