Gemma Mewse

If Kate Nash and Lilly Allen had a baby it would be Gemma Mewse (although Gemma is 100 times better :-) This South London girl has already performed at the Royal Variety show and will even be performing at The Camden Crawl?By looking at her, you may be forgiven for thinking that she is just another Britney bubblegum pop idol but don't be fooled this 18 year old can not only sing, but actually writes her own songs too. In 2008 she teamed up with emerging producers/remixers 2Darc Productions and has been writing her own songs ever since. Her talent is very evident on her EP Grounded.?Numpty is a guitar driven anthem about a cheating boyfriend, what makes it sound unique is that she sings it in proper south London accent, so if you're from them sides you'll already know what Numpty means, but if not the song will explain it to you. Either way theres a very big chance that you've encountered a Numpty in your life.?Peer pressure is a very big song, you can imagine people going crazy to it at a festival and singing very loudly (and out of tune) to it, it has a very [Rihanna] Shut up and Drive feel to it, it's very rock meets pop.?Stranger things is a storytelling track and Outside is definately the stand out track on the EP. It's strangely addictive, once you hear it you will literally be hearing it in your head for a good week and singing it to yourself randomly like a crazy person.?The good thing about Gemma is that she's not trying to be American, fair enough we all like American music, but, it's refreshing to hear someone singing (well) in a British accent, because sometimes it can sound a bit contrived. She's not a rich kid trying to act like a 'commoner' and thats why we like her.
- F U Mag

from the cover photo on the cardboard casing of Gemma Mewse’s four track ‘Grounded’ E.P, to the last note of ‘Stranger Things’, runs a blend of material both unique and beautiful. Opening track ‘Numpty’ begins simplistically, with the effortless chord sequence and subtle symbols introducing Gemma’s voice. This song features some stunning harmonies and is a fantastic opening to the short EP, which as a whole carries a touch of pop, encased in indie-rock, and fused with a dash of soul. ?Second track ‘Peer Pressure’ on the other hand jumps straight in with a punchy beat and brasher vocals, whereas ‘Outside’ opens with keys and meets the first two songs somewhere in the middle. It’s this variation within the genres Gemma works with and the cleverly combined use of instruments that make for an EP with a face of being quite simple, something with fantastic potential. ?Her lyrics are relatively straightforward, yet unpretentious, the beats are catchy, but never tire and her voice is strong throughout. It’s raunchy, it’s catchy, and delightfully unique, Gemma Mewse is a talent on the verge of victory

- Messa Music

I recently featured a New Artist Alert on the lovely Gemma Mewse back in May. I've secured a great interview with the South-London songstress which you can enjoy below.??Where did making-music begin for you; when was it you knew that this was your ideal career???I started out as a dancer, when I was about 7 I got involved with an amature musical theatre group and I knew from then I loved to perform and I wanted to be a singer.??Has living in London helped or hindered your aspirations? On the one hand, as an outsider, it seems great for contacts and the amount of gig venues, but on the other perhaps too much competition???Just take 'Empire State of Mind Part 2' [Alicia Keys' hit] and replace any lyric to do with New York with London and that's what it means to me. I consider myself lucky to be brought up here, I love it! So many opportunities and different people. If I lived anywhere else in the world I would move here to achieve my goal. Just like so many artists have and I'm sure will still keep doing!??Where do you take inspiration from when writing your music? How did ‘Numpty’ begin life and where was the inspiration to write it??I take inspiration from how I feel at that particular moment in time. Other times I'll take it from what I see going on around me, whether it's friends and family and sometimes even from T.V programmes, mainly soaps/dramas. After watching I interpret the story into a song and that's how Numpty came about; not from personal experience (lucky for me) haha!??Tell me about how performing on the Royal Variety Show came about.??When I was at primary school our Ex-Head Teacher (Harvey Norton) had pursued a career within the music industry and was after a group of children to use for any future work he had lined up, so I auditioned and became one of the 'Red Hill Kids' Fun times!??What has been the key to getting to where you are now??Determination, passion, patience, drive and learning from experiences.??You name many great artists on your Myspace page as influences including Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash and Bob Marley. Who would you say has had the biggest influence on you personally and as an artist??I wouldn't say I was influenced by anyone, I'd say inspired by them as performers. I remember 3 moments from when I was a kid that really inspired me and want to be a singer: 1) Queen @ Live Aid 2) Britney's snake performance at MTV VMA's 3) Tina Arena @ Royal Albert Hall.??You claim, also on your Myspace page, “I am a movement, get involved!”. What sets you apart from other singer-songwriters???I think modern artists think too much and are all about aesthetics and I'm all for 'putting on a show' but sometimes it's all a bit too much and can be distracting from the main purpose: the music. To me it's a bit of a cover up, a shield and I think people are waking up to it and want a break, natural instead of artificial. ??How do you feel about the music industry in general at the moment? Are you excited or anxious for its current state and future???I'm very excited!!! THE INTERNET!!! Yay for it :) It's such a powerful tool and unsigned acts such as me are using it to our advantage we can get music to millions of ears all over the world without a major label's budget!??What's new for you right now, and what does the future hold???Again, I'm really excited with how things are going for me! One of the songs 'Grounded' from my album has been remixed and signed and getting played at clubs all around the UK! It got released on the 21st May and on the same night got played on Radio 1, also been played on RTE radio station in Ireland which reminds me of some excting shows I've got lined up: heading off over there for a charity concert for Autism which I'm really pleased to be involved with! You can grab my remixes off itunes and check out future shows on Myspace.??Will you be playing in Southampton soon?!?I don't see why not!? Planning to travel outwards in the near future so stay tuned! :) ??Finally, can you tell us a secret??A secret?!.......erm haha not really a secret more of a 'thing' is that I'm tongue tied and I can't roll my R's or poke my tongue out very far haha never stopped me singing tho ;) haha!??As Gemma states in the interview, her music is available to download on itunes, and you can have a listen to her stuff and check out where she is playing on her Myspace page. - Back When We Were Beautiful

There were two stages running on this particular night,some old style punk and some fresh sounds all being headlined by LEVELLERS FRONT MAN MARK CHADWICK WITH AN ACOUSTIC SET. Before he came on though, we managed to catch songs by Gemma Mewse, who had a great sound her band were really tight and i could see heads swaying and bodies moving,the quality of vocals and instruments were second to none it\\\'s was like having your favorite track played on a real expensive hi-fi!! so clear was the clarity which is what you want from a performer,which is the category i would put this young lady in.  - the true London accent shined through the vocal line, on some great pop & heavy rock sounds.  She really knew how to keep the crowds active and sent out a really good vibe all round, and hope to see more of her gigs in the near future! - Concert Buzz

Summer is finally upon us. The top's down on the car, the picnic blanket's out and people are relying on Radio 1 for a soundtrack to their summer. What'll the trend be this year? Do you yearn for the previous mockney-stylings of Kate Nash or Lily Allen? Or how about something similar, fresher, a true London diva? Enter Gemma Mewse, the South-London songstress who's infectious latest song 'Numpty' is currently stuck in my head.??Mewse has spent months "debuting her hard hitting, socially aware pop/rock songs" in and around London and, with her debut album planned for public consumption in the Autumn, is looking to get out on tour further afield. She's also signed up for the 2010 'Camden Crawl' Weekend thanks to her winning best new song at the ETAs. Phew, a busy girl. And definitely one to look out for.??Numpty, available to hear in full on her Myspace page, tells the tale of a cheating partner; "on your bike son, leave now, don't let the door hit you on your way-out", and gives a great flavour of her wicked voice and cheeky lyrics. It's a really funky acoustic-guitar driven track which showcases the versatility of Mewse's voice and I can hear its rousing chorus rising high above the fields of Pilton at the UK's prestigious Glastonbury Festival (surely) next year.

??You can catch Gemma on the road:
??2 Jun 2010 - REGAL ROOM @THE DISTILLERS
London ?17 Jun 2010 - THE LOUNGE
Bromley ?2 Jul 2010 - WOODLANDS
Salisbury?7 Jul 2010 - THE HORN OF PLENTY
St Albans?8 Aug 2010 - SKYLARK SHOWGROUND HELP FOR HEROES FESTIVAL
Cambridgeshire ?10 Aug 2010 - RONNIE SCOTTS CLUB London??

Or visit her on her Myspace to hear the full-EP version of Numpty plus snippets of the other 3 tracks here. - Back When We Were Beautiful

The Jamm in Brixton was once again home to a night of local acts followed by a big name headliner. As you may be aware, we recently reviewed one of their gigs that The Pogues were due to turn up to, but unfortunately did not arrive. This time, Mark Chadwick of The Levellers was due to play an acoustic act.. and he did not disappoint!

We arrived to an array of small acts, who were all great, all presented their own merits - unfortunately most of these acts were unknown to us and I still had been unable to catch some of their names to mention. There was alot of variation with styles, some reminiscent of 80s punk - aka Sex Pistols, and others presented some very unique moments which has not gone unforgotten.

Like last time, we had gone along to support our friends, Kenelis, who put on a very good show for all with their brand new drummer who has only been playing with them for the last few weeks. Before they came on though, we managed to catch the last few songs by Gemma Mewse, who had a great sound - the true london accent shined through the vocal line, on some great pop & heavy rock sounds. She really knew how to keep the crowds active and sent out a really good vibe all round, and hope to see more of her gigs in the near future!

Kenelis' first gig with their new drummer now came on keeping their punch alive. The old drummer, Sam, had suffered a bad hand injury and has been forced out of drumming, so he helped Kenelis stay alive by mentoring the new drummer, Ollie, who had done spectacularly well from just a small amount band rehearsals. They played a bunch of ther classics aswell as some new songs, including 'Sick', and they have changed their sound slightly... still in keeping with the heavy feel to the set, they have brought in some more meaningful melodies and taken some of the 'padding' away which has done really well for the music as everyone managed to come across much better. There were a couple of sound issues, which is to be expected at most gigs - but yet the screamer in the crowd came across nicely!!! Overall, one of the best sets we have seen, but after more practise with Ollie and geting more settled down, their career should pick up nicely... and we look forward to when they record their new album!

Eventually, Mark Chadwick came on stage to perform his acoustic act - and keeping that suspense going before getting into his songs, he stood on stage for 10 minutes talking to the crowds, and tuning up... as any good folk artist would! He came across brilliantly with his 12 string and the bassist. Together they pulled out a great groove and all the crowd was delighted. - Gig Reviewer