Jewelia - ‘Challenges of the modern world…’
I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but we live in tough times. Even before Coronavirus, the world was facing global issues, with climate change being an ongoing disaster that isn’t just carving a path for our future, but our present as well. It’s no surprise then that artists inspired by the world around them reflect these issues back through their art. Jewelia’s latest single ‘Is This World Mine’ is one example.
The London-based Romanian artist Jewelia has been releasing music for quite some time, her debut EP ‘Monsters’ was put out in the summer of 2014. Her YouTube channel is older than most, with her earliest videos going back to 2009. As well as her own songs, she’s recorded covers by Muse, Lana Del Rey, Green Day, Mariah Carey, Radiohead and more.
Jewelia used Kickstarter in 2017 to help fund her debut album ‘City Of My Mind’, which was already recorded. The extra £3200 was projected to be used to mix and master the record, plus create physical copies. In the end, the campaign raised over £4000, and her stretch goal of putting twelve songs on the album instead of ten was achieved. City Of My Mind was released in 2018, with Jewelia’s second EP ‘This Love Song Is Better Left Unsung’ being released in the summer of 2019. Across 2020, Jewelia released one song a month under the banner ‘Project 2020’, which will be collected into an album entitled ‘Millennial’. Now, March 2021 sees the release of her brand new single ‘Is This World Mine’.
‘Baby you were there to see it, how the sea was rising high, lately I’ve been feeling nauseous, lately I’ve been asking why…’
I can’t explain how much I resonate with this track. Lyrically it hits the nail on the head, how individually you can feel powerless to affect change, but you know something must be done, and it’s delivered so perfectly without overcomplicating the lyrical approach. Then there’s Jewelia’s voice. How can a voice be so delicate, yet carry so much weight? My favourite line without a doubt is ‘I don’t wanna look around me, I don’t wanna hear the news. Silent witness - silent victim, is there nothing I can do?’ How many other people have felt this way in the past year or more?
It must be said at this point that Is This World Mine was self-produced, and Jewelia made some brilliant decisions with this track. The electric piano accompaniment in the first verse, with subtle electronic additions takes away from a piano/vocal sound that would be too simple to drive the point home. The early beat reminds me of Lily Allen’s first album ‘Alright, Still’, which later grows in impact to accommodate the bigger chorus.
I don’t exaggerate when I say: the vocal production is perfect. From the gentle harmonies in the quieter sections, to the bigger choir-like chorus vocals and the hazy reverb used in the opening verses, every decision made here totally serves the song, as all good production should. Special mentions must also go to mix engineer Niko Battistini and for the superb mastering by Cicely Balston at AIR Studios who both contribute to the great sound of this track.
To me, both the song and the video are inseparable. Together with Andy Denyer, the pair have created a visual accompaniment that delivers the message of the track without going full ‘Earth Song’ on us. Interspersed with shots of Jewelia performing the track sedately is stock footage largely taken during the pandemic, though also addressing the wider issues of climate change and institutionalised racism. One of the things I love about this video too is the feeling of hope it imparts. It isn’t over yet, there’s still hope to get all these things right. And there’s a small part of me that still believes that.
1. Your new track 'Is This World Mine' is certainly a song for the time we live in. Would you talk us through your inspiration for it?
‘Is This World Mine’ is a song about feeling powerless when faced with challenges of the modern world, be it coronavirus, racism, violence to women or climate change. What originally sparked me to write ‘Is This World Mine’ was a news story in October 2020 that another boat carrying refugees capsized in the English Channel. Two children, aged five and eight, as well as two adults died. What shocked me most was the volume of heartless comments I was seeing online, it left me with a feeling of dread. I had this sudden urge to do something, anything, coupled with the realisation that there is not much that us, common people, can do to influence the big scheme of things. In the end, I turned to the one thing I know to do best: writing a song.
2. The production on this track is all yours. What was your process? Did it start with a piano and vocal in the writing stage?
Starting with piano and vocals is my usual process. Though many times the production gets involved at an early stage, and so it was the case with ‘Is This World Mine’. I only had a chord progression and the first two lines before I opened Logic and started layering textures. I then gradually wrote the rest of the lyrics and of the song together with building the arrangement. I remember actually writing the chorus and the main hook last, on top of the instrumental.
3. The video for 'Is This World Mine' features a lot of stock footage. Did you go into the editing process knowing what clips you wanted to use? Had you seen certain clips and thought 'Yes, I need that'?
I had a vague idea of the subjects I wanted to tackle, so I searched those particular keywords and downloaded a bunch of clips, then played around with the edit. Not all of them were used in the end, but it’s always good to have a choice!
4. You've worked with Andy Denyer quite a lot! What's he like to work with?
Pretty great as we are partners in music and in life! We work on a lot of projects together as partners at Dual Productions. We usually also often produce together, though not on this song, play live gigs and work on the videos. Andy is basically my ‘team’ and I’m very grateful for it!
5. There's quite a few covers on your YouTube channel, ranging from Muse to Nina Simone, to Green Day and Mariah Carey. What's been your favourite to do and why?
I don’t do many covers, and they are only songs I really like or feel an affinity towards. My favourite is probably “Visions of Gideon” from Sufjan Stevens. I feel like I have taken the song and changed it enough to make it my own, while retaining the soul of the original (and it seems as other people thought the same in the comments).
6. Is there a cover you'd like to tackle that you haven't yet?
I’ve done a cover of Kate Bush, ‘The Man with The Child in His Eyes’, but one day I’d like to attempt ‘Wuthering Heights’. I’ve had many requests for it, I just haven’t dared to yet!
7. You used Kickstarter to help complete your debut album 'City Of My Mind', what was your experience using that platform?
It was a leap of faith. Terrifying at the beginning, not knowing if I would be able to garner enough support, if people who followed my music believed in it enough to support it financially. But the support exceeded my expectations! The initial goal was surpassed and we reached our stretch goal, which enabled us to put 12 songs on the album instead of 10. I was lucky enough to have my campaign earn a ‘Projects We Love’ badge, which means it was pinned at the top of the page of Kickstarter, which gained me a lot of new fans and pledges from people stumbling upon my project via the Kickstarter front page.
8. Of course humanity faces many challenges in the New Twenties, some of which are covered in your latest single. But what is the one that is most dear to your heart? What do you really yearn to be fixed?
I don’t know where to begin! It pains me to see how we are destroying our beautiful planet. We might be the last generation that can do anything about this, so we need to be informed and start those conversations that can make a difference.
There is something else though I would like to start speaking up about a bit more, and that is ageism. All my life I’ve been terrified of ageing and what that meant, especially as a woman. One should not feel as if their value has ‘diminished’, or that they become ‘invisible’ simply because they are growing older. Internalized age stereotypes don’t only harm others, but affect the way we view ourselves. Our society is extremely shallow, and I feel like this is something that needs to be talked about more.
9. You put out your 'This Love Song is Better Left Unsung' EP in 2019 - do you have another collection of songs coming in 2021?
I do indeed, and the details of this will be announced soon.
Until then, keep an eye on my social media for news!
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For more information on Jewelia, check out her official website here.
Support Jewelia on Patreon to get access to even more music.
Purchase Jewelia’s music on CD and digital download via Bandcamp.
Follow Jewelia on Instagram and Facebook @missjewelia, and on Twitter @miss_jewelia.
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