Hi Bob, just a quick email to say: you rock, I love reading your letters and thank you!

As an artist working in this crazy industry (Jem – ATO records), I am happy to say from the beginning I have always marched, actually I should probably say skipped, to the beat of my own drum. I am happy and proud to be following my heart and my musical calling without bowing down to the pressures of this often nonsensical bizness. (I have noticed this kind of attitude sometimes annoys, sometimes intimidates, and sometimes instills joy in music biz people).

After just one album cycle I had pretty much seen enough. When the art meets the commerce it’s not pretty, and is usually quite a struggle. At least for anyone with half a brain. Once I learnt not to take anything personally and not to expect logic to be applied in many situations, I became a lot happier..!

As for this current financial crisis, on a much smaller level, I was once apologised to at a radio convention by a lovely radio programmer who told me she felt terrible that my song ‘They’ had been taken off the air as it wasn’t ‘researching well’ with new listeners. (As you know I think that means playing 15/20 secs of the beginning of a song down a telephone to random people they call up. I did later get #1 for female listeners and #2 for male listeners for the same song in Salt Lake City so hooray for that!) She was frustrated because as she explained, apparently hoards of their loyal everyday listeners had been calling in every hour asking about the same song and requesting it. She felt bad as it was out of her hands, I had already implemented the necessary emotional tools of the previous paragraph, and like people, so I felt bad for her. It was a curious conversation. Anyway, that was years ago, but in light of the current chaos, I don’t think the public realise how often they/we are getting shafted.

How fantastic then, the revolution that is now made possible with the internet. How wonderful to be able to connect directly to the people who enjoy one’s music. As the guy in Grease says "the rules are, there are no rules". The unending possibilities of communication and speading of positivity, music, thoughts and messages makes me feel as free as a bird. I’ve never liked ‘standard’ practices, this is how an album is promoted – steps A, B, C. We all know just like with the movie industry there are channels you can follow, but thankfully there are always exceptions to the rule. It is a form of art after all, the energy around it should be fluid.

I’ve always known if I make good music that I love, everything will take care of itself, there’s no other thought process. And wonderfully, people help spread the word because I think they feel that. It’s genuine and honest and perhaps there’s not too much of that around. As you say, music with a heart, a soul that moves you is what we all want – along with some fun tracks for bumping and grinding to in the car, well, at least in my case 😉

All the best and have a great weekend,

Jem