New Zealand singer-songwriter Jamie McDell today releases her latest project, The Botox EP, a three-song EP that showcases her soulful voice and talent as a captivating storyteller.
She earlier released the title track “Botox” in September.
“I wrote the first line of this song one morning looking in the mirror. I grabbed my guitar and it was one of those songs that falls out and you write it whole from start to finish. I was feeling a mixture of overwhelming frustration with some interactions I had observed and also, due to my recent engagement, a deeper level of equality and togetherness in my relationship. I was focusing in on my flaws that morning and as I began to consider the types of cosmetic ‘improvements’ society often insists are indicators of good health, the subconscious voice of my fiancé reminded me of my values; physical appearance is valuable to me sometimes, but of all the elements that inspire my happiness it is at the bottom of the list. I thought of a friend who’s partner had in-directly expressed he might prefer her with some physical adjustments. I have no issue with whoever doing whatever they need to do regarding their appearance, life, relationship if it’s something that is truly driven by them. I think the danger is when we silence our instincts and begin to change ourselves and compromise our values because a significant other has convinced you, you need fixing. My imagination carried me from this initial sentiment in the first verse to scenarios that might evolve in such a relationship five years, ten years later.”
“Worst Crime” with Robert Ellis was also released today.
“‘Worst Crime’ was inspired by a conversation surrounding the idea that some of the worst crimes a person can commit are actually the legal ones. Phil Barton, Nash Chambers and I threw around some of the everyday mistakes a person can make that can really hurt people. With that idea in mind, I started off with the first lyric about forgetting your mother’s birthday and then we all basically made a list from there. After recording the demo Nash and I got the feeling it would be an interesting duet, especially if a male voice represented the victim. Top of my list was Robert Ellis, I’d been a fan for years and as a lot of these relationships begin in the modern era we were ‘Instagram friends.’ I messaged him and he said yes! He recorded his vocal in Fort Worth, Texas and completely bought a unique dynamic to the track.”
“Goodbye Ohio”
“I moved to Toronto earlier this year, a completely new environment considering a life spent in/near/on the ocean. A lot of people move here and I had hoped I’d, therefore, be able to draw some stories out of some travelers and I guess this was one of those days. I was coming back from a write on the subway so I had my guitar with me which can often lead to conversations with strangers. This particular woman looked around 65-70 years old, she told me she used to play in a band back ‘on the other side’ which stuck in my head, though at the time I didn’t ask. I thought about it later that evening and decided she meant America, on the other side of the Great Lakes. I’m still learning the geography of this area so I looked at a map and I saw Ohio and the melody rang in my head and it felt like the story wrote itself from there.”
Listen to The Botox EP.
McDell signed with EMI at 16, has received several award nominations, winning Best Pop Album of 2013 by NZ Music Award for her debut album “Six Strings and a Sailboat,” which also achieved Gold sales. Music from her sophomore album can be heard on the popular TV show Pretty Little Liars.
Earllier this year she independently released her third album, “Extraordinary Girl” between Auckland, New Zealand and Nashville, Tennessee with Australian award-winner producer Nash Chambers. Joining her on the record are country music legends Kasey Chambers, Bill Chambers, and Tami Neilson. For this album, she was nominated for RMNZ Country Music Artist Of The Year 2019 with ‘Paint On A Sign’ and for APRA’s Country Song Of The Year 2019.
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