Jessica Paige Music

Well I am back from a fabulous trip to L.A., Nashville, West Virginia and New York. This was a trrip to follow up the one last September when I went to L.A.

Next trip I would like to go to Austin which is famous as a singer- songwriter centre.

In L.A.  I met up with my wonderful film producer/writer  friend Heath (who actually befriended me when I was on the Melbourne street busking a few years ago. He filmed me singing and behind me came a tram that said "Love and Happiness". I had another go at meetin up with Steve Tannen but will have to do it another time. I just couldnt get there as he was in West Hollywood and I wasnt.

 I also saw my lovely friend Jamie Chura who is an Indie musician in L.A.  And I have a couple of music meetings there and the project is moving along. You will find out about that when it comes to fruition.

I met up with Van Dyke Parks ( wonderful man) and Charles Fisher ( great producer).

Then I flew to Nashville, the songwriting capital of the world. I met some wonderfully kind and hospitable people there in the publishing filed and did a bit of co-writing Nashville style  - locked up with a writer you have never met before and they wont let you out 'til you have written a hit. (That is a joke). But I usually do like to get to know someone before I bare my soul in a writing session.

 Then to West Virginia with a kind farmer/musician and I had the best couple of days sleighing in the snow and being a backwoods woman.

Then to New York, the big cold apple. Luckily I was between snowstorms and I went to The Met ( where I saw all the paintings Rufus Wainwright mentions in his song "The Art Teacher". The Rubens and the Rembrandt and the Turner. I also went past The Chelsea Hotel where he used to live. 

I met uo with Derek Sivers and Ariel Hyatt, really lovely people in the music field, and Aussie expat Dan Rosens who is in a band "Second Dan: there.  Really nice guy, great musician.

Is seems to me that there is an openess of mind and opportunity in the U.S. for someone like me. Well, we will see.  

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 I am now looking at the opportunity to get funding for my album through www.slicethepie.com.

Do have a look at the site - it is a wonderful place to hear new music and invest in the artists you like so they can raise the moeny to make an album.

Slice the Pie crowdfunding  is an alternative to record company funding now that the record sales and distribution have been cut so much.

I am in the showcase as of today, so please go and register on the site and invest in my future album! You will get tracks for free and also potentially your investment could bear fruit further along the track.

If the 15,000 pounds target isn't reached then the investments are returned to the investors. Let me know if you are having trouble investing , but it should be a couple of clicks. I have a few months to raise the money.  

If you have any questions, let me know, I can send you a run down about it and am still firming up plans for what kind of album I will do... so many songs ...

Jess x

For the last few days I have been in the studio with  a wonderful producer, recording  for my next release.  Top of the line musicians -drummer David Jones, bass player Craig Newman, guitarist Tim Henman all contributed their instrumental skills on Telescope, Maybe this is Love, Tired of playing by the rules  and You got something better.

It is sounding wonderful. Now we have a couple of months break as the producer has another project. In the meantime I will be working on other projects  and recording demos of all my new songs.

Recently I have been writing lots of songs and have just given around 20 to the producer of my debut album. I write around three a week at the moment. sometimes I can go for a couple of weeks and.. nothing... but if something happens to me emotionally, out it all pours.

Today my brother Josh and I performed at Warrandyte Festival - a lovely area in the north of Melbourne with a river and lots of trees. Josh is 19 and writing his own songs and getting pretty good too. He has a really nice voice - he could always sing in tune and with lovel husk soft timbre from the time he was tiny. I only just seemed to be able to squeek out a few notes before I was 13 or so. Strange. I thought he did really well today - he now has his Templebar Open Mic night every Thursday in Collingwood. I think he is going to sing harmonies in Dad's band too.  ( Dad is Steve Romig and he is a songwriter too.)

I run an open mic night in the City now on every Tuesday - Josh and I both think it is a great way of collaborating with and meeting other musicians, having a regular gig so people can come and see us and is a convivial thing to do.

Til next blog

Jess

Dear Melbournites and locals,

On Jan 24th 2009 I had my busking gear stolen from my car in Doncaster, Melbourne. I have loaded photos into the photo album on this website - please look out for it in second hand shops and even at gigs! It consists of a 20 year old Seagull Acoustic Guitar, with pick up (mic input), Fender Passport PA system 150 watts, 2 mics ( one an Evolution Sennheiser 600/800 series - brand new!).    Plus leads and mic stands and $400 in cash.

Please look at the photos on the photo gallery here and keep an eye out for any of this that might pass your way sometime.  No, I wasn't insured . But I was in the process of photographing everything in preparation for that insurance event...!

Many thanks

 Jess

Hi

I bumped into comedian Adam Hills recently. He hosts a popular TV show, Spicks and Specks on Wednesday at 8.30p.m. It is a funny trivia show about music. Anyway he lalso is running Trial Shows for comedians to practice their new material , in a season now known as Adams? Nectar 2.   If you?d like to come down to a show, doors open at 5.30pm at the Nectar Lounge, Flinders Lane, Melbourne, entry is a gold coin donation, on every Sunday 'til March 8. I am doing a song or two there each week as well.

Re. the 6 Beers of Happiness TV world travel show, it was with the greatest regret that I found I couldn't take the opportunity to do the show when they offered it to me. The timing didn't turn out in the end. I have my album recording with Savage Garden producer Charles Fisher starting soon and that is a chance I definitely can't miss. It sounded like a fun thing to jet around the world seeking a famous musician..... but I will jet around later on . 

Well so much for the Collingwood house - I just could not sleep there for some reason. So after I come back from my writing foray to Brisbane next week I will try sharing with my musician friend Nick Roy.

I went to record my song Under My Skin today for the film "Suite For Fleur" that is about to be filmed here in Melbourne. Sounds like it is going to be great. After Christmas I am going to Brisbane to work with Will Lang,  from the UK, on some songs - he plays the Bodhran so it will be interesting to work out how to write with him.

The producers of  a TV series, 6 Beers of Separation,  tell me I am on the short list for the show, which means that I would be able to travel extensively in my efforts to meet a certain famous person who is the object of my desire. Sounds like fun, so we will see if that comes about.

I have been busking a bit again as Christmas is a good time. And lately I have been performing  more gigs with my brother, Josh. We played a couple of Gala nights (one was at Melbourne Town Hall and the other was with Deborah Conway). Last week we had a gig at a Christmas lunch gig for elderly people's hostel and we forgot to take a second mic, so we quickly decided  I would just play guitar and Josh would sing. He did such a great job, he seemed to channell all the old crooners - Bing Crosbie, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Nat King Cole and so on. The elderly folks absolutely loved him.

I am writing with a couple of other great songwriters over the next few weeks, I will tell all another time... But I am looking forward to that very much.

Jess x

Today was Melbourne Cup and it is a public holiday here in Victoria.. I was in the studio working on ideas for my album.

I moved this week into Collingwood - closer to the city for me where most of my gigs are. I am sharing with an artist and a musician, so I look forward to interesting conversations about art and such.  .

Last weekend I played at Fleurieu Folk Festival near Adelaide and I met so many really lovely people there. including folk musicians Braemar and dreadlocked Tom Richardson and ex-Seeker, Keith Potger, who I had already met earlier this year at The APRA Song Summit in Sydney. Big country, small world!

My exciting news is that I have started writing a musical and have the main themes for the characters and lyrics are coming together too. I plan to have it ready for trial performances next year. If you happen to be a musical producer, I have some questions for you .

The feature film which my song "Under My Skin" is to star in, is closer to production now, as they had a fund raising event at the swanky Windsor Hotel last week to sell shares in the movie for $7,500AU. Potential investors could find out about th movie from the experienced director,  Ron Brown. I was impressed and have no doubt it will reach the target - it is actually a great investment as it is tax deductible. So if you happen to be in the market for a film to invest in,  maybe from the  US - at the rate our dollar is dropping, that is hardly anything for you .  And you get a share of the films profits too. Apparently Ferris Bueller's Day Off and quite a few other big earning movies started off like this.

Jess x

Life has been so busy lately - lots of projects on the go as follows:

 In the last couple of  weeks I have performed for a wedding at The Aquarium ( lovely fish), at Sippers Wine Bar with Glenn Cannon in our jazz standards duo ( try the Mussels Tapas), done a couple of writing sessions with dance arranger and guru Jesse Bilewitz,  recorded 7 songs at Armstrong studios with the Paige Boys live... and lots more.....

Jess x

Hello!

I just added a couple of photos in the Jess & The Paige Boys section of the gallery of me with my new Ayers guitar. http://www.ayersguitars.com.au

Ayers are endorsing me.. which is very cool and my guitar is a real beauty. See the inlay around the edges in paua shell  ..it catches the light on stage. I have a lovely carved wooden sound hole plug  imported from the US as well. But apart from the look, it sounds beautiful with a lovely tone, not too bright, just right. Ayers guitars are all hand-made.

I particularly like this one as it has a narrow neck for my small hands, so it is going to save me many aches and pains from straining to reach. I also have songs in different tunings so now I can take my trusty old Seagull acoustic and my Ayers on stage as well,  ready to switch songs without having to re-tune. It is also really light and, as I busk a lot, it makes life so much easier to lose a couple of kilos. Also, the case is very light and strong and serves fine as a flight case too. It is a medium priced guitar with a top of the line sound and construction. Good gear makes everything go more smoothly .    J x