August – Jessica Paige

Morning all! Welcome to our (rather late) Artist of The Month for August. We at Piewatch would like you all to meet Jessica Paige, a super talented female artist residing in Australia. So read on for fun & laughs with not a single jibe about the Ashes! Enjoy!

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Piewatch - When did you first realise you had a talent for making music?

My father is a professional musician, so comparing myself to him, it was hard to get to the point of realisation of whether my songs were any good or not. He was a pretty harsh critic at first! So it wasn’t until I started winning song competitions at festivals that I realised they might actually be good enough.

Piewatch – What would you say is your biggest achievement to date?

Well my career is a series of achievements, each one important to me as the last, as they are all stepping stones to wider exposure. The JB seed Award I got was really very helpful though – it provided $10,000 worth of assistance with a radio plugger, a Publicist and the means to advertise my CD launch and tours for the release of my last EP. It also led to the Rolling Stone article and CD compilation which in turn led to more good exposure.

Piewatch - Who are your musical influences? Any unexpected ones?

All the melodic songwriters like McCartney, Lennon, Elton John/Bernie Taupin, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Buckley,Rufus Wainwright.  “Sing Like Buckley” is a song about all my musical influences I wrote it in a Beatleesque style as a tribute to my early influences.  But I am also very influenced by literature,stories and dreams, things that happen to me. When I co-write it is the talent of the other writer, that inspires me. So for example when I write the piano songs with Luke Howard his amazing musicality makes it easy for me to develop a melody line and lyrcis to go with such beautiful chords. When I wrote electro pop with a young producer here, he says  “I have an idea about X” and his passion sparks something and I can write a melody and lyrics in no time. He makes it all sound great with the doubling, the reverb. the cut and pasting of sections, the loops…..

Piewatch – We notice you have won quite a few songwriting awards! Care to share the details?

Well initially I started winning the local awards and then I wondered how my songs would go in a larger arena I started winning national awards then I got some international awards.. I try not to go in competitions that cost a lot of money to enter unless I feel the song is exceptionally well suited to it.  I think I know now if a song has the ability to win or do well in a certain award.  I wouldn’t go in a  song competition that gave  a recording deal as the prize. I want to be able to choose who I get into business with on a more personal level.

I think the APRA Award I won in 2004 was helpful as it gave me standing in the songwriting community (50,000 songwriters are members), APRA is the  organistion that registers song here. I have my eye on the New Artist to Radio award at some stage as well – but it is a matter of timing. It gives a huge amount of help when a song is ready to go on radio.

Here is a list from my Sonicbids website:
2009: United Nations/ Fender Music Foundation selection of “Sleepy Head” for international compilation.
2008: NAB ( National Australia Bank) Songwriting Competition entry “Sing like Buckley” awarded “Outstanding” status.
2007:Top 10, Pop, national New Artists 2 Radio (NA2R)
Glenn Shorrock Scholarship Award – Special Mention.
2006: JB (John Butler) Seed Award and Grant
Musicoz Finalist (Alternative)
Honourable Mention Singer/Songwriter Awards (UK)  (Let it out)
Soundheaven FBI Radio (Sydney) Recording prize
Honorable Mention – Peace Driven Song Awards  (US)
Honorable Mention- Singer/Songwriter Awards (UK) (Under my Skin)
2005:International Unisong Competition- Pop Ballad 4th place (Under my Skin)
ASA (Australian Songwriters’ Association) – Finalist Folk/Acoustic (It’s Crazy Baby).
2004: APRA Songwriter Award
Musicoz – Top 10 Finalist – Pop Category
Best New Artist – Sound Vault, Melbourne
2003:Winner – The Ranges Songsmith Award
Top 10 of Rock It (National Youth Week Competition)
Winner – Hanging Rock Buskers’ Festival Award.

Piewatch – What is your favourite song you have written and what is it describing?

One song I have special plans for  is” Little Fish”. If you look on my myspace site you will see I have a special photo there that goes with it. This is yet to be released and may end up on the album I make for STP.

Piewatch - What is your best rated track on STP? Why do you feel this is?

“Under My skin”  got a rating of… 7.68. which doesn’t sound that high but it is hard to get over 7 even with a very good song. I think this is because it is well produced with violins and it has a soothing quality that people said they liked. Lots of people  said  it made them feel calm. It is a song about obsession so the structure is repetitive, it deliberately goes round and round. I have done another version of the vocal with my brother doing harmonies for a film coming up.

Piewatch – If you achieved financing tomorrow what would be the first thing you would buy?

Maybe a really good vocal recording mic so I can do vocals at home and save lots of money in studio time. I would be able to do harmonies when my voice is at its best.

Piewatch - Who do you currently like in the charts?

Duffy – I like the classic sound of the production, the songs are good, her voice is distinctive. Amy Winehouse – her songs are great and she is a natural. Kelly Clarkson is usually fabulous too – of course – that voice is wonderful. Corrine Bailey Rae is lovely too. I don’t know if they are in the charts right now. I don’t tend to listen to the commercial radio much. I also love Ray LaMontagne. I don’t know why he isnt more commercially accepted.

Piewatch – If you could have any super power what would it be?

Hmmm either to be able to sleep when I need it, OR better still, not to need it!

Piewatch - Elvis dead or alive?

Elvis LIVES!

Piewatch - Any irrational phobias?

Only rational ones

Piewatch – Mcdonalds or Burger King?

Neither – I used to busk outside Burger King in Melbourne, not a safe area.

Piewatch – Any last words?

Yes -please spread the word to friends and family to  go to  iTunes  or Amazon and download my last 2 EPs JUst look me up under ” Jessica Paige”.

This is the first stage of my new campaign to concentrate on downloads in preparation for the STP album!

And finally, thanks so much to you Piewatchers for your help in this challenge to reach the target!

Piewatch - Thanks! Good luck with your Slicethepie investment.

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