STACK NZ Mar #60

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FEATURE
Crash Course In Pop
meaning. It’s a pretty dark song for me
as well which I like.
Where do you find your inspiration
for your songs?
This is something that has definitely changed
about me a lot over the last couple of years,
like what I choose to write about. My first
album was very much about myself and my life,
whereas the second album I feel I’ve sorta
taken stories from other people. Maybe that’s
a bit of me growing older - being more
interested in other points of view.
You are well known for your interest in
environmental and social issues, including
performing at the Global Citizen concert in
Auckland in 2013. Is it important to you
as an artist to use your status to
highlight these issues?
Absolutely. Through the Global Citizen concert
and various things that I’ve done I’m starting
to fully understand the positive influence I can
have on others. It has really become one of my
main drives to building this bigger platform
for the things I think are important and the
messages I believe in. I know heaps of
people who grew up wanting to become
actors or musicians but didn’t get the
opportunities that I did so you really
have to make the most of it.
What are your plans for the
rest of the year?
After the album is out we’re trying to
put together a nationwide tour to show the
new songs off. I’ve been working with the band
for nearly three years now and we’re really
excited for these shows. Other than that,
I’ve got a few different conservation
projects I’m working on. I’ll be
kayaking across the Abel Tasman on
a kayak made from plastic bottles to
raise awareness and show people
that sustainability can be exciting!
If I have time I’ll definitely be trying
to work on a third album too.
MUSIC
In 2013 a very excited young lady by the name of Jamie McDell accepted the award
for Best Pop Album at the New Zealand Music Awards. Since then she has been on a
roll, releasing hit after hit and even gracing the stage in support of the Global Citizen
movement. On the verge of the release of her second album, Ask Me Anything, she
talks to Ricardo Kerr about her runaway success and the causes that motivate her.
STACK: Is it true that you’ve been working
on Ask Me Anything since the release of
your last album?
JAMIE MCDELL: To be honest, I felt as
though I had already written this second record
by the time I released the first one. Even when
you are releasing an album you’re still constantly
writing. I’ve been lucky that I had some success
from that first one and that I had people behind
me wanting to hear a second. I just want to keep
releasing albums for as long as I can and for as
long as people want to hear them.
On your new album you worked with
producer Stuart Crichton, who has worked
with Kylie Minogue and Delta Goodrem.
How has he influenced this album?
Stuart actually co-wrote some of this album
with me. I was of the opinion that if I need a co-
writer then maybe my song writing wasn’t good
enough. But [Stuart] really believed in what I had
to say more than anyone and that has given me
a lot more backbone about myself and my work.
Your lead single from the album Crash
has given you another hit – did that come
as a surprise or did you know it was
special when you wrote it?
To be honest I’m never able to preempt what
people are going to think. With Crash I was
worried I guess that maybe it was a bit too
different for me and what I usually release. But
at the end of the day I’m always trying to write
songs that people can relate to and I’m just
glad more than anything that the meaning of
that has gotten across to so many people.
Do you have a favourite track on
Ask Me Anything ?
There’s a song calledWicked Man
and it’s probably my favourite. For me
it’s just the ideal song for who I am
and what I play. It’s very strong with
just me and a guitar and it doesn’t have
to rely on anybody else for its impact or
MARCH 2015 JB Hi-Fi