Possibly Jamie: Doing It All For You

Deep in the recesses of pandemic-era Twitter, a series of rabbit holes led me to the account of one Scottish singer-songwriter-producer Jamie Rees. Before I had even heard of any of his influences (Bjork, Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek), the electropop of Rees’ debut single “this body” bled through the wired headphones of my beat up iPhone 6. Today he’s known as Possibly Jamie, self-described as a ginger rights advocate, lesbian ally, and amateur DJ, but back then I knew him as the man who influenced me to download Soundcloud for the first time.

In three words, how would you describe your music to someone that has never heard it before?

Genre-non-denominational pop provocation.

You’ve spoken in the past about trying to feel the concept of your songs before you start making them. How do you go about doing this?

Before I ever record a thing, I usually spend a looooong time figuring out what I want to say and how I want to say it. I think about the lyrics of course, but also the structure, the sounds I want to use, whether I want to eschew classic pop song structure, or if I want to stay true to the format. Before there is a song, there is a relentless thought experiment. Once I’ve done that, I just have to realise that in an MP3 file! Easy!

As a long time fan, it’s a pleasure to see your music improve over time. What do you do between projects to hone your craft?

I step out of the studio for at least a month and I go to as many gigs as I can: both big touring artists and smaller local artists in Glasgow and London. I try and use the time to expand my imaginative limits of music and performance. Also, I think the best inspiration is always found in the club. So I spend a lot of time in the club.

You recently celebrated the release of your new single “I Did It All For You” with a headline show in Glasgow. How do you think your stage presence has evolved from your first shows till now?

I’ve always been a one-man band, for both symbolic and pragmatic reasons, which was HORRIFYING at first because I felt so awkward being the only thing people were looking at on stage. But as time has gone on, I’ve started embracing this and have learned how to carry myself as the sole performer on stage. I’ve also realised that, more than anything, people just want to have fun at a gig, so I might as well just have fun with them. That single principle has helped me shake off nerves more than anything else.

The absurdity of your lyrics, from the entirety of “I love you you stupid fuck” to your latest “Bukkake in the kitchen / I let myself be used,” is something that your audience has come to expect: how do you strike a balance between humour and emotional depth in your writing?

I’m always interested in twisting the cliches of pop music, either by walking them to their logical extreme, like on “I Did It All For You”, or by totally undercutting them, like on “Drug Metaphor”. I think the tension between the expectations of a pop song and the feeling I’m trying to convey is a source of humour, but I find there to be a lot of depth in that tension. I love pop music and I’m always trying to wring out every emotion I can from the format – humour is a tool I can use to do that.

All your projects tend to have a distinct visual identity. How do you go about finding fitting visuals for each song and then executing that vision in photos and videos?

I make 95% of my music by myself, and so I rely on an amazing team of friends and artists to help me create a visual world for each project. I really have to let my ego take a back seat and focus on what makes the most sense for the music. I came up with the idea for the “I Did It All For You” mad libs by myself, but it took a lot of back and forth with Dylan Efinger (graphic design legend and close personal friend) to make sure it fit the vibe and worked visually and thematically with the project. I’m excited for you to see more of his work as I share more.

Any advice for smaller musicians or people wanting to start making music?

Algorithms are not your friend! Do not rely on them!

Are there any future plans for music you can share with us?

There’s a bigger project coming soon, but I can’t give any spoilers. Other than that, I’m still always looking for billionaires to perform for! Any billionaires should get in touch with me ASAP.