Haven’t heard of Jamie McDell? Think Taylor Swift mixed with New Zealand beach babe and you get Jamie McDell.
McDell is an emerging, talented and down-to-earth Kiwi songstress. Her summery presence and angelic voice can’t help but lighten your mood.
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to experience her performing live at a pop-up show at Albert Park. Wearing converse chuck taylors, dark blue jeans, a wrangler top falling off one of her sun-kissed shoulders, she positions her guitar across one shoulder and exudes an effortlessly cool n’ casual presence. She sat down cross-legged to join us under the rotunda and with a shy smile she introduced herself, before getting straight into it.
Her first song ‘You’ll never take that away’ suited ‘The Edge’ listening population. It’s a catchy summer beat that tells of how she can never be stripped of the things she loves – the beach, a melody and a guitar. She then played her second release single, ‘All that I wanted’; a gentle, emotional piece illustrating a much deeper side of McDell. Then, a flawless cover of Paramore’s ‘You Are The Only Exception’.
It is always refreshing to hear a live performance that outshines studio-recorded versions and that’s exactly what she delivered. She sung from her soul, and showed that she too is another person dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life.
Jamie McDell will no doubt be something to look out for in the horizon of the New Zealand music as her EP ranges from easy-listening, essential summer road-trip tunes to heart-felt acoustic pieces. She caters well for a range of audiences. Check her out on her YouTube channel ‘Jamie McDell’, or support the Kiwi music industry by purchasing her EP off iTunes. Trust me, it won’t be long before you catch yourself humming along to one of her songs on the drive home from Uni...I know I’m guilty!
