Sonorous alt-folk virtuoso and ex-Boa frontwoman JASMINE RODGERS shares double-A sided single ‘Icicles’/’Sense’, her sublime work, along with a stunning dance remix by Jojo F
“A wonderful, evocative piece of songwriting” Clash
“As the daughter of a Japanese poet and Free/Bad Company/Queen vocalist Paul Rodgers, it’s no surprise that music pours out of Jasmine Rodgers” For Folk’s Sake
Check out ‘Icicles’ here and Share
Listen to the single on Soundcloud
Watch/share the video to ‘Icicles’ (shot by Jack and Jane Dudd) on YouTube
About ‘Icicles’/’Sense’
Produced by two-time Mercury nominee Dan Carey (Kate Tempest, Nick Mulvey), the infectious melodic resonance of ‘Icicles’ calls on trad sounds of Anglo, Celtic and Middle Eastern origin. Its pirouetted string-pickings, sustained bass notes, measured percussion and mystical ambience form an intimate folksy backing for Jasmine’s gleaming harmonies as she draws the listener into an impassioned quest for emotional rescue.
‘Sense’ shares the same inclination for glorious harmonising and beauteous hooks, but nods towards prime indie/alternative folk purveyors from Suzanne Vega through Natalie Merchant to This Is The Kit. Jasmine’s glistening guitar arpeggios are set to a bold pop-funk groove, while weaving between this strident template the singer contends of a lover: “Everyone needs to be believed, so then why don’t you put your faith in me?”
Producer and 3Starz signee Jojo F’s euphoric remix of ‘Icicles’ is a radical makeover that unexpectedly layers the song atop the fervent rhythms of trance-like EDM. That the resulting version, complete with original vocal and ukulele parts, is so joyously thrilling is testimony to both the vision of the producer and the resilient melodies of Jasmine’s initial recording.
‘Icicles’/’Sense’ will be released on all digital formats on 17 June.
About Jasmine Rodgers
Born into an artistic family – her mother a Japanese poet, her father the legendary vocalist Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company, Queen) – Jasmine Rodgers knew her way around both keyboard and fretboard before she even enrolled at secondary school. But given her love for art and zoology (in which she has a degree), music was initially a passionate pastime rather than a full-time pursuit. This changed when her older brother Steve, on hearing the ethereal beauty of Jasmine’s voice, asked her to sing with him and they formed the group Boa. Boa went on to record two albums, achieving renown in the Americas, France and Japan, after their single ‘Duvet’ featured in the anime series Serial Experiments Lain. The group disbanded in 2005, but Jasmine continued her association with the anime/manga genre, writing songs for the soundtrack of Armitage: Dual Matrix, which starred Juliette Lewis.
Jasmine continued rehearsing, writing and recording, releasing an EP of self-penned alt-folk nuggets and collaborating with artists including Indian classical musicians Mendi Mohinder Singh and Waqas Choudhary. She found inspiration for new material in the exploits of her travels (live performances led her from the Royal Albert Hall to the Venice Biennale and the Edinburgh Fringe). It was one such journey to the Joshua Tree desert in California that inspired Jasmine to capture the best of her material on a full-length album. She enlisted producer Sean Genockey (Tom McRae, Futureheads), whose experience working at Joshua Tree’s Rancho de la Luna studio made him ideal for bringing forth the material’s widescreen yet rootsy vibe. Blood Red Sun, to be released later in 2016, was recorded at Black Dog Studios in London and is the sound of an exceptional artist drawing deep from global musical experiences to craft a set of inventive, euphonious 21st-century folk.
See Jasmine Rodgers live
Wednesday 20 April: The Bedford, London SW12
Tuesday 7 June: Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, London E8
Tuesday 14 June: The Finsbury, London N4 (Official single launch)
Saturday 6 August: Cambridge Rock Festival
Links
www.jasminerodgers.com
www.facebook.com/jasminerodgersmusic
@JRodgersmusic