Interview with Juliet Kelly


Q: You have released your album Aphrodite's Child some time ago. How satisfied are with the reaction so far?

Juliet Kelly: Yes, it seems like a lifetime ago now! But I'm very happy with the way it's been received. Jazz Not Jazz did the very first review of it which was very positive and I've received many more excellent reviews since then. It's also served as a kind of calling card and it was my CD that brought me to the attention of the excellent Courtney Pine who invited me to perform with him and has led to me appearing at the London Jazz Festival and to appearances in Russia (where suprisingly the concerts were totally sold out!) and a forthcoming performance in New York.

Q: Most jazz vocalists don't dare to record an album that features an extensive 80% of original, self-written material. Especially for a debut album this is usually considered a brave move. While I really like it when artists don't go the safe road, some people don't like the idea and prefer album full of jazz standards. Please tell us the motivation behind writing eight of the ten songs on Aphrodite's Child by yourself.

Juliet Kelly: Yes, it was definitely a risk, but I think turned out to be worthwhile because at the moment, the scene seems to be awash with new jazz singers and I think the fact that I write most of my material sets me apart from the rest. I'm hoping that my next album which I am in the process of recording will be 100% original, self-written material.

Q: On your website you try to collect money via paypal to continue recording: "Although I've written an album's worth of new songs, so far I don't have any serious interest from any labels. Jazz has been pretty popular recently, but unfortunately record companies seem to be leaning towards cover versions rather than original material."
I think it's quite a shame that no label has shown any interest so far, but wouldn't it be an option to release the album by yourself and sell it on your website and via online stores like cdbaby or maybe even on ebay or as a store at amazon?

Juliet Kelly: Don't get me wrong - there has been some interest but just not enough to take it to the level where I'm actually signing a deal. Yes, I think my next move will be to put my second album out myself and to sell it on my website and other online outlets. So far I have had lots of support from my fans and from the jazz community in general and have collected enough money to help with the first stage of the recording process. And what's in it for them? Apart from knowing they've helped a starving jazz artiste :-) to continue to make music, they can also get a credit on the album and an advance copy of the album when it's finished.

Q: What about the internet, do you think that file-sharing is harmful to the music and the artists or do you believe this is just another way people tell others about their favourite music, something one has done years ago with music cassettes for example?

Juliet Kelly: I've actually put several of my tracks up for free downloading on various websites like Amazon.com. I think it's a good way to let people know about my music. I don't agree, however, with complete albums being copied when, like me, the artist is an independent one. Although major record labels make millions, when someone copies my album they're taking my income away from me, and it's hard when you've put a lot of time, effort and money into a project to have it given away for free as if it's absolutely worthless. What would a shop assistant or office worker say if they were told, sorry they weren't going to be paid for their last month's work but that's okay because everyone appreciates what they do?!

Q: Please tell me more about the album that's just waiting to be recorded and to be released. What experiences has flown into the writing process.

Juliet Kelly: As I've said, I've already started the process and I'm really pleased so far. I've added guitar to the band and also hope to add other elements such as strings later on. They're all original songs and most of them written quite recently. I've started learning to play the guitar myself and think that this may have influenced my songwriting a bit. On the whole it's a very organic process for me. Songs seem to come to me almost in their entirety all at once. It's rare for a song to take more than a few hours to write although it sometimes takes days for an elusive line in the lyric to come to me.

Q: On your website you have a few mp3 files you did as a tribute to the late Nina Simone. Do you plan to release them on an album as well?

Juliet Kelly: I did try to see if they're was any interest for the Nina Simone tribute album but although the live concerts have been very successful, I suppose Nina did so many wonderful recordings that are so widely available that there isn't really any need to have another artist cover them. Perhaps when I become better known there'll be more interest in my interpretation of her songs...

Q: You've started rather late with working on your voice and writing songs. As one can read on your website, it happened more like an accident since the music workshop didn't wanted refund your money and you were reluctant to invest more money in a new instrument. And yet your music and songwriting sounds so mature as if you've done nothing else in a very long time. How satisfied are you with your own progress as a singer/songwriter and where do you see your place in the British jazz scene?

Juliet Kelly: Thanks! I'm quite happy with my progress so far - although I'm generally very impatient so nothing is ever happening quickly enough for me! I was particularly happy to be involved with the Jazz Britannia series that was commissioned by the BBC Television to look at the history of jazz in Britain for the last 50 years. Courtney Pine invited me to be a special guest for the (televised) concert finale and I was honoured to take the stage alongside him and other wonderful musicians such as Talvin Singh, Carleen Anderson, Omar Puente, Alex Wilson and Tony Remy.

Q: Since our readers are always eager for good music, can you recommend a few artists that has inspired you in recent times?

Juliet Kelly: Artists that have inspired me recently include Courtney Pine (his latest album "Devotion" is amazing), Patricia Barber (I saw her live on my last visit to New York and was blown away) and Damien Rice (he produced and released his album "O" himself and sold 40,000 copies through touring before he was picked up by a major label).


For more infos visit julietkelly.com and read my review of Aphrodite's Child here.