Jammerzine has a special interview guest in the form of Jasmine Rodgers. It’s been almost five years since we last spoke with her! In that interim, the music world has changed. And so has Jasmine. But she still has that sound all her own, as you will hear with ‘The Tempest’.
In this interview, we catch up with Jasmine as to where she has been and what she is up to now. We get into her new music and where she is taking it. A few surprises here, for sure.
Jasmine Rodgers – The Tempest
- The Tempest Jasmine Rodgers 3:06
‘The Tempest’ starts off dark and haunting with an honesty about it within the lyrics. Jasmine has this rare ability to convey the lyrics both as a song and as a story solely with her singing style. Here we hear the feeling behind each word. Softly, but there. Adding to that is the marriage of the percussion to the chord progression. There is more going on here than can be heard in that first listen. Almost a quite orchestra. And it works.
About ‘The Tempest’
Five years on from the release of her critically acclaimed album Blood Red Sun, Jasmine is back with “The Tempest”, the second release from her forthcoming EP “Dark Tides”. The track is set for release on 3rd September.
For anyone that doesn’t already know, Jasmine Rodgers has a rapidly-growing reputation for fusing influences from rock, blues, soul, folk and country into lush musical textures layered with poetic lyrics. Her stripped-back solo shows feature her complex guitar picking styles and intricate vocals, as she shifts effortlessly across her varied musical landscape, from folk to rock.
“The Tempest” is a lyrical journey exploring love, disconnection, hope and reconnection. As Jasmine explains:
“I used to think that a fight meant it was time to go, but not always. Sometimes it’s the strengthening of a relationship: a way to work out how to give each other the space to breathe.”
Starting with vocals reminiscent of a howling wind, the song follows a couple as they navigate through conflict, caught in a moment somewhere between destruction and a deeper understanding and renewed resolve to grow together.
Perhaps fittingly, the verses are delivered with a Kae Tempest-like pace, though Rodgers’ vocal and lyrical style has more in common with Kate Nash’s distinctive unaffected regional lilt and penchant for personal storytelling lyrics. The effect of this is that the verses are imbued with an almost punk-like quality, energetic and unrelenting, driven by a rumbling mariachi bass. The choruses, meanwhile, open up into something which clearly draws more on Rodgers’ folk and country influences, pulling in a Greek mandolyre and fingerpicked guitar to elevate the central lyrical motif of a gathering storm. Rather than providing a clear denouement, the chorus’ final refrain instead places the listener in a state of ambiguity: ‘And deep in my heart I know / It will be over soon’, as it cuts into the second verse sounds rather hopeful. Yet, later in the track it shifts into a darker, moodier, middle eight section which makes the refrain sound rather more threatening to the relationship at the heart of the narrative – is it the tempest that will end, or the relationship itself?
About Jasmine Rodgers
Jasmine Rodgers is a London born musician of mixed parentage and says this has nurtured a deep love of many different genres. Her solo shows feature her complex guitar picking styles and intricate vocals, effortlessly veering from folk to rock music, delivered with warmth and intimacy, which is why Ivor Novello award-winning musician Scott Matthews invited her to support him on his Great Untold Tour 2018/2019. This is the second release form Rodgers forthcoming EP ‘Dark Tides’, and will be featured on BBC Introducing this week.
Rodgers released her first album ‘Blood Red Sun’ in 2016 and the release received widespread critical acclaim from the likes of Clash, For Folk’s Sake and Here Comes the Flood. Her album was voted top 20 Best album of 2016 by HCTF and top 20 Best Songwriter by Ear Jelly. Some of her notable live shows include supporting Scott Matthews on his 2018/2019 tour and supporting Bad Company on their arena tour of the UK. Rodgers also has a solid fanbase in the Japanese anime world thanks to her work as frontwoman to British rock band Boa, who wrote and performed the soundtrack to award winning anime Lain Serial Xperiments.
SOURCE: Official Bio
Featured image by Paul Jennings.
LINKS:
https://jasminerodgers.com
https://instagram.com/iamjazmina
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1npod25ImfTYkFpelxT760?si=wf1UXsYQQB6Hrqqy0ic18w&dl_branch=1
https://www.facebook.com/jasminerodgersmusic
https://twitter.com/jrodgersmusic
https://www.youtube.com/c/jasminerodgers
