Now at age 26, New Zealand singer/songwriter Jamie McDell has achieved a pr… Read Full Bio ↴Now at age 26, New Zealand singer/songwriter Jamie McDell has achieved a prolific amount for someone so young. Being signed to EMI at age 16 sparked the beginning of a successful musical journey, making Jamie McDell a household name across the nation. With the release of her debut album ‘Six Strings and a Sailboat’, she went on to achieve Gold album sales, receive three NZ Music Award nominations, winning Best Pop Album of 2013. Her sophomore record ‘Ask Me Anything’ gained global attention, seeing album track ‘Moon Shines Red’ featured on American TV series Pretty Little Liars. A lot was going on for the young songwriter throughout her formative years.
2018 marked McDell’s return with an independently-released record that celebrates her musical roots and the sounds of her upbringing. This new recorded project came together between Auckland, New Zealand and Nashville, Tennessee where she recorded the tracks with Australian award-winner producer Nash Chambers. The record features a hearty cast of country music legends including Kasey Chambers, Bill Chambers and Tami Neilson.
It was the music of her childhood that would form the fundamental elements of what excited her about songwriting the most - an honest vocal, lots of acoustic guitar and deep storytelling. At age 7, while living aboard a yacht in the Mediterranean, when McDell wrote her first song. On that yacht lived a small collection of her parents’ favourite tapes, including albums by Jimmy Buffett, John Denver and James Taylor, which the young McDell formed a particularly strong bond with. She fondly remembers watching her parents perform Jimmy Buffett duets - and occasionally chiming in, learning how to harmonize vocally with her mother. An eager learner, McDell picked up the guitar after studying her fathers’ John Denver chord book collection and has never looked back.
In March 2017, McDell booked a trip to Nashville for a change of scenery and to connect with the environment that birthed the country/folk music of her youth. There she wrote the songs that would make up the fabric for her upcoming record.
Later that year, twelve songs (written solely by McDell) were recorded in two days with full band at House Of Blues, Studio D in Nashville, with Chambers at the helm. Recording this way would boil up feelings of nostalgia for McDell, who’s very first recording experience took place at Auckland’s York Street studios in the same vein.
“This is the closest thing I’ve done to a live record,” McDell says. “I enjoy playing and singing in the same room as everyone, recording full takes, celebrating the liveliness of the players and accepting mistakes or imperfections as a special and important part of the body of work.”
On this new record, McDell’s vocals are the most raw and vulnerable they have ever been - powerful and honest - and reflect her core listening inspirations which include Patty Griffin and Alison Krauss. Her Margaritaville-infused childhood sneaks through in humorous lines like “scared of looking crazy, she opens up a bottle of wine, forgets about her baby and looks to have a hell of a time.”
This new album also marks McDell’s second independent release since going independent from 2016 - the first being a debut album, written/performed with her younger sister Tessa as Dunes. This record has been personally hand-crafted from the ground up, with McDell overseeing everything from the writing, creation, promotion and release. She also creates the visual artwork herself, as a graphic designer by day.
Putting the overall feeling of the album into words isn’t easy, but McDell reflects on the personal challenge of leaving the comfort of home to write something that was honest and true.
“Nashville was me getting out of my comfort zone and finding my way back to it. I like to write songs quickly and alone and quite frankly when I feel like it, and I think being away from home helped me get back to that headspace,”
“The listener is getting a sincerely true collection of stories that haven’t been tampered with since they were written. They are exactly what I felt like saying/singing at the time - raw, unpolished
and deeply honest.”
2018 marked McDell’s return with an independently-released record that celebrates her musical roots and the sounds of her upbringing. This new recorded project came together between Auckland, New Zealand and Nashville, Tennessee where she recorded the tracks with Australian award-winner producer Nash Chambers. The record features a hearty cast of country music legends including Kasey Chambers, Bill Chambers and Tami Neilson.
It was the music of her childhood that would form the fundamental elements of what excited her about songwriting the most - an honest vocal, lots of acoustic guitar and deep storytelling. At age 7, while living aboard a yacht in the Mediterranean, when McDell wrote her first song. On that yacht lived a small collection of her parents’ favourite tapes, including albums by Jimmy Buffett, John Denver and James Taylor, which the young McDell formed a particularly strong bond with. She fondly remembers watching her parents perform Jimmy Buffett duets - and occasionally chiming in, learning how to harmonize vocally with her mother. An eager learner, McDell picked up the guitar after studying her fathers’ John Denver chord book collection and has never looked back.
In March 2017, McDell booked a trip to Nashville for a change of scenery and to connect with the environment that birthed the country/folk music of her youth. There she wrote the songs that would make up the fabric for her upcoming record.
Later that year, twelve songs (written solely by McDell) were recorded in two days with full band at House Of Blues, Studio D in Nashville, with Chambers at the helm. Recording this way would boil up feelings of nostalgia for McDell, who’s very first recording experience took place at Auckland’s York Street studios in the same vein.
“This is the closest thing I’ve done to a live record,” McDell says. “I enjoy playing and singing in the same room as everyone, recording full takes, celebrating the liveliness of the players and accepting mistakes or imperfections as a special and important part of the body of work.”
On this new record, McDell’s vocals are the most raw and vulnerable they have ever been - powerful and honest - and reflect her core listening inspirations which include Patty Griffin and Alison Krauss. Her Margaritaville-infused childhood sneaks through in humorous lines like “scared of looking crazy, she opens up a bottle of wine, forgets about her baby and looks to have a hell of a time.”
This new album also marks McDell’s second independent release since going independent from 2016 - the first being a debut album, written/performed with her younger sister Tessa as Dunes. This record has been personally hand-crafted from the ground up, with McDell overseeing everything from the writing, creation, promotion and release. She also creates the visual artwork herself, as a graphic designer by day.
Putting the overall feeling of the album into words isn’t easy, but McDell reflects on the personal challenge of leaving the comfort of home to write something that was honest and true.
“Nashville was me getting out of my comfort zone and finding my way back to it. I like to write songs quickly and alone and quite frankly when I feel like it, and I think being away from home helped me get back to that headspace,”
“The listener is getting a sincerely true collection of stories that haven’t been tampered with since they were written. They are exactly what I felt like saying/singing at the time - raw, unpolished
and deeply honest.”
All I Need
Jamie McDell Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Jamie McDell:
Angel Never-ending, always in my heart Unworthy feeling whenever …
Back Of My Mind Livin' for the love and take it and no there's…
Baggage Claim Morning light on the freeway Coming home again Another broke…
Botox Everyday I look in the mirror Discover me a new set…
Boy into a Man Maybe I'm just a woman I might never understand How to…
Crash So high up, Higher than the clouds, You know its not for…
Daddy Come Pick Me Up "Daddy come pick me up I got one flat tire…
Danny's Song We came in to the harbour and I saw signs Not…
Dream Team Girl meets boy He's got a touch He asks her do you…
Extraordinary Girl You’re hotter than the sun He will treat you like you’re…
Falling I've been pushed, I've been chained and now I'm falling…
Five Years From Now Twenty-thousand missed calls on my phone Knocking on my door…
Fly Honeys Just another vacant Sunday afternoon I turn the radio on hig…
Get Away So busy it's too much to take Can't fight this want…
God is a Woman You, you love it how I move you You love it…
Here to Stay I get stronger, in my mind, everyday You move closer and…
Know My Heart I took a fall again today Smiled but I still had…
Lie I know a girl, she's funny and she's beautiful She's in…
Life In Sunshine I know we'll be alright I'm sure this time Today it's warm…
Limousine Running I wanna play house, a million dollar game Leopard skin and…
Luck All my clothes are Spread across my bedroom floor I don′t kn…
Moon Shines Red Don't rescue me, don't rescue me Take what's left of me This…
Mother's Daughter I saw you cry when I was seventeen You saw my…
Not Ready Yet I wanna drive my car from here to California I wanna…
One Step Behind Lost in a memory hoping you'll find me Shining so bright…
Rewind I remember waiting for those aeroplanes to cross the sky Li…
Six Miles It seems the rains come down again a waiting room you're…
Something More I'd give anything for my mama to be happy with…
Story of John I had a story to tell him A secret I kept…
This Time Two years on the walls of going under No time for…
Where Are You Now "Where, oh where are you now? Are you strolling on those…
Wicked Man Young girl Will you every disdain your mother told you to? Y…
Worst Crime I didn't call my mama on her birthday I run a…
You'll Never Take That Away Can't you see I'm just a writer Learned enough to never…
You’ll Never Take That Away Can't you see I'm just a writer Learned enough to never…
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theteenmusiclover
Love this so much!!!
margot
Love your album so much!!
Lauren DeMille
Cannot wait for your album to come out!!
Helen Alderton
I love it! x
Cassie Russell
Love this
danipants
This song has been stuck in my head for about 6 years and I finally remembered the name of the song
Laura Branch
Love it Jamie 3
Tori Adriyana
this is so original ♥♥ i love it xx
Valerie Selau
This is so cool:) Amazing!
Taya Fransen
this is soooo cool!! :) ♥