Meet Jetta – a breaking British talent, earmarked for great things by Pharrell. A 24 year old Liverpudlian singer-songwriter signed to Polydor in the UK, who has been tipped as one to watch for 2014 by Rolling Stone Magazine and iTunes and was one of the most talked about performers at SXSW this year.
Creating anthemic songs that see her burst mouth-wide over epic and soulful alternative inflected pop, Jetta has invited comparisons ranging from Florence and the Machine and The xx through to Adele. Her debut EP, ‘Crescendo’, the title track of which is produced by Pharrell, (who has never before produced a British artist’s debut release), is due for release this June.
Check out the video for Crescendo below:
Hailing from a musical family – her mum was in a singer in an Acapella quartet – it wasn’t long before Jetta abandoned aspirations to become an astronaut in favour of the family business. At the age of eight she joined her local choir, and by thirteen she’d taught herself to play the piano. At 16 she divided her time between locking herself in her bedroom to write songs using Logic on her laptop, (a birthday present from mum), and working the dive bar live circuit in Liverpool.
Stints as a backing vocalist for the likes of Cee-Lo followed, before a solo career beckoned. In late 2012 Jetta posted a video – made with friends and shot entirely on her iPhone – for the self-penned ‘Start A Riot’ which soon caught the attention of labels both sides of the Atlantic and led to her signing to Universal.
Now Jetta is set to release her debut EP. From the Blondie reminiscent title track through to the raw and emotive, ‘Can You Hear Me Now’, the ‘Crescendo’ EP nods to the myriad of Jetta’s diverse musical influences – spanning the narrative folk of Joni Mitchell, the eighties pop of Eurythmics and the noughties female empowerment of Destiny’s Child – while paving a decidedly fresh path. An eclectic and alternative antidote to pop homogenisation, it is a testament not only to Jetta’s unapologetic vocal power and her relatable lyrical prowess, but also the individuality of her sound.
