Jamie-Lee Dimes – Release Me

By starrymag | April 1, 2020

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

 

 

 

Q) What was the inspiration behind writing the song “Release Me?”

 

A) I was in New York just after the 2016 election and there were a lot of political conversations on immigration and racism in the media. It got me digging deep into my own heritage and experiences of discrimination. Singing and writing it was a cathartic release

 

Q) Your music touches upon very deep and introspective issues of self-discovery. How much of your songwriting do you feel comes from your own personal experiences?

 

A) The new music is a balance of personal life experiences and perspectives from other people that affect me on a personal level. 

 

Q) The music video for “Release Me” pays homage to the beauty of Australia in the wake of the recent brush fires. How do you feel music plays a pivotal role in helping bring to light such relevant and impactful issues?

 

A) I think this is a pivotal time in history. It’s exciting to be a musician and artist and actually have something important to say and comment on. It helps you move away from the ego and industry side of the business. We get a platform to talk about politics and can openly discuss important topics like discrimination, healthcare and global warming. I always think about the overall higher purpose of what I’m trying to achieve and communicate. It keeps me grounded and in alignment with my values. 

 

Q) With “Release Me” available now, there is also talk of a full-length album coming out this year. What can we expect from this new album?

 

A) The album I’m working on is a cross between my internal world and the world around me. I wrote it between New York, California desert and Mexico while experiencing a lot of endings and transitions in my own life. It has a political edge which touches on subjects such as racism, police brutality, gun laws, and genocide, but also my own self-acceptance and love. I went to Mexico in the middle of writing this album and fell in love. It really opened my heart up, so the music kind of poured out. I think it’s a nice balance that also reflects some life lessons I picked up while in the California desert of letting go of toxic traits, people and pasts.

 

Q) Your new single “Virginia” is part battle cry and motivational anthem. What was it about the events in Charlottesville that inspired this song?

 

A) I just felt utter rage the morning I woke up to the news that hundreds of white nationalists and neo-Nazis were rioting, wearing Hitler shirts and waving torches and confederate flags. It was disgusting and shook me to my core, so I wrote a song to channel my anger. I wanted to have the sound of a church and replicate the sound of mourning in that context, so I originally wrote the single on organ and keys before moving it to guitar. I wanted to write a song for all the people who don’t necessarily have the privilege of having their own platform or a voice in the current climate.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from “Virginia?”

 

A) I hope it opens up a conversation and gets people looking at their own behavior to reassess how they think and treat other people. Hopefully it inspires people to think about how they can use their privilege to help others who don’t have a voice in order to help people get to the root issue.

 

Q) Your last EP Liminality was released in 2016. How do you feel your sound has evolved and grown since then?

 

A) I’ve changed so much as a person since that project. My twenties were the epitome of extremes. I was dancing full-time in New York at a school on Broadway when Liminality came about. I wanted to write a collection of songs that summed up everything I was going through and could be used for dance pieces and film.

 

I think moving to California and spending a lot of time alone in the desert changed the core of who I am and helped me develop my writing. It really helped me connect to my internal world, process emotions, and ground myself. I think being in Mexico for six months also influenced my sound and writing, such as the way I pick and play my guitar. I wanted to have every song start in a stripped-back state either on the guitar or the piano. For Liminality, I always had crazy ideas in my head which translated into lots of noise and chaos in the music. I’m more a touring musician now and your songs grow a lot when you take them to the stage.  

 

Q) You are going on a short US tour this month. Will the tour be focused more on the new album or can fans expect to hear a bit of everything?

 

A) This will be a short tour, but I hope to be back around July/August to tour the whole country. This is more to showcase my new music with a band. Last year, I played a lot of solo shows around the world – coming to America twice, heading to New Zealand and playing in Australia. But this time, with the band, I want it to feel different.  

 

Q) What is your favorite song to perform live?

 

A) A song I haven’t released yet. It’s about being on a mountain above the clouds in Mexico. I went on this ten-hour road trip to stay in a village in Mexico and got this song out of it. It feels really good to play the guitar and sing it – and, now with a band, it has just come to life.

 

Q) Which artists have influenced you the most?

 

A) Many! I would say Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Chelsea Wolfe, Cat Power, Angel Olsen, B. B. King, Ravi Shankar, Trent Reznor and – outside the music world – political figures like Gloria Steinem. 

 

Q) Who would you love to collaborate with?

 

A) Trent Reznor! 

 

Q) What music are you currently listening to?

 

A) I’ve been listening to The Guess Who’s “American Woman” on repeat. I’ve also been getting into old school south blues lately – like Creedence Clearwater Revival and some other blues tunes. Before that, I was listening to a lot of Chelsea Wolfe. I usually get obsessed with things for a few months. I also was really into an Australian band named Waax. They put out a killer album that I love to run to.

 

Q) What would you like to share with fans and supporters of your music?

 

A) Thank you for giving me a platform to speak about things that are important to me! I have a lot of self-doubt and it takes me a little longer to put work out because I look at it from every conceivable angle before I put it out in the world, so thank you for supporting. This is really just the beginning of my career, so I’m grateful.

 

 

 

 

Listen to “Virginia” on Spotify

 

Listen to “Release Me” on Spotify

Watch the Video For “Release Me”