Australian singer-songwriter Jamie-Lee Dimes has been writing, recording and releasing new music as well as touring non-stop for the past thirteen months, kicking off 2020 with her politically-charged single, “Release Me”. She hasn’t slowed down since then, either. At the start of March, Jamie also released her powerful song, “Virginia,” and although SXSW plans were ultimately thwarted by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, that hasn’t stopped her from working hard and looking toward the future. With a new album in the works, tour dates on the horizon later this year and even some live streams coming up in April, Jamie is staying busy, and we wouldn’t expect anything less.
We recently caught up with Jamie-Lee Dimes to chat about “Release Me,” “Virginia” and her plans for the rest of 2020. Read the full interview now below!
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself for anyone who might be hearing you for the first time?
I’m Jamie-Lee Dimes, but you can call me Jamie. I like to spend my time between cities and deserts, traveling to find inspiration for my music. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in airports, on trains, in ubers, and on buses, traveling between different cities and countries – usually somewhere between the Californian desert and Australia. I’m a musician, singer, and songwriter, and have been recording new music and touring non-stop for the last 13 months, but I’ve been obsessed with music since I was seven.
What first inspired you to get involved with music?
I grew up surrounded by music. I always had the blues, rock n roll, soul, metal, folk, reggae – everything, really – playing in the background. We always held a lot of parties at my family home, and I was always entertaining someone or putting on a show of some kind. We always had musical instruments in the house, and someone was usually playing them. My parents allowed me the freedom to explore the creative side of myself. I’m extremely lucky. My parents never discouraged me to pursue the arts. They always told me I could achieve anything with hard work and never said my dreams were too ambitious.
I started writing music in my late teens. I grew up performing on stages as a dancer and actress, but I was always drawn to music because I love telling stories and sharing perspectives. It feels good being in your own world, writing songs, and then bringing them to life. I channel my emotions into music as well, so it’s kind of like therapy in a way.
I’d love to talk about “Release Me” – the song hits a really personal, yet very political note. Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired it and what was going through your head while writing it?
I come from a lot of dysfunction in my family dynamics. I’ve always had these blocks in my life, and I wanted to get to the root of the issues. Living in America, with the current rhetoric around immigration, I was forced to look at my own life through a political lens and see it for what it is. I processed my emotions through songs and music – it’s just taken me a while to build the courage to share the result with the world as I wrote it at 3:00am in my apartment in Brooklyn during the 2016 election.
What would you like for listeners to take away from “Release Me”?
I would like to encourage people to listen to the song and reflect on how they may be in the same cycle, so they can break away and accept themselves, free of outside expectations and societal pressure. Once that happens, it’s easier to stick up for yourself and call people out on behavior that may be detrimental to you. I’d love people to listen to the song and be inspired to reassess the way they think about other cultures, religions, and sexes, to make sure they’re treating everyone with kindness and as an equal. It’s something we’re all taught as kids, but the lesson never seems to stick.
Your newest song, “Virginia” falls in line with the political tone of “Release Me” as well. Could you walk us through this track? Why was it important to release now?
The day I had the meeting to set up the release for “Virginia,” twenty-two thousand people were rallying in Virginia over the gun laws put in place in response to the Charlottesville riots. I wish we were at a place in society where this topic was outdated, but it’s more relevant than ever, which makes me sad. It’s so important to have the conversations needed to make change – not just in the media or on a national level, but on a local level. I hope this song contributes to that.
It’s been three years and even today headlines in the Washington Post are talking about Virginia and the rallies that happened in 2017. With the elections coming up and so much at stake, it’s important to reflect. It’s not normal by any means to have white nationalists chanting nazi rhetoric and waving torches and confederate flags. Nor is it normal having a political leader validate their behavior. At the start of the year, twenty-two thousand people rallied over the basic background checks for guns put in place in 2017. Like, really think about that. Religion, race, class – put all that aside. That behavior alone is crazy. Any normal person would be locked up.
With “Virginia” and “Release Me” out, do you have any plans for more new music soon? Maybe an EP or album?
I’m working on a full-length album. I’ve been recording it in Melbourne, Australia in between shows and touring on the road.
Do you have any other big plans or goals for 2020?
I do! The goal is to line up a bigger tour of North America and continue releasing new music. I’m working on my first full-length album and would love to find time to start recording and working on another body of work. I’m always writing and have lots of song ideas I’d love to explore. My personal goal is to find somewhere to live. I’ve lived in so many places that I can’t decide what city to drop an anchor in.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I’m always doing new things and adding new performances, so definitely check out my Instagram as well. Thank you for supporting me! I’m very grateful.
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