UPDATE - IMOGEN'S ACT IS NOW KNOWN AS LUPA.
We're very excited to be bringing fresh new indie artist Imogen Jones to the blog!
Imogen is a young fifteen-year-old musician from Sydney (don't you just love good Australian music?) who crafts delicate melodies with thoughtful composition. She comes from a 'classical' music background - she is currently studying at the Conservatorium High School in Sydney - and combines formulaic structure with artful indie vigour.
Her newest song,'Numb', is intricately crafted with catchy electronic chords and short punchy percussion. Her airy vocals elegantly waft over the accompaniment, which lilted back and forth under a deliciously adventurous quintuple meter. It is a clean, crisp song executed with a certain intimacy.
We were extremely lucky to catch up with this talented young girl! Read our interview while you listen to 'Numb'.
How did you get into music?
I got into music when I was in 7 years old in primary school- there was a "junior violin group" that a couple of my friends were in, and I begged and begged my parents until they agreed to let me start learning violin. After a few weeks of playing in that group, I began to find it boring having to play the same simple pieces over and over again, so my mum sent me to a real violin teacher. It was she who really got me into violin and music, and ended up helping me get into the Conservatorium High School (a selective music high school in Sydney).
How did you begin songwriting?
I had my first attempts at songwriting about 2 years ago, shortly after I had started listening to more 'alternative' pop/rock music obsessively. After learning how to play the songs I loved, I wanted to have a go at writing my own. However, it's only this year that I started writing songs seriously.
Who are your main influences and musical heroes?
Well, to be honest, I don't have just a few musical heroes, there's a huge variety- I'd be lying if I didn't include my favorite classical composers such as Beethoven, Bach, Stravinsky, Debussy, Shostakovitch (sic) (and the list goes on)- but in terms of pop/rock music, I'd say Radiohead, Grimes and Florence + the Machine are my current 'heroes'. Florence + the Machine is the first artist I listened to that began to really shape my personal taste in music.
The artists I'm currently listening to the most that are having the strongest influence on my own music are Grimes, Sarah Blasko, Radiohead, Alt-J, Daughter, and Alpine.
What do you think of all the younger musicians nowadays?
Well I go to a school full of young musicians, and the majority of them are pretty great people with their own unique way of being passionate about music. However, we're a very classical-music focused school, so that doesn't speak for the majority of young musicians. I'm actually pretty disappointed with the direction the most popular, mainstream music is heading in (don't get me started on One Direction and Nicki Minaj) but when I found Triple J Unearthed, I was really impressed at the huge number of young people on there making good, interesting music- especially how good some of the other high school kids were. Then again, this is just my personal taste in music.
Where do you want to go with your music in the future?
My ultimate dream is to play in an orchestra like the Sydney Symphony, and on the side release my own songs and do gigs around the place. I'm really keen on learning how to perform in the style of Grimes - using equipment such as a looping pedal and a sampler to create a huge range of layered sounds live. My next current goal is to record and upload a few more songs, and eventually make my own music video.
Check out Imogen's music at triple j unearthed here, visit her on Youtube and keep your eyes peeled for new releases!
