Photo credit: Jack Munsch
We had the chance to chat with the 19-year-old London-bred singer-songwriter, Jasmine Thompson. We had the privilege to talk to her about her journey in music and how she knew it was the career path for her, we discussed her great new single, “Funny” with EDM DJ Zedd and of course, how she’s been passing the time in quarantine and if she has any future plans for 2020.
Beyond The Stage: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never listened to you before?
Jasmine Thompson: I guess it’s a mix of piano and guitar-based songs, with a soft female vocal. That’s such a hard question [laughs]. I guess it’s quite melancholic most of the time.
BTS: Who are your musical influences?
JT: Paolo Nutini and Florence and the Machine were my musical inspirations when I was younger. I’ll never not love them.
BTS: What motivated you to pursue music as a career?
JT: I just knew that this is what I want to do, making music and touring brings me so much joy. I’m so grateful that I can do my hobby as my job.
BTS: You just dropped the single “Funny” with Zedd. What was the recording process like?
JT: I was working on “Funny” with these amazing producers called Monsters and Strangers, and they thought that their friend Zedd might like the track. So they sent it off to Zedd and he wanted to collaborate with me, which of course was mind-blowing.
“Funny” was originally just a song with piano, so it felt a bit sadder, but Zedd interpreted it in a completely different way. It was more hopeful and positive and I think his approach with collaboration is what makes it so magical. Sadly, because I’m based in London and not in LA like Zedd, we haven’t been able to meet up and celebrate the release because of COVID. So it’s definitely a very different backstory to any other song I’ve ever worked on.
BTS: The “Funny” video is really great, too. Did you enjoy the process of bringing that to life?
JT: It was so so so satisfying seeing it all come together. Again, we had to switch up our original video plans because of lockdown. But I feel like that made it even more special. Now it’s like a memory of what we have achieved while being stuck indoors and it’s so unique compared to any music video I’ve done before.
BTS: Do you have more music in the works?
JT: I do. I’ve been saving up a bunch of music over the past year or so. I’m not sure when I’m going to be releasing though…it might just be a surprise.
BTS: What’s your favorite part of life in the music industry?
JT: I love being in the studio. Recording is my favourite thing, it’s when you can be so specific about the smallest details and plan everything out like a little puzzle.
BTS: Have you been writing more since quarantine started?
JT: I found it quite hard to be inspired at the beginning, but the last month or so, I’ve been nonstop getting ideas for new things. I found it hard being creative, I like to be in a studio on my own with a piano to really figure things out, so being at home with my family made me just want to enjoy being with them. It was nice having a break.
BTS: How have you stayed connected with fans during this time? What’s it been like to navigate a new way of reaching out when we can’t gather for live music in-person?
JT: I’ve tried my best to keep updating my followers on social media and I’ve been trying to post as much of the behind the scenes kinda stuff, like just playing some cover songs or when I’m in the studio. It’s lovely being able to communicate with people online, but it’s a shame that I can’t do any live shows at the moment. It’s so important to every artist, and it’s definitely missed… but hopefully sooner than later, it’ll be safe to do some form of live music again.
BTS: What do you have planned for the rest of 2020?
JT: I think that really depends on lockdown [laughs]. I’m just going to keep singing “Funny” until my ears bleed, and then I’ve got a load of music that I’ve been working on over the past year or so, that I would like to put out. In a normal world, I’d be on the first plane to the first city to go and tour or just meet people, so it’s all a bit up in the air. So I’m just writing and waiting for the right time to put out more music.
Keep up with Jasmine: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
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