High-flying comedian/YouTuber Jaime French releases her debut EP, The Ripple Effect, a four-track collection of songs co-produced by 4-time Academy of Country Music “Guitar Player of the Year,” Tom Bukovac (Ann Wilson, Gwen Stefani, Faith Hill, Vince Gill) at The Smoakstack.
Although The Ripple Effect is intimately personal, it connects on an emotional level. According to French, the EP is “very dark, very raw, very real, but I hope it speaks to everyone.”
Originally from St. Louis, French began creating after receiving a video camera when she turned 12. Her initial focal point was makeup and beauty, but once she realized she had a natural talent for humor, blistering commentary, and storytelling, she changed her focus.
French’s series, entitled ‘If Beauty Gurus Existed in …,’ on which she lampooned influencers, propelled her to fame. She followed with her podcast, analyzing various facets of pop culture, including movie reviews, green-screen sketches, satirizing songs, and sharply funny observations.
French now boasts more than five million followers on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where she has one million subscribers.
French’s leap into music is not surprising, as she started singing in the fourth grade. She sang in choir, while also starring in numerous musical productions. To accomplish the transition, she moved from Missouri to Nashville, immersing herself in the music industry.
Of the four songs on the EP, highlights include “Carry Me,” which explores the idea of sometimes needing help. On this track, French reveals her rich, evocative vocals. Tinted with suggestions of gospel flavors, the sway and flow of the melody are beautifully affecting. There’s a wistful tenderness to French’s delivery – revealing the heart’s need for love.
With its rumbling percussion and resonant layering, “The Hunter” delves into insomnia, anxiety, and emotional trauma. The lyrics narrate a dreamlike tale of sleeplessness triggered by memories.
“She says Wake Up! Wake up! / Can’t you hear the thunder? / Feel the water rising up? It’s sure to pull you under! / Listen to my voice – who am I, don’t you wonder? / Some call me ‘insomnia’ I call myself ‘The Hunter!’”
A personal favorite because of its creamy, undulating motion and potent drums, the title track is the EP’s emotional center. Built on heavy rhythmic pulses and shimmering harmonic layers, it traces the downstream consequences of family decisions across generations. French’s voice floats above the arrangement, adding a gorgeous third dimension to the song’s dense foundation. It’s here that the project’s thesis crystallizes – personal history as an inherited pattern – impossible to fully escape.
With The Ripple Effect, the YouTube influencer swings big and delivers a dark-gloss, splendid remake of pop on her own terms.
Follow Jaime French Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Spotify
Jaime French Tour Dates:
3/29 – Albuquerque, NM – Hyena’s Comedy Club
4/2 – Nashville, TN – Zanie’s
4/16 – San Diego, CA – Mic Drop Comedy
4/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Improv (4pm)
