Artist Interview: Possibly Jamie
Hailing from Scotland, the artist known as Possibly Jamie has earned the title of "pop provocateur" for a sound that challenges conventions within the genre. Jamie's music is a blend of classical training and self-taught production. The artist's moniker is inspired by a Björk track, and a new EP is set to be released in the autumn of 2025. In this interview, Possibly Jamie discusses creative influences, the new single "FTDJ," and the future of the project.
Tori: Your moniker is inspired by a Björk track. How has her artistry, specifically the themes and sonic landscapes of that era, influenced your own creative journey?
Jamie: She has inspired me in so many uncountably different ways! If I had to narrow it down to one aspect of her artistry, I would say it's that she's not afraid to be indulgent and walk her ideas to natural extremes - she's determined to bring her musical vision to life at any expense. I have endless time for her music.
Tori: You've described your sound as a blend of classical training and self-taught adventurous production. Can you elaborate on how these two seemingly distinct approaches intersect in your music?
Jamie: Classical music theory really helps you unpick what makes pop songs hit so hard. I remember learning to play "We Found Love" on the piano when I was a teenager and would play that chord sequence on loop for ages... surely one of the simplest chord progressions ever but it does teach you a lot about what makes pop music so special.
Tori: You're positioned as Scotland's premiere "pop provocateur". What does that title mean to you, and how do you consciously challenge conventions within the pop genre?
Jamie: I'm very proud of this title! I'm always trying to stay one step ahead of pop trends - whenever I hear a particular sound become popular, my instinct is to ask "how can I upend this sound!" or "how can I recontextualise this sound into my own vision?"
Tori: Your influences range from electronic art-pop pioneers to maximalist pop icons. How do you synthesize such a diverse palette of sounds into your unique style? Are there specific elements from each that you find yourself consistently drawn to?
Jamie: It's always the artists that go all-in on a concept. Maximalism in any sense gets me going, whether it's the performance maximalism of artists like Gaga or Prince or the more abstract sonic maximalism of James Blake. I want someone to show me a musical idea, then stretch it out and wrap me up in it.
Tori: Your music is described as both intellectually ambitious and dance floor-ready. How do you strike that balance between complexity and accessibility in your songwriting and production?
Jamie: This is a difficult balance to strike, and I found the easiest way to do it is by leading into feeling alongside thinking. I always put a lot of thought and analysis into a song before it even makes it to a DAW, but once that's all said and done, it becomes much more about the feeling of the beat, of the melodies, of the lyrics than it ever was about the concepts. The concepts are still there, you just need to FEEL it!
Tori: Having performed at events like Surge Scotland and Kelburn Garden Party, how has the live performance aspect shaped your understanding and creation of music? Do you approach production differently knowing how it might translate on stage?
Jamie: Doing more live performances as my career has developed makes me think more and more about the "liveness" of my music. I started making music during the COVID lockdown, where no performances could happen anyway, so my music was made in a vacuum, potentially only ever heard through headphones, and that's a philosophy I've maintained really up until last year. Now, while I'm making music itself, there is always a consideration to be made about how this can be performed. I won't necessarily allow it to make drastic musical changes to songs, but it is a consideration I make (if for nothing else, so that I can shake my ass more on stage).
Tori: Your latest single, "FTDJ," is called "precision-engineered pop chaos". Can you delve into the creative process behind this track and what you aimed to convey with its sound and lyrics?
Jamie: There are quite a lot of references for this song from within the last year. I started writing it during "Brat summer," it was also inspired by Tove Lo's HEAT and The Dare's album. I tried my best to fuse that sound with my 00's inspirations, like M.I.A.'s Kala and Björk's Volta. But this song is much less about any complex artistic vision and much more about me indulging myself in making an unapologetic, horny, queer anthem. It's really as simple as that.
Tori: You have an EP slated for release in Autumn 2025. What can listeners expect from this upcoming project in terms of sonic evolution and thematic exploration?
Jamie: I think fans can expect the same experimental approach to pop music, but with a more defined edge. The songs on this EP sound more obviously like "pop" songs, but I'm working with a greater variety of song structures and styles than ever before, often contained inside one single track. I don't want to spoil it, but "FTDJ" only scratches the surface of the sound I've been crafting.
Tori: The Glasgow underground pop scene is mentioned as your current landscape. What is it about this scene that fosters your creativity, and how do you see yourself contributing to its evolution?
Jamie: "FTDJ" is, in its own way, a tribute to Glasgow's underground clubbing scene. There are so many amazing queer DJs in Glasgow who are unafraid to brazenly mash genres together in a way that tickles my brain. I can only hope to be part of the cultural feedback loop that inspires those musicians, who in turn inspire me so much.
Tori: Beyond the well-known influences like Björk and Kate Bush, are there any perhaps lesser-known artists or non-musical sources of inspiration that significantly impact your work?
Jamie: My music taste is very informed by trolling through music blogs in the early 2010s, so I found a lot of niche art-pop electronic musicians that way. My two favourites who are still important reference points for me are Jessy Lanza (based in Ontario, CA) and Glassed (based in New York City, USA). Both released albums in 2013 that I have listened to on repeat and memorized every production detail of. I cannot recommend these artists enough if you like boundary-pushing electronic music.
Tori: You've made significant strides as an emerging artist. What have been some of the biggest challenges and most rewarding moments in your musical journey so far?
Jamie: The biggest challenge has been separating the online, branding-oriented person in me with the indulgent creative. It's hard to just enjoy making music in a vacuum when there is pressure to "perform" and create in a certain way that is palatable for online audiences. If I spend too much time on my phone, I lapse into these patterns; that's when I tell my friends to hide my phone from me.
Tori: Your lyrics are described as evolving. Can you discuss the themes and topics you find yourself drawn to exploring in your songwriting?
Jamie: When I started challenging myself as a songwriter, I realised that there were a lot of women in the music world making very sincere emotional music about their experience of womanhood, such as Self Esteem, and you hear much less from a male perspective in that same vein. So, a lot of my recent music has been focusing on the modern masculine experience. You can pick up on it in several moments on my last EP, but it will be even more prominent in the music that will follow "FTDJ".
Tori: How do you see your music fitting into the broader context of contemporary electronic pop music, both in Scotland and internationally? What makes Possibly Jamie stand out?
Jamie: Truthfully, I think I stand out because I am doing a lot of things "wrong," or at least in an unusual way. My sound is very DIY and has come together through a lot of trial and error rather than any technical training, and the same can be said for my songwriting. But whenever I try to do it the correct way and follow the rules, I get so bored. Forgive me!
Tori: With the increasing accessibility of music production tools, what do you believe is crucial for an artist to develop a truly distinctive sound in the electronic music landscape?
Jamie: All you really need is literally any perspective on literally anything. And an irrefutable belief that you are hot sh*t.
Tori: Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Possibly Jamie? What kind of impact do you hope your music will have on listeners?
Jamie: I hope that their parents see my music on their child's playlists and they immediately know something LGBT is happening. My agenda is to reduce worldwide coming-outs to zero.
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