Jayme Dawicki

No Milwaukee-area singer/songwriter has benefited more from MTV's aggressive song licensing than Jayme Dawicki, who in the past eight months has lent five songs—one half of her 2008 album Shatter Queen—to different incarnations of "The Real World." Most recently her song "Here I Go" appeared in the January season premiere of "The Real World: Brooklyn." Dawicki plays tonight as part of a bill that also features The Delta Routine, Once The Sun, Leah Jee and the Boys and Heathrow. - Shepherd Express

Jayme Dawicki - Going Underground - MKE

Jayme Dawicki - Going Underground - MKE

Sultry songstress Jayme Dawicki is the total package. Beauty, brains, and musical brawn combine for a sound that is contemporary and cutting edge. Influences ranging from Sheryl Crow to Joni Mitchell are obvious, yet, her original style is undeniable. After going solo in 2005, she released her debut "Standing on a Bridge" that same year. Stand out tracks such as "72 and 1/2 Toyota Truck" showcase Dawicki's talent for incorporating her piano as a lead/rhythm instrument. Introspective lyrical content and solid musical arrangement make for an impressive first release. The melodic and mesmerizing cut "Cold One" shows promise as a possible radio ready ballad. JD has been busy working with producer Daniel Mendez in Seattle at Imperative Studios on her first full length cd. The release date is slotted for March of this coming year. Check her out this Feb. 19 at Caroline's.

- Maximum Ink

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=766261

Here's the dreaded desert-island question: If you had to see
just five local acts at Summerfest, who would they be?

These acts are totally Milwaukee, gut-wrenchingly progressive

and mind-blowingly good.

Here are our picks.

Jayme Dawicki
Genre Pop/acoustic

Who's in it Her backup band includes Tracy Dawicki (harmonies), Jeff Brueggeman (bass), Stephen Gaulke (drums), Joe McIlheran (acoustic guitar) and Tom Robinson (electric guitar).

Summerfest shows 3 p.m. Thursday, June 26, Cascio Interstate Music Groove Garage Stage; 5 p.m. Sunday, June 29, Potawatomi Bingo Casino Stage & Pavilion, part of Chick Singer Night.

After Summerfest 2:30 p.m. July 12 at St. Mary's Festival,9520 W. Forest Home Ave., Hales Corners.

Jayme Dawicki's repertoire consists of singer-songwriter staples - love and heartbreak. But in no way does that reflect her personal life. This past year, the 28-year-old simultaneously planned her wedding and the release of her second CD, "Shatter Queen."

"It was insane!" she laughed. The 2002 Miss Wisconsin released "Shatter Queen" on March 7 this year, then got married in Jamaica a week later. Instead of taking a break, Dawicki is planning a tour behind "Shatter Queen." She's particularly proud of the record because she spent 35 days in Seattle recording it.

"It was an old church that was converted into a studio, and the whole basement was the living quarters," she said. "It was a little scary - there were lots of spiders!"

But it was worth it, she says. "(My) sound was definitely taken to the next level, and my producer (Daniel Mendez) pushed my limits as a songwriter and musician."

Longtime fans and new listeners can tell the difference, but the biggest feedback has come from MTV. Four of her songs are featured on "The Real World: Hollywood." ("Crush" and "Paper Dolls" have already aired.)

Does that mean Dawicki will head to Los Angeles soon? Maybe, "but the beauty of music is you can hop in your car and take it wherever," she said. "I just want to keep doing this for a living."

Dawicki will perform at Summerfest for the third time this year, and she still gets a thrill from it. "I've been going to Summerfest since I was a kid. I can't think of a year that I missed."

She counts Pearl Jam as her best Summerfest concert ever. This year? Aside from lauding Cascio's support for local music, she's excited to watch Brett Dennen open for John Mayer.

- MKE/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee singer-songwriter Jayme Dawicki has found a niche licensing her songs to television shows. Five songs from her 2008 album Shatter Queen, which she recorded in Seattle with Dashboard Confessional producer Daniel Mendez, have been used on MTV’s “The Real World,” and her music has also been featured on the Lifetime network. It’s easy to see why TV has taken to her songs: They recall the expressive, “Grey’s Anatomy”-styled piano-pop of adult-contemporary starlets like Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. - Shepherd Express

Jayme Dawicki's Polished Piano-Pop
By Evan Rytlewski

The irony of MTV's ongoing music-video purge is that it may have actually created more opportunities for independent musicians than a decade of "TRL" ever did. With so many hours of reality programming to soundtrack, MTV has turned toward small and emerging artists for songs.

No Milwaukee-area singer/songwriter has benefited more from MTV's aggressive song licensing than Jayme Dawicki, who in the past eight months has lent five songs-one half of her 2008 album Shatter Queen-to different incarnations of "The Real World." Most recently her song "Here I Go" appeared in the January season premiere of "The Real World: Brooklyn."

"It's been so awesome," Dawicki says of the song placements. "When MTV features your song on a program, the screen shows your name and everything, and if you go to MTV's Web site, it gives you more information about the artist. It's just so incredible to be watching something on TV and see your name come up and wonder how many people must be seeing that."

The TV exposure gave Dawicki's career a quick boost.

"I've seen a lot more people requesting me as their MySpace friend and buying my album and my songs online," she says. "It's definitely helped build up my career outside the Milwaukee area. I have fans around the country now."
A longtime member and proponent of the Wisconsin Area Music Industry, which opened local doors for her when she won the organization's 2006 award for top female vocalist, Dawicki points to an impulsive 2007 trip to Austin's South by Southwest music conference as the turning point in her career.

"What I learned was, if I was serious about doing this, that I had to take both my music and my business to the next level," Dawicki explains. "At that point I had a CD, but it was just something I put together with a friend without any real production. It was just me singing and playing acoustic. It was what I could do and afford at the time, but I knew that to go anywhere I needed to spend the money on a producer and a full-production CD."

And so for Shatter Queen, Dawicki went to Seattle's Imperative Studios with producer Daniel Mendez, who had recorded with acts like Dashboard Confessional and Duran Duran. At Dawicki's request, Mendez pushed the songstress hard, forcing her to tear apart songs she'd been performing for years in order to reconstruct them with fuller, more pointed arrangements. The resulting record has less in common with the coffeehouse confessionals of Dawicki's debut than the bright, lavish piano-pop of Sarah Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson-it's easy to see why MTV has taken to it.

The record's exposure has pushed Dawicki closer to her ultimate goal of being able to perform and tour full-time. "That's what I'm working toward," she says, "and I'm getting there, slowly but surely."

Dawicki plans on touring her way back down to South by Southwest this March, but not before a pair of Milwaukee shows. She plays as part of an 8 p.m. bill at Shank Hall on Saturday, Feb. 7, with Chapman Party of Five, and then at Caroline's on Feb. 24 at one of her regular Chick Singer Night appearances.
- Shepherd Express

Jayme Dawicki and "Love Love"
by: Monica Maniaci

Jayme Dawicki’s new CD,Love Love, is easy, fun, emotional and introspective. Reminiscent of the mid-nineties Lilith Fair boom era when artists such as Joan Osborne, Sarah McLachlan, and Lisa Loeb made names for themselves as successful female singer/songwriters, Jayme Dawicki’s sophomore release echoes the same confident feminism that made those breakout artists so successful. She has a clean, bright and strong voice with catchy lyrics and pop-infused melodies. Those who appreciate good, standard singer/songwriters will certainly find this album appealing.



Whether she is exploring the excitement of young love on “Joe Barry”, or wallowing in the agony of lost love on “Save Me”, you can count on her sweet voice to lead you into the heart of each song. The maturity and modesty of the understated ballads “Take My Heart”, “Battle”, and “Twilight”, further compliment the album as a whole.



Lyrics such as “Feel your insides ache/ Like you’re finally awake/ See me in the sky’s night light/ As our hands lock tight/ See me, something new,” from “Happy New Year” lend an emotional relevance to the simple beauty of her voice. While she is in fine voice throughout Love Love, the album’s first song, “One More Year”, is truly a highlight. The piano, which is featured in almost all of her songs, magnifies the delicacy and beauty of her voice.



While all the songs on Love Love are thoughtfully written and produced, the album tends to feel a bit safe at times; that being said, it is a mighty respectable sophomore album. It is joyful, light, intelligent and feminine—as lovely as the gorgeous Ms. Dawicki herself. - CityGal Magazine

"Shatter Queen" Dawicki returns with "Love Love"
By Bobby Tanzilo

Three years after releasing her debut disc, "Shatter Queen," Milwaukee musician -- and former Miss Wisconsin -- Jayme Dawicki is ready to lauch a follow-up.

"Love Love" is officially unveiled at a rare Sunday, May 1 all-ages matinee performance at 3 p.m. at Turner Hall Ballroom. Julie Moffitt ends a three-year silence to open the show. Tickets are $15 and include a copy of the new disc.

Don't think she's been sitting around all that time. "Shatter Queen" quickly pushed Dawicki and her piano-fueled pop/rock into the spotlight. Songs from the record were heard on MTV's "The Real World Hollywood and Brooklyn," NBC's "Last Comic Standing," the Lifetime Network, in Kohl's Department Stores via the company's in-store radio and on Pandora.com.

Dawicki also hit the road, criss crossing the states, playing Hollywood's The Cat Club, New York's legendary The Bitter End and darn near everywhere in between.

A little over a year ago, she returned to the studio with the producer of "Shatter Queen," Daniel Mendez, whose resume boasts credits with Train, Dashboard Confessional, Duran Duran, Heart and scores for the films "Almost Famous" and "Vanilla Sky."

"The whole project began in January 2010," recalls Dawicki. "(Daniel and I) have a fantastic
working relationship and have become friends, as well. The reason why I love working with Daniel is he never settles for anything less then amazing. He challenges me and pushes me to achieve the best with lyrics, arrangement, vocals and keys. On top of it, he's extremely knowledgeable with the other instruments on the record and is a top-notch engineer and
mixer."

Dawicki and Mendez did pre-production work in Dallas in spring and by June were recording at studios in Austin and Dallas.

"Matchbox Studios in Austin was a perfect location isolated out in the country ... and had a hot tub and pool," says Dawicki.

"The studio had a sleeping area and kitchen so we stayed right where we were recording. Vocals, guitar and sass guitar were recorded at Miles House in Dallas -- another place I was also able to stay right where all the action was taking place!"

Dawicki says that at times, making "Love Love" felt like the high point of her 31 years.

"Vocals were all recorded in one long weekend and it was one of the greatest times of my life! I feel like my voice is the strongest it's ever been and for the first time ever, I just enjoyed every minute of recording.

"The only stress of that weekend is that we had to record all the harmonies in about a 24-hour time period. We literally worked up until the minute I had to leave for the airport! But it all got done. We also got to add a few fun things like sleigh bells on 'Happy New Year' and a megaphone on 'Shout Out Loud'."

The record offers the same accomplished piano-laced youthful but mature pop music as its predecessor, with catchy songs and alluring vocals that easily explain Dawicki's success so far and seem to suggest more to come.

The tunes are often clearly personal, giving Dawicki's music an intimate feel, even when the productions are expansive.

"(The title) comes from a lyric in the song 'One More Year'," says Dawicki. "Basically, I chose it because all the songs are in one way or another about love: first love, an old love, losing love, friendship love, love of life, wrong love, etc. I also like that it is kind of an open-ended title. There is no punctuation so you can take it a number of ways." - OnMilwaukee.com

"Shatter Queen" Dawicki returns with "Love Love"
By Bobby Tanzilo

Three years after releasing her debut disc, "Shatter Queen," Milwaukee musician -- and former Miss Wisconsin -- Jayme Dawicki is ready to lauch a follow-up.

"Love Love" is officially unveiled at a rare Sunday, May 1 all-ages matinee performance at 3 p.m. at Turner Hall Ballroom. Julie Moffitt ends a three-year silence to open the show. Tickets are $15 and include a copy of the new disc.

Don't think she's been sitting around all that time. "Shatter Queen" quickly pushed Dawicki and her piano-fueled pop/rock into the spotlight. Songs from the record were heard on MTV's "The Real World Hollywood and Brooklyn," NBC's "Last Comic Standing," the Lifetime Network, in Kohl's Department Stores via the company's in-store radio and on Pandora.com.

Dawicki also hit the road, criss crossing the states, playing Hollywood's The Cat Club, New York's legendary The Bitter End and darn near everywhere in between.

A little over a year ago, she returned to the studio with the producer of "Shatter Queen," Daniel Mendez, whose resume boasts credits with Train, Dashboard Confessional, Duran Duran, Heart and scores for the films "Almost Famous" and "Vanilla Sky."

"The whole project began in January 2010," recalls Dawicki. "(Daniel and I) have a fantastic
working relationship and have become friends, as well. The reason why I love working with Daniel is he never settles for anything less then amazing. He challenges me and pushes me to achieve the best with lyrics, arrangement, vocals and keys. On top of it, he's extremely knowledgeable with the other instruments on the record and is a top-notch engineer and
mixer."

Dawicki and Mendez did pre-production work in Dallas in spring and by June were recording at studios in Austin and Dallas.

"Matchbox Studios in Austin was a perfect location isolated out in the country ... and had a hot tub and pool," says Dawicki.

"The studio had a sleeping area and kitchen so we stayed right where we were recording. Vocals, guitar and sass guitar were recorded at Miles House in Dallas -- another place I was also able to stay right where all the action was taking place!"

Dawicki says that at times, making "Love Love" felt like the high point of her 31 years.

"Vocals were all recorded in one long weekend and it was one of the greatest times of my life! I feel like my voice is the strongest it's ever been and for the first time ever, I just enjoyed every minute of recording.

"The only stress of that weekend is that we had to record all the harmonies in about a 24-hour time period. We literally worked up until the minute I had to leave for the airport! But it all got done. We also got to add a few fun things like sleigh bells on 'Happy New Year' and a megaphone on 'Shout Out Loud'."

The record offers the same accomplished piano-laced youthful but mature pop music as its predecessor, with catchy songs and alluring vocals that easily explain Dawicki's success so far and seem to suggest more to come.

The tunes are often clearly personal, giving Dawicki's music an intimate feel, even when the productions are expansive.

"(The title) comes from a lyric in the song 'One More Year'," says Dawicki. "Basically, I chose it because all the songs are in one way or another about love: first love, an old love, losing love, friendship love, love of life, wrong love, etc. I also like that it is kind of an open-ended title. There is no punctuation so you can take it a number of ways." - OnMilwaukee.com

Milwaukee's Dawicki gets some "Real World" props
By Julie Lawrence

MTV's "The Real World" series is all about roommate tension, controversy, scandal and, apparently, Milwaukee-made songstress Jayme Dawicki.

Last week "The Real World" Hollywood" played her song "Crush" during an episode, and, according to Dawicki, her song "Paper Dolls" will appear in tonight's episode. The song is on her new album "Shatter Queen," which she released this past March.

Dawicki plays Summerfest twice this year: June 26 at the Cascio Groove Garage at 3 p.m. and on June 29 at the Potawatomi / OnMilwaukee.com stage at 5 p.m.

You can read OnMilwaukee.com's interview with her here.

And you can see the MTV clip on her Myspace.
- OnMilwaukee.com

Jayme Dawicki shares "Shatter Queen"
By Maureen Post, Special to OnMilwaukee.com

At 28, Milwaukee native Jayme Dawicki has already accomplished more than most. She was Miss Wisconsin in 2002 and she she opened for the pop-rock band The Fray at The Rave.

And still, her ambition seems to have no boundaries. This March, Dawicki released her first full-length album, "Shatter Queen," as she attempts to carve a musical niche.

On the piano-fueled pop / rock disc, Dawicki leads with vocals and piano and is accompanied by musicians on the drums, bass, percussion and guitar. The album is a blend of upbeat, catchy refrains, vivid ballads and incredible piano work.

Her style recalls Sarah McLachlan or Natalie Merchant as lyrical tones of heartache are mixed into strong notes of hope. Dawicki says the album's lyrics deal with issues of failed relationships and unrequited love.

"For the recording, we brought in a slew of amazingly talented musicians who truly brought these songs to life," Dawicki says.

In hopes of expanding and inspiring her musical career, Dawicki travelled to Austin for the South by Southwest Music Festival where met Daniel Mendez, a producer for Imperative Studios where he engineered and mixed the album. Dawicki spent 35 days in Seattle working with Mendez to record "Shatter Queen."

"We literally ripped my songs apart and re-built them -- lyrics, chords, melodies," she says of her time in Seattle. "Not an easy task but I couldn't be more proud of these tunes. Each piece on this CD came from me -- my struggles and those around me, my voice, and my hands at the piano. I have grown as a musician, a songwriter, and as a person because of this experience."

Her efforts clearly paid off. Dawicki released "Shatter Queen" earlier this month with a performance at the Miramar Theater on Milwaukee's East Side.

Locally born and raised, Dawicki performs throughout the Milwaukee area with yearly performances at both Summerfest and the Wisconsin State Fair.

In 2006, Dawicki was named Wisconsin Area Music Industry's (WAMI) female vocalist of the year and was nominated for best new song for her 2005 solo debut, "Standing on a Bridge."

"I am proud of the work on this CD because it was my first venture; it assisted in getting me bigger gigs and helped garner some awards," Dawicki says.

Dawicki spent two years studying piano performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison but moved to the UWM where she received a degree in Inter-arts -- piano and theater.

Aside from recording and releasing "Shatter Queen," Dawicki works as a private music teacher, accompanies vocal majors at UWM and performs throughout the region.

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/jaymedawicki.html
- OnMilwaukee.com

Jayme Dawicki Celebrates Love
By Evan Rytlewski

Jayme Dawicki isn't the tortured type. The Milwaukee singer-songwriter giggles frequently and speaks in the cheery cadence you'd expect from a former Miss Wisconsin, and her emails usually contain at least one smiley-face emoticon. That chipper personality comes across on her latest album, the happily titled Love Love.

“The album is very upbeat,” Dawicki says. “I'd say all the songs in one way or another are about love. I didn't set out to make it a concept album, but when I really started looking at the songs and what it's about, I realized they're about relationships, mostly, and different versions of love: first love, last love, long love, loving life, having cool friends, love that should not be. I love writing about relationships; that's my favorite topic.”

Dawicki says she was inspired to make Love Love more upbeat than her last album, 2008's Shatter Queen, a more pensive collection of Brandi Carlile- and Sara Bareilles-styled piano-pop, after seeing the response to that album's jauntier tracks.

“People really responded to 'Paper Dolls' and 'Here I Go' from Shatter Queen, so I wanted to see if I could craft songs more in that direction, and I found out I could,” Dawicki says. “I still like writing the more dramatic songs, but it was fun to find out I could do these really upbeat ones, too. There's just something about how people respond to those songs at live shows. You play a song like 'Paper Dolls,' and people get so excited and energized.”

Love Love marks Dawicki's second time recording with Dashboard Confessional and Duran Duran producer Daniel Mendez. This time, she says, she was ready for his down-to-business approach.

“The first time we recorded together we were still getting to know each other, and I didn't know what to expect,” Dawicki explains. “We recorded in Seattle the first time, so I flew out there and we had lunch to get to know each other and see if we wanted to work together, then we went right to the studio and started working, recording a whole verse and chorus of a song.

“That whole process of working with a professional producer and tearing the songs apart and reworking them with drums, guitar and bass was very new to me,” she continues. “This time I was better prepared, so it was probably a bit less scary working with a producer who is so hands-on. That's why I wanted to work with him, though. I wanted somebody who is going to push me and say, 'Hey, this is a great song, but this could be an excellent song if you worked on it harder.' I wanted somebody who was going to tell me the truth and who wasn't going to settle for anything less than the best the song could be.”

Jayme Dawicki releases Love Love with a 3 p.m. afternoon show Sunday, May 1, at the Turner Hall Ballroom with opener Julie Moffitt. - Shepherd Express

By Piet Levy, Special to the Journal Sentinel

The new album by local singer and pianist Jayme Dawicki doesn't come out until Sunday's album release party at Turner Hall Ballroom, but one song from "Love Love" has already reached a national audience: The aching "Take My Heart" was just featured on an episode of MTV's hit "16 and Pregnant."

Dawicki's Sara Bareilles-inspired pop songs, dressed up with lovely vocals and enamored with the highs and lows of love, are a suitable soundtrack for a teen female audience.

Her music also has been featured in "The Real World" and the CW's "America's Next Top Model," and like many musicians today, she's clearly mindful of the power of placement in TV and film. "Love Love" includes a track called "Twilight (I'm Yours Now)," inspired by the wildly popular book series about love-struck Bella Swan and the vampire she adores. With lyrics such as, "I don't have the strength to stay away" and "Like a hundred years you've waited for my lips," the ballad encompasses the spirit of the "Twilight" books in four minutes' time.

The fact that Dawicki's songs appeal to teen girls doesn't make them sophomoric; they're just earnest and highly in tune with their emotions. To ensure that emotional authenticity, Dawicki reteamed with Dallas-based producer Daniel Mendez, who worked with her on her last album, 2007's "Shattered Queen."

Beginning in January 2010, Dawicki said she "did long weekends out by him in Dallas where we were getting arrangements put together," until the album was recorded last summer.

"I was sent with homework every time, . . . so when I brought them back to the table they were already better crafted," she said.

She also used personal experiences to make her songs more intimate. The bubbly "Joe Barry," about a woman proposing to her young boyfriend, is named after a guy Dawicki once dated. "Battle" is dedicated to a close friend who died from leukemia. Dawicki said "Happy New Year," about a woman who reconnects with an old flame on New Year's Eve, only to be abandoned yet again, could have been pulled out of her diary.

"I have no regrets," Dawicki said of the album. "We did everything exactly like we wanted to and didn't settle."

Sunday's album-release show is at an unorthodox time - 3 p.m. - but Dawicki said it's the perfect way to accommodate musician friends who have gigs in the evening and families who'd like to bring their kids or couldn't get away otherwise. The $15 ticket includes a copy of the new album.

"I want people to listen to the album," Dawicki said. "I'm very proud of it."
***
IF YOU GO

Who: Jayme Dawicki

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Turner Hall Ballroom, 1032 N. 4th St.

How much: $15 cabaret seating, (414) 286-3663, pabsttheater.org - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

http://www.jaymedawicki.com/media.html

or

http://www.themorningblend.com - The Morning Blend WTMJ4

http://www.jaymedawicki.com/media.html

or

http://www.wuwm.com/ - 89.7 WUWM Cafe Tonight

http://www.jaymedawicki.com/media.html

or

http://www.wuwm.com/ - 89.7 WUWM Cafe Tonight