Interview with Electro-Pop Singer Jade Alice

Jade Alice
Electro-pop singer Jade Alice recently stopped by Rave It Up HQ to chat about her new song Heartbreak Club, and her upcoming album.
 

Hey Jade. Welcome back to Rave It Up. It’s a pleasure. We haven’t heard from you since 2016. Wow time has flown! What have you been up to in that time?

It’s an absolute pleasure to be back! Time has snuck by and it’s been too long! The last two years have been hugely transformative in terms of my growth as an artist. I have so much new music. I was hidden away writing, and I just finished my degree at the VCA in music composition. I’ve been performing at a range of events from festivals to outdoor cinemas, night markets to Hamer Hall! I was exploring and travelling the world, collaborating with some wonderful artists and celebrated my 21st birthday!

The last time we spoke was when your single Kick Drum was released. How did that song go? Everything you expected?

Releasing my debut single with Melbourne Music Bank was an adrenalin pumped dream. Since writing Kick Drum at 16, the song has taken me to so many places and moments, and really surprised me with its longevity. The reaction from people has been overwhelming. It’s surreal when I hear people singing the lyrics, and see kids making their own video clips to the song! Kick Drum was featured on my old favourite TV shows like ABC3 and Kids WB, it was played across an extensive range of radio stations and media platforms, and finished first place in multiple song writing competitions. The love shown for Kick Drum has exceeded my expectations, and the way people welcomed the song so warmly was the best outcome I could have asked for. I am excited to move forward from Kick Drum onto this new chapter, but it was a major point in my career that I will always look back on fondly. It’s still a crowd favourite at live shows!

In January, we saw you were doing some travelling around Europe and even performed in Switzerland. How was that?

Travelling Europe with my family for two months was a colossal experience! The main reason for the trip was to visit extended family in Italy, who I hadn’t seen in ten years. One night, we put on a show in a little venue that was filled completely by 40 of our relatives. I swear there wasn’t a person in town I wasn’t related to! It was an incredibly sentimental night. We all knew how rare it was to be in the same room. We drove through half of Italy, then north to Austria and Switzerland, where I had a spontaneous gig in a Swiss bar. We fit as much as we possibly could into each day. We saw every landmark, swam in hot springs in the snow, celebrated New Years in a square where giant chess pieces were set on fire, visited a castle populated by 6 people and over 100 cats, the list is insane!

Your new single is Heartbreak Club and its amazing. Congrats!
How did this song come about? Was it inspired by a true story at all?

Thank you! It’s interesting. The song’s entire meaning didn’t present itself to me until it was finished. I was trying to capture an ache I was feeling, and when I read back my lyrics I noticed the subconscious message. But I want the song to mean something different for every person who listens, so it becomes their own. It can be the heartbreak of a love ending, or the heartache of being in an all consuming love. For me, it was about my relationship with love itself. Learning to love myself, and how that can be hard. It sounds so tragic! But there is a happiness and warm in the relief let out by the song.

What’s your favourite lyric from the track? 
Ours is “I was unguarded.” Its something we can all relate to in relationships.

Yes, so true! I think there’s always that someone who has such a strong effect on you, and your guard immediately falls down. They are probably my favourite lyrics too! 

Why did you decide to call it Heartbreak Club?

People have clubs for chess, stamp collecting, Harry Potter, everything! The song title came from this quirky fantasy of mine to have a club for all the soft hearted, emotional people… like me! It’s for people who show strength in their vulnerability. 

You are having a launch at The Toff on June 24th. What can people expect from the show?

It’s going to be a night of celebration, and a chance to see a brand new set of my unreleased music! I’m performing with my new band, and it’s very possible we will be premiering the Heartbreak Club music video at the event. So bring your friends, family and your best pants along for the exclusive!

Your special guests include Velvet Bloom and Tommy Castles. Why did you pick these talent artists? Have you been a fan of theirs for a while?

Velvet Bloom, who is the lovely Maddy by day, is an artist I met through Melbourne Music Bank song writing competition! She was placed in the top four, and I was really stunned by her live performance and soulful style! I instantly connected with her after meeting her, and as a fellow female artist, I really admire what she does!

Tommy is so unique. He really is unforgettable the first time you see him perform. I met him through a number of mutual friends in music. He oozes raw talent and has the strongest ability to hold a stage on his own as a multi-instrumentalist! He is so down to earth, and I love watching him get lost in a song. He stands there barefooted with this mane of golden curls that he whips around and plays chimes with. 

We hear you are also filming a music video for Heartbreak Club and it will be finished in late June. Can you reveal anything about the video clip? 

Yes! I am beyond excited. I’m working closely with two female directors who I am obsessed with. They are geniuses! I am so thankful to them for lending me their minds. We’re really passionate about the concept we have come up with for the clip. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say it involves high school, a mythological figure and an unexpected twist. 

We love your new press photo, which was taken by @emmamcevoyphotography
Where was it taken?

I have been a fan of Emma’s pictures for some time, and I was over the moon to do a shoot with her! The location was Blairgowrie back beach, near this giant rock pool. It turned out to be a dangerous, hilarious adventure for us! It was low tide and I had four different looks I was changing between. I was wearing these pretty clothes, trying to be graceful kneeling and posing in this shallow puddle. We had no idea when the tide was coming back in. Surrounded by big rocks, we heard this thunderous sound and water came crashing in. I’m clinging to a rock for dear life half screaming half laughing, and Emma continues to take photos of me finding it all hilarious! The waves took her shoes and flooded the trail back to the car park, so we had to climb the beach Cliffside up to the path, passing our gear to each other! 

Something we’ve noticed about you over the time is you’re not afraid to show off your midriff. You go girl! How do you stay so fit when you’re so busy with your music career? 

Thank you! I am a girl who loves her food and loves to eat. A lot. But I am conscious of what I’m putting in my body, and I try to eat clean and healthy as often as I can! I’m all about organic or unprocessed food, but that still includes organic chocolate and many other treats! I also try to fit in around 30 mins of exercise everyday, which is more achievable than we think! I mix it up with some days doing short bursts of high intensity training in strength or cardio, and others I go for long walks with my dog Elmo. I am fairly comfortable with showing my midriff, but I believe that it’s a flattering, feminine feature that all women should be proud of.

You recently also featured on a track by Motaki. Can you tell us about that experience? 

It came about so randomly. I saw a post made by a producer named Daniel (Motaki) on a page for Melbourne Musicians. He was looking for top line vocalists, and you rarely ever see musicians posting looking for top liners! It’s one of my favourite things to do, to create melodies and lyrics over beats and progressions. I immediately messaged him about getting involved, and we really hit it off! One song turned into doing three songs together within a week or two. We become really good friends, and we’re so proud of what we made! I love electronic dance music, and it was a wonderful experience working with a new producer from that area. 

Alice is also not your real last name. How did you come up with it then? Is it a middle name?

Alice is my middle name, after my beautiful great grandmother Alice. I have quite a mouthful of a last name, and I feel Jade Alice is easier to remember! But Alice also alludes to Alice in Wonderland, a daydreamer who thinks up these fantasies and imagined places. I feel I am very similar to her. I’m off with the fairies all the time! I grew up with the film, and have done a few shows with that theme.

You’ve been in the industry for many years now and have so many fans but do you also have any issues with haters?

I have been surrounded by musicians all my life with my parents in the industry, but it is forever changing and I have a lot to learn. We are all a fan of somebody, so it’s extremely humbling to think that someone could feel the same admiration for me as I do for other artists I love. It’s the loveliest, most fulfilling compliment a person can give, to devote their support and belief in you. I haven’t had much experience with hate, but I know that my music is not for everyone and it’s down to individual taste. It is awful to see this hate culture coming through more frequently online. It can be hard not to take each word you read on a screen to heart. Fortunately, I try to surround myself with the best, most positive people I can.

Even though you have already achieved so much Jade, what else can we expect from you in the future? Can we expect a tour sometime?

I have so many things I want to do. It’s sometimes hard to know where to begin and the steps to take! A tour is definitely high on my list, and hopefully performing in Sydney! I am going to be releasing new singles quite frequently, leading up to an album. I love making music videos, and want to continue to express my stories that way!

What advice would you give to our readers if they would like to follow their dreams of becoming a singer?

I would encourage you to embrace the originality of your voice! Nobody else in the world sounds like you! Try not to compare yourself in a negative way with other singers or change the way you sing to sound more like someone you think sounds better. The best version of yourself and your voice will be different to another person’s best version of themselves and their voice. 

As a closing statement and what is probably the most important question: Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your 14-year-old self?

Don’t change yourself or your personality to please others. The best people to enter your life won’t be able to find you if you aren’t being the real you! Don’t worry about what others think. Just have fun being a kid.

And before we go, if the listeners would like to contact you or find out what you are up to, where should they go?

You can stay updated with my Facebook page.
Listen to my music on Soundcloud.
And look out for live footage on Youtube.

Thanks again for having a chat to us today Jade. Let us know when you’re in Sydney next. We’d love to finally meet you.

– Interviewed by Lauren Yeates

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