MUSIC

At only 22, she's already landed herself a manager, has supported Kate Walsh and is now hitting the road on a UK-wide tour. Alice Edwards meets local singer-songwriter on the move, Jazz Morley.

So, clearly a good year, Jazz?

Absolutely, it’s been a whirlwind! I only met my manager 18 months ago and I'm in the middle of my third UK tour already. I've met so many incredible people and supported singers like Chesney Hawkes and Kate Walsh. I’ve also been lucky enough to share the stage with some fantastic artists in hugely prestigious venues such as the Abbey Road Studios.

Describe your music for the uninitiated?

Honest. I write about things which affect or move me, so the theme and lyrics of the songs tend to be pretty personal. Some people find it easy to write something completely unrelated to their life but I struggle with that. My music is a way of expressing myself and venting feelings I’m not usually able to get out of my system. Needless to say, my songs have got me into trouble in the past – singing a song about your boyfriend’s best mate is never a good idea when your boyfriend is in the audience!

Who have you worked with so far?

Wow – so many great people. I've supported The Bible lead singer Boo Hewerdine, 18-year-old Bath songstress Gabrielle Aplin, Ben Montague who was awarded Radio 2’s Record of the Week last year, and that’s just a few. I also had the pleasure of writing with the lovely singer Polly Scattergood, as well as Becky Jerams, the woman who pens for Kylie Minogue.

Tell us about your new songs.

I'm really getting stuck into co-writing at the moment – it's such a great way to bring fresh ideas to music and to explore avenues I wouldn't have discovered alone. So there will be lots of diversity in my new music.

What will you play at the Fleece?

Mostly songs which illustrate my failed attempts at relationships as well as a dash of unrequited love! Some are tongue-in-cheek and others definitely have wrist-slitting potential. At the moment my song ‘Parallel World’ is catching the attention of many DJs, including Absolute Radio’s Polly James who said “it’s smooth, has soul, and a lovely jazz vibe with great vocals.”

What are you looking forward to most during this autumn tour?

Meeting more people and seeing new places. Also hopefully winning over a few more friendly faces and connecting with them in some way through my music. It is hard work but I really believe you have to do the leg work if you want to go the distance. “It's a marathon not a sprint” as my manager would say.

You’re doing loads of live radio sessions, how are they going?

Really well. There's never any danger of me drying up – I can talk for hours. I'm doing lots of radio on this tour including BBC Devon, BBC Merseyside and BBC Cambridge. There's something very exciting about being live on air.

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

I'm on tour until the end of October and the next month will be spent concentrating on writing, both alone and with other artists. Time is going so quickly – everything is flying by and I'm trying to capture every second.

JAZZ MORLEY PLAYED THE FLEECE, BRISTOL ON OCT 26. FFI: WWW.JAZZMORLEY.CO.UK