Jem (singer) - WikiHQ

Jemma Gwynne Griffiths (born 18 May 1975), known by her stage name Jem, is a Welsh singer, songwriter, and record producer.

Born and raised in Penarth, Glamorgan, she began songwriting at an early age. After graduating from university in 1996, she worked as a DJ as well as co-founder of record label Marine Parade in Brighton. Jem followed up her debut with her second album, Down to Earth, released on 18 September 2008. Her third album, Beachwood Canyon, was released in 2016.

Early life and education

Jemma Griffiths was born in Penarth, Wales, a small town near Cardiff on 18 May 1975. Jem originally found her passion for singing and songwriting whilst attending Stanwell School. During her early school years she explored her musical interests with the family piano, penning her first song at the age of thirteen. Jem has three siblings, older sister Chloe, eldest sister Georgia, who provided vocals for the Welsh indie/punk band Weapons of Mass Belief alongside brother Justin, who also goes by the name Yestyn, of Glass Pear.

In 1993, Jem moved to Brighton to study Law at the University of Sussex. Both during her studies and after graduating in 1996, Jem spent time as a club and festival promoter and also began working as a DJ in Brighton's club scene under the name Jem, inspired by the animated series Jem and the Holograms.

Career

1999–2006: It All Starts Here... and Finally Woken

In early 1998, alongside Adam Freeland, she co-founded and helped run the specialist breakbeat/hip hop record label Marine Parade. However, after spending two years acting as agent and promoter for other aspiring musicians, she soon felt that she had neglected her own musical career. Stennett introduced her to other writers and producers. Jem licensed every song on her album to be broadcast on American television programs, films and advertisements as a method of promotion. Television program The O.C. was the first to use Jem's music in several of their episodes, eventually inviting her to guest-star on the show. She performed a cover version of Paul McCartney's 1970 song "Maybe I'm Amazed" in the first season finale. The lead single of the album "It's Amazing" originally appeared on the soundtrack for the 2008 movie Sex and the City. Released 3 June 2008, the song failed to chart in the United States or the United Kingdom. Her following single releases off the album included: "Crazy" in August 2008, "And So I Pray" in May 2009, and "I Want You To..." in October 2009, however, they did not grant as much commercial success as her debut album. On 4 December 2009, Jem released the single "Until the Morning Comes", which was a collaboration with her brother, Glass Pear.

2010–2016: Other projects and Beachwood Canyon

In 2011, Jem contributed to the record Ten Years On: A Collection of Songs in Remembrance of September 11th 2001. In 2012, Jem returned to producing her third album. In November, she recorded tracks at the Grand Master Studios, in Hollywood, and originally anticipated a release in early 2013. Outside of music, she also announced that she had spent several years writing a screenplay.

After numerous delays, in January 2016, Jem published the first photoshoots for the Beachwood Canyon album on her Facebook page and announced the official release of the album for spring 2016. The first single "Beachwood Canyon" was released on 1 July. On 5 August 2016, the album was released digitally worldwide.

Musical style

Jem's musical style is varied and encompasses genres such as trip hop, electronica, pop rock and new wave, with critics often associating her with other female musicians Dido and Beth Orton. They both currently reside in Los Angeles.

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!rowspan="2"| Title

!rowspan="2"| Details

!colspan="6"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| AUS

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| IRE

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US Heat

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US Indie

! scope="row"| Finally Woken

First studio album
Released: 24 March 2004
Labels: ATO, RCA
Formats: CD, download

| 6 || 36 || 15 || 197 || 11 || —

! scope="row"| Down to Earth

Released: 16 September 2008
Label: ATO
Formats: CD, download

| 64 || — || — || 43 || — || 4

! scope="row"| Beachwood Canyon

Released: 5 August 2016
Label: Orchid Entertainment
Formats: CD, download

| — || — || — || — || — || —

EPs

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

Singles

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!rowspan="2"| Single

!rowspan="2"| Year

!colspan="10"| Peak chart positions

!rowspan="2"| Album

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| CAN

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| GER

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| IRE

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NLD

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| SWE

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US AAA

!scope="row"| "They"

| 2004

| 6 || 28 || 15 || — || 45 || 8 || 47 || 29 || 47 || 18

|rowspan="4"| Finally Woken

!scope="row"| "Just a Ride"

|rowspan="3"| 2005

| 16 || — || — || — || — || 27 || — || 89 || — || —

!scope="row"| "Wish I"

| 24 || — || — || — || — || 27 || — || — || — || —

!scope="row"| "24"

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

!scope="row"| "It's Amazing"

|rowspan="2"| 2008

| — || — || — || — || 77 || — || — || — || — || —

|rowspan="4"| Down to Earth

!scope="row"| "Crazy"

| — || — || — || 97 || — || — || — || — || — || —

!scope="row"| "And So I Pray"

|rowspan="3"| 2009

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

!scope="row"| "I Want You To..."

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

!scope="row"| "Until the Morning Comes" (with Glass Pear)

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

| Non-album single

!scope="row"| "Beachwood Canyon"

|rowspan="1"| 2016

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

|rowspan="1"| Beachwood Canyon

!scope="row"| "Rainbow"

| 2022

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

| Non-album single

Music videos

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Song

! scope="col" | Director

! scope="col" | Album

|| 2005

| "They"

| Laurent Briet

|rowspan=3| Finally Woken

|| 2005

| "Just a Ride"

| Steven Murashige

|| 2005

| "Wish I"

|Steven Murashige

|| 2009

| "It's Amazing"

| Saam Gabbay

|rowspan=2| Down to Earth

|| 2009

| "I Want You to..."

| Jemma Griffiths

Various

{| class="wikitable"|width=100%

|- style="background:#eee;"

!align="left"|Song

!align="left"|Production Title

!align="left"|Year

!align="left"|Production Type