Jemma-Jade is still right at the beginning of things, but there’s already plenty happening.
The Central Coast singer-songwriter has been writing since she was young, keeps roughly 2,000 voice memos on her phone, and seems to have reached that nice point where the songs in her head are starting to sound the way she wants them to once they hit the studio.
Her recent tracks ‘Never’ and the freshly released ‘White Noise’ sit comfortably in big-hearted pop territory, with Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo in the mix, but there’s also something closer to home in the sharp songwriting of artists like Lottie Mcleod and aleksiah.
Jemma-Jade is clearly interested in the nuts and bolts of songwriting too, switching between guitar and piano, building harmonies on the fly, and figuring out how a track should grow once she starts working with producer Milana St Clair.
We caught up with Jemma-Jade to talk about hearing her own music out in the wild, the mountain of demos on her phone, songwriting as a way of making sense of things, and what she’s building towards next.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
JEMMA-JADE: Well, my new single, ‘White Noise,’ just dropped today, so my family and I started the morning blasting it as well as the rest of my discography on our speaker – and dancing around the house while getting ready.
After that, I went to the gym for a workout where they happened to be blasting “White Noise” over the speakers too, which was so cool.
My mum actually works there, so I got to hang out with her for a bit. Post-workout, I managed to spend half my paycheck on Soul Origin and Boost Juice, then headed over to my school in the afternoon.
They invited me to play a short 10-minute set at their Creative Arts Showcase, which was an absolute blast.
Now, I’m just lying on the lounge, watching Friends, and writing this!
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you are from and what you love about it.
JEMMA-JADE:
I’m from the Central Coast, a really beautiful coastal region just outside of Sydney.
I love living here, especially in the summer.
The beaches are incredible and super close by, so my family and I make a point of going for sunset swims most afternoons.
The beach is definitely my happy place.
I tend to get a bit cooped up during the winter, so I’m really grateful to live somewhere where I can dive into the ocean so easily.
HAPPY: What first made you want to start writing and releasing your own music?
JEMMA-JADE: I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I decided to pursue this professionally, but music has always been a core part of my life.
My parents constantly played music around the house growing up, so a lot of my taste stems from that constant presence.
I love how songs can express exactly what you’re feeling when you just can’t find the right words.
At some point, I realized I wanted to create tracks that people could turn to in those exact moments, and I decided I wouldn’t stop writing and releasing until I achieved that.
When the opportunity came up to record and release my own music, I jumped at it immediately.
I feel so lucky to have been given that platform early in my journey.
HAPPY: ‘Never’ feels really intimate and stripped-back. Was that always how you imagined the song sounding?
JEMMA-JADE: Yes, I had a very clear vision for “Never” from the beginning.
I originally wrote it on guitar, so it started as a pure acoustic track. Going into the studio, I wanted to preserve that intimate, stripped-back feel around the vocals and production.
That said, I love how it evolved beyond a strictly acoustic song.
It picked up these beautiful pop-ballad undertones, especially in the bridge, where the drum beat and bass guitar kick in.
They add a whole new layer of emotion and tension without ever overpowering the lyrics or their meaning.
HAPPY: You’ve said you send Milana St Clair voice memos before recording. What do those early demos usually sound like?
JEMMA-JADE: Pretty rough! I have around 2,000 voice memos on my phone.
My process usually starts whenever inspiration strikes, whether I’m at work, in the car, or sitting in math class.
I’ll record a quick melody, concept, or lyric snippet right on the spot.
Later on, I’ll figure out the guitar parts and fully map out the song inside my leather-bound notebooks.
Once it’s written, I record a complete demo with vocals and guitar or piano on my phone.
When a studio date is coming up, I pull my favorite recent tracks, the standouts my family and I love, and send them over to Milana.
From there, we shortlist our favorites and start bouncing audio messages back and forth, dumping all our ideas into the mix until we land on the final direction.
HAPPY: The harmonies on ‘Never’ are a real standout. What was it like building those up in the studio, especially knowing they were improvised?
JEMMA-JADE: SO fun! I love doing backing vocals, and I got to just fully belt and let loose on these ones.
Originally, I hadn’t even pictured backing vocals in my initial vision for the track, but now I can’t imagine the song without them. They feel so raw and emotionally charged.
They were almost entirely improvised. I stepped up to the mic, put the headphones on, and as I was listening through the track, I turned to Milana and said, “What about this right here?” I sang a line, she hit record, and I just laid down these deep-cutting, raw belts wherever I felt the song needed them.
They’ve easily become my favourite part of the entire track.
HAPPY: Who are some of the artists you were listening to growing up, and who are you loving at the moment?
JEMMA-JADE: When I was growing up, my mum loved Beyoncé, she even went to a Beyoncé concert while she was pregnant with me!
So there was a ton of her music playing around the house, and I’m still a huge fan today.
My parents and I also listened to a lot of Ed Sheeran (who I was lucky enough to see live earlier this year with my Dad!), Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, and Guy Sebastian.
While I still love all of those artists, Taylor Swift is definitely my number one now. I’m also listening to a lot of Gracie Abrams, Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter, and I’ve been completely obsessed with Sienna Spiro’s new album, Visitor.
HAPPY: You play piano and acoustic guitar as well as sing. Do you tend to write differently depending on which instrument you pick up first?
JEMMA-JADE: Guitar is definitely my go-to.
Whenever I get the urge to write a song in my room, I’ll pick up my guitar first and mess around with a chord progression.
But if I’m trying to write something a bit deeper or sadder and can’t quite pull the right emotion out of the guitar, I’ll move over to the piano.
That usually does the trick.
I wouldn’t say the instrument directly dictates my writing style, it’s actually the other way around, where the emotion of the song dictates which instrument I reach for.
That said, I love writing a song on guitar and then playing it on the piano to hear how the vibe shifts, or vice versa.
HAPPY: Has working with Milana taught you anything about recording or production that you now think about when you’re writing?
JEMMA-JADE: 100%. As a producer and an artist herself she is so incredibly talented so I feel like since I’ve started recording with her and being around her a lot more I’ve evolved so much myself as a recording artist, especially when it comes to being in the studio and organizing my thoughts and visions for a track.
When I write, I usually get completely lost in the zone and don’t think about much beyond the core song itself.
Lately, though, I’ve noticed a shift. I’ve started mapping out rough drum beats, guitar riffs, and backing vocal arrangements right in the early stages, much more than I ever used to.
HAPPY: ‘Never’ comes from a pretty personal place. Do you find songwriting helps you make sense of things once you’ve had a bit of distance from them?
JEMMA-JADE: Songwriting is definitely a form of therapy for me. Sometimes problems feel so much easier to handle when they’re written down on paper; it’s almost like they’re not yours anymore and you’re just writing about someone else’s life.
There are times I can write 10 or 20 songs about a single situation, and it still won’t fully make sense or stop hurting.
But I write those songs in the hope that they help other people process their own situations—to make it hurt just a little bit less, or help fix things, even if it’s just a tiny bit.
HAPPY: What does a really good songwriting day look like for you?
JEMMA-JADE: I’m quite the procrastinator! If I can’t find a good concept, melody, or chord progression, I’ll probably just lie on my floor for a bit or find something random to do.
So, a great songwriting day starts with a completely quiet house, zero distractions, and a very clear vision for the sound and story that just flows out effortlessly.
I’d also love to take my songbook to a really quiet park one day, lie on a blanket in the sun, write a track, and maybe snap a good photo for my Pinterest while I’m at it…
HAPPY: You’ve already heard your music on the radio, in cafés, and even at your gym. What has been the most surreal moment so far?
JEMMA-JADE: All of those moments have been pretty surreal, especially hearing my music play on the radio and getting to go into the stations for live interviews!
Outside of that, the single most surreal moment was hearing the final, polished studio version of my first song, “GONE.”
I’m not sure what hit me harder, but hearing a song I wrote on the piano in my bedroom turn into a full, broadcast-ready track that sounded like it came straight off a curated Spotify playlist was insane.
Seeing something turn from a late-night bedroom demo by a teenage girl into an actual, real song out in the world was crazy.
HAPPY: Outside of music, what are you into when you’re not writing, recording, or performing?
JEMMA-JADE: That’s a great question! My music career has been such a huge focus this year that it feels like I’m rarely doing anything else, but I do love going to the gym.
Also, lately, my family and I have been picking a new spot every Sunday to go for a bushwalk, and we’ve found the most incredible hidden gems with amazing views. And in the summer, I’m all about the beach—I would go for a swim every single day if I could!
HAPPY: You’ve got ‘White Noise’ coming next. What can you tell us about where that song takes your sound?
JEMMA-JADE: “White Noise” is so different from my previous releases, yet it still feels completely like me.
It’s definitely lighter and a bit happier compared to my usual deep-cutting tracks. It still touches on deeper topics like relationships, friendships, and career paths, but it does so in a really fun, breezy way.
It leans into a nice indie-pop space, which isn’t a total departure from my roots, but I love where it landed.
HAPPY: You’ve also got your first headline show coming up. What are you most excited about when it comes to bringing these songs to a live stage?
JEMMA-JADE: I’m so excited! First, a quick shoutout to the show itself: it’s on September 13th at The Savoy in Long Jetty.
Tickets are $15, and $5 from every ticket will be divided straight to two charities that are very close to my heart: The Central Coast Women’s Health Centre and Pet Rescue.
I’ve also asked the insanely talented Belle Norman to open, which I’m thrilled about.
As for bringing my songs to a live audience, I’m most excited for everyone to hear the original, raw versions of the tracks, the way they sounded when I first wrote them before we ever went into the studio.
Plus, I get to play a bunch of unreleased originals, which I can’t wait to share.
HAPPY: What would you love Jemma-Jade to look like a year from now?
JEMMA-JADE: Best-case scenario: my music reaches the exact people who need to hear it, the momentum keeps building, and in a total dream world, I get to start touring Australia.
That’s the ultimate dream, singing my songs every night and hearing people scream the lyrics back word-for-word.
I’d also love to have an EP or album in the works.
I’ve had the title and concept locked in since I was 12, so finally putting that out into the world would be incredible.
Mostly, I just want to keep doing what I’m doing in the hope that it connects.
I’m not chasing money or fame; I’m chasing connection, and music has always been that bridge for me. I just want to give that to others.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
JEMMA-JADE: My family and music, they are two of my favorite things in the world.
Spending time with my family on bushwalks or at the beach brings me so much joy.
I know you’re supposed to love your family, but I seriously adore mine to bits.
And second, music, because of everything it has given me, from listening to my favorite artists to the incredible sense of community I’ve found since releasing my own songs.
No matter what happens in my life, I know music will always play a central role because it’s what makes me happiest.
I hope I never have to let that go.
