Jem (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jem
Jem performing on the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury Festival on Sunday 26 June 2005
Background information
Birth name	Jemma Gwynne Griffiths
Born	(1975-05-18) 18 May 1975 (age 50) Penarth, Glamorgan
Genres	Trip hop electronica pop rock new wave folktronica
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ, screenwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1998–present
Labels	ATO MapleMusic Recordings (Canada) Sony BMG RCA
Associated acts	Glass Pear, Weapons of Mass Belief

Jemma Gwynne Griffiths (born on May 18, 1975), known as Jem, is a talented singer, songwriter, and music producer from Wales. She is famous for her unique blend of music styles. Jem released her first album, Finally Woken, in 2004. It became very popular, especially in the United Kingdom. She has since released two more albums, Down to Earth in 2008 and Beachwood Canyon in 2016.

Jem's Early Life and Education

Jemma Griffiths was born in Penarth, Wales, on May 18, 1975. Penarth is a small town close to Cardiff. Jem discovered her love for singing and writing songs while attending Stanwell School. She started playing the family piano and wrote her first song when she was just thirteen years old. Jem has three siblings. Her older sister, Chloe, and her eldest sister, Georgia, sang for a Welsh indie/punk band called Weapons of Mass Belief. Her brother, Justin, also known as Yestyn, is part of the group Glass Pear.

In 1993, Jem moved to Brighton to study Law at the University of Sussex. While studying and after graduating in 1996, Jem worked as a promoter for clubs and festivals. She also became a DJ in Brighton's club scene. She used the name Jem, which was inspired by the cartoon series Jem and the Holograms.

Jem's Music Career Journey

Starting Out: 1999–2006 with Finally Woken

In 1998, Jem helped start a record label called Marine Parade with Adam Freeland. This label focused on breakbeat and hip hop music. After two years of helping other musicians, Jem realized she wanted to focus on her own music. In 1999, she moved back to Wales. There, she set up a small recording studio and worked on her songwriting and music production skills. She created four demo songs that helped her get into the music industry.

In 2000, Jem moved to London and met Sarah Stennett, who managed the group Sugababes. They started working together. Sarah introduced Jem to other writers and producers. Jem wrote the song "Nothing Fails" with electronic producer Guy Sigsworth. This song was later used by Madonna for her 2003 album, American Life. In 2001, Jem went to Brooklyn, New York City. She worked with hip hop producer Ge-Ology and co-producer Yoad Nevo.

In March 2002, Jem left a demo of her song "Finally Woken" at the independent radio station KCRW. The DJ, Nic Harcourt, started playing it on his show. This caught the attention of Bruce Flohr from RCA Records and the new ATO Records. They offered her a recording contract, and Jem moved to Los Angeles.

On October 13, 2003, Jem released a short album called It All Starts Here.... It had five songs and was a preview for her main album. Her first full album, Finally Woken, came out in the United States on March 24, 2004. In the United Kingdom, "They" was released as the first single in March 2005. Then came "Just a Ride" in June and "Wish I" in September. "Wish I" was even used as the theme song for a UK reality TV show. Finally Woken stayed on the UK Album Chart for 32 weeks and reached number 6. Jem allowed her songs to be used in American TV shows, movies, and commercials to promote her music. The TV show The O.C. was one of the first to use her songs. Jem even appeared on the show, singing a cover of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed". Since then, songs from Finally Woken have been featured in many other TV shows, like Six Feet Under, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy.

Second Album: 2007–2009 with Down to Earth

In 2006, Jem decided to stop touring for a year. She wanted to focus on writing new songs for her second album. She worked with different producers across the United States, including Jeff Bass in Detroit and Lester Mendez in Los Angeles. Mike Bradford and Greg Kurstin also helped her. While making her album, Jem wrote and sang "Once in Every Lifetime" for the Eragon movie soundtrack.

Jem's second album, Down to Earth, was released in the United States, Canada, and Japan on September 18, 2008. It came out in Europe between January and March 2009. The album reached number 48 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US and number 64 on the UK Albums Chart. The first single from the album, "It's Amazing", was featured on the soundtrack for the 2008 movie ... and the City. This song was released on June 3, 2008. Other singles from the album included "Crazy," "And So I Pray," and "I Want You To...". On December 4, 2009, Jem released "Until the Morning Comes," a song she worked on with her brother's group, Glass Pear.

Later Projects and Beachwood Canyon (2010–2016)

In 2011, Jem contributed to an album called Ten Years On: A Collection of Songs in Remembrance of September 11th 2001. In 2012, Jem started working on her third album. She recorded songs in Hollywood and hoped to release the album in early 2013. Besides music, she also shared that she had been writing a screenplay for several years.

After some delays, Jem posted the first photos for her Beachwood Canyon album on Facebook in January 2016. She announced the album would be released in spring 2016. The first single, "Beachwood Canyon," came out on July 1. The full album was released digitally worldwide on August 5, 2016.

Jem's Musical Style

Jem's music style is quite varied. It includes genres like trip hop, electronica, pop rock, and new wave. Music critics often compare her to other female singers like Dido and Beth Orton.

Personal Life

In September 2009, Jem married American musician and songwriter Joseph George in Montecito, California. They first met in 2005 while filming the music video for "Wish I," where Joseph played Jem's love interest. Jem and Joseph currently live in Los Angeles.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

• It All Starts Here... (13 October 2003, US only release)

Singles

Music Videos

See also

In Spanish: Jem (cantante) para niños