Spotlight: Jessica Lawrence

Jessica has been singing for enjoyment for as long as she can remember. When she was 13, she decided to pick up the guitar and learn a few chords. As she discovered how much better it felt and sounded to be able to play something underneath what she was singing, she realised how heightened her passion for music became. This was the beginning of her song-writing journey.

Throughout her teenage years, Jessica played many gigs around Western Australia as a solo acoustic act. She graduated from W.A.A.P.A. in 2014 with an Advanced Diploma of Contemporary Music (specialising in vocals). It was there that she met like-minded musicians who opened her up to a whole new world of jamming and recording. Through these experiences she attained a newfound appreciation for human connection through music. In 2015, she moved to Melbourne to progress her music career

She currently works as a session musician, writing and recording vocals from her home studio setup in Melbourne, and sings in Melbourne-based psychedelic/shoe-gaze rock band Wild Meadows.

Below we find out why passion for music is so important to Jess, and why she thinks that performing without passion is worse than playing the wrong note or singing the wrong lyric.

 

Where are you from? Where are you living now? (We love learning about how many different corners of the world Vocalizr users are from)

I grew up near Fremantle, Western Australia. I now live in Melbourne, Victoria.

Sometimes I feel nostalgic thinking about friends, family, music and the chill vibes back in W.A. But I am loving being in a new place full of new and exciting experiences. Life is what you make it, and I like to see it as a journey rather than a destination. I’ve met some incredible people in Melbourne, and have come to realise that home can be more than one place.

 

Tell us about your singing journey. How did you get into singing?

It feels as if the journey has sort-of just happened by itself and I’ve been taken along for the ride. Singing has never felt like a chore to me. It’s been a passion for as long as I can remember, a completely pure experience allowing me to be totally absorbed in the present moment. So naturally I just kept following that, and here I am, still following it.

 

 

What’s your singing dream? Any major goals?

I’d absolutely love to tour the world with my band and play epic festivals! Making amazing memories through music and having as many enjoyable experiences as possible is what it’s all about for me on a personal level. I hope that the music I put out there isn’t just something that other people hear, but is something that they feel. If others can really benefit from my music, then that’s success in my eyes.

 

What are your upcoming releases?

Wild Meadows will be releasing a very exciting single this September, followed by our debut album early next year. We’ll be touring for the album launch.

 

Is there a particular warm up process you have before recording?

I don’t do any particular vocal warmup exercises (although I probably should), but I often like to go for a long bike ride before hitting the studio because once I’m in the music-making zone who knows how long it’ll be before I emerge from that world again.

A couple of beers go down nicely too.

 

Tell us about your songwriting process - is there a particular way you tackle the topline?

It definitely depends on the song. Sometimes a track will have a challenging chord progression or an unusual time signature, so I will need to sit down and think more carefully about what I am going to do with the top-line. And then there are other tracks that I immediately connect with, and the best top-lines for these usually happen when I allow myself to let go of thought and just jam along to them.

 

Who would you most like to work with, and why?

There are so many amazing musicians I’d love to jam with, and there are so many amazing producers I’d love to work with, it’s impossible to choose just one. One dude I reckon would definitely be worth meeting and having a jam with is Victor Wooten. Studying music at university had a weird effect on me for a while, because all the analysing we had to do around music made me feel more detached from the music itself. Victor’s book ‘The Music Lesson’ helped me to feel more like I was a part of the music again, rather than an observer of it. In the words of Beethoven: “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”

 

 

Which artists do you find inspiring? Why?

It always depends on what mood I’m in. But for the sake of naming names, some of my favourites are: The Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd, Deep River Collective, Akara, Bob Marley & The Wailers, East Brunswick All Girls Choir, PJ Harvey, The Jezabels, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, Primal Scream, Bombay Dub Orchestra, Lilt, Moana, Alanis Morissette, Be Forest, The Beatles, Dr. John… Yep, the list goes on.

 

Who is your favourite singer? Why?

I honestly don’t have an all-time favourite. There are so many great singers out there that all have something unique to offer in the way that they express themselves through music, and I appreciate them all for different reasons.

 

What are your top 5 favourite records of all time?

It’s impossible for me to decide. My taste in records is constantly growing and evolving as I get introduced to more and more music. However, these 3 albums never fail to amaze me and pull me into their world:

The Wall by Pink Floyd

Melancholy & The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins

The World Beyond by Akara

 

What’s your guilty pleasure song?

Peter Paul & Mary - Puff The Magic Dragon.

Do you have a home studio? If so, tell us about your setup?

Yep. When I set it up, I moved all the bedroom furniture and belongings into the lounge room and recreated the bedroom in there. Then I turned the empty bedroom into a home studio room.

 

Do you have a favourite microphone? If so, why?

Of the microphones I’ve recorded with, it would have to be the RODE K2. I find that recording with this microphone tends to bring out the best tones in voice, so less EQ is required in the mixing process.

 

 

 

How did you find singing jobs before Vocalizr?

Other than occasional busking in the streets of Fremantle, I didn’t discover many paid singing jobs before I moved to Melbourne. But there were many collaborations - I would jam psychedelic-blues-reggae with friends on a Wednesday night until the sun came up, perform solo acoustic gigs supporting local bands, record vocals over friends’ electronic tracks. I was barely ever too busy to seize an opportunity to play music, because I always considered it my priority and my happiness. Playing music with other people was all I wanted to do, and the more musicians I met and connected with through music, the more opportunities arose. When I moved to Melbourne and discovered Vocalizr, I realised I could actually get paid to do what I love, so that was a massive bonus and stepping stone for me.

 

Have you made new connections through Vocalizr? Has it opened any doors for you?

YES! I was lucky enough to work with Craig Connelly through Vocalizr, which has opened some wonderful doors for me in the Trance scene. There is so much diversity on Vocalizr, and it’s a great experience being able to work with people from all different places around the world.

 

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what are 3 things you couldn’t live without?

Friends & Family.

A lighter that turns air into lighter fluid so that it never runs out (because who the hell is actually able to light a fire from sticks).

Unlimited beer.

Social links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicalawrencemusic

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jessicalawrenceofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jess_L_Music

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica_lawrence_music

Wild Meadows:

https://wildmeadows.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/WildMeadowsofficial

https://soundcloud.com/wild-meadows

https://twitter.com/wild_meadows

https://www.instagram.com/wild_meadows_band