Gemma Bradley does a little bit of everything. The Across the Line alumnus now spends her Sunday nights on the Radio 1 airwaves showcasing the freshest new sounds on BBC Music Introducing. Also a musician and singer-songwriter in her own right, her blend of poppy melodies, R&B grooves and signature soulful drawl have helped her carve out a unique position in the Irish music scene. Upcoming single ‘Better’ is a departure from the sugary ‘Obsessed’, leaning into her love of R&B and featuring collaborations with local jazz drummer David Lyttle and Dublin rapper Jamel Franklin. Gemma tells Dig With It about her creative process, straddling two sides of the music industry and why vanilla is a misunderstood ice-cream flavour…
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| Gemma Bradley gets vocal |
What are your earliest memories of music?
Being in the car with my mum listening to different kinds of records – Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae, Bob Marley too, Macy Gray. That shaped a lot of the stuff that I began to write later on. I’ve stuck with the classics but also grabbed some more modern influences, the likes of Mahalia, Izzy Bizu, there’s loads! I do always fall back to those older influences just because they’re great.
Your music marries the worlds of pop and R&B with some more soulful, acoustic elements – are there any particular artists that influence your sound that would surprise people?
One that would surprise people and that I listen to quite a lot is Bon Iver. It’s more of a folk realm but when I began writing, a lot of my influences were folk. I used to listen to Paddy Nash & the Happy Enchiladas, a Derry band which you would not really associate with my kind of music, but I love them! I love what Paddy Nash does, it’s just really great storytelling and songwriting. There’s Billie Marten as well, she’s brilliant. I’m always listening out.
How would you describe your own music?
I would say that my music is sprinkles of everything. Like if you’re gonna make a cake, you take a little bit of everything. There’s a little bit of pop in there because I’m obsessed with hooky melodies that get stuck in your head to the point where you’re a wee bit annoyed, but at the same time you end up loving them. There’s that element of it, but then I’m really into my R&B, like lo-fi, chilled, relaxed vibes because I feel like that matches my personality quite well. Then bits of soul and neo-soul in there too because some of my influences growing up [were] the great singers and songwriters of that generation. You wanna be like them essentially; obviously your own person, but taking bits of them as well. So it’s kind of a mash between pop, R&B and a little bit of soul.
How does a Gemma Bradley song come about? What’s your creative process like?
For me it depends on the song and what mood I’m in. There’s some days I could write and write and the words are just there, then I would start putting that to a melody. Then a lot of the time I’ll play around with a few chords, humming along and singing words that aren’t words to get a nice melody and it grows. Then I’ll maybe think about a concept – I could be watching the news or have seen something happen in life and I’ve felt very inspired. Or even something about a situation that really sticks out to me and write from there. If I’m having to co-write with someone, we have a chat and decide what we want it to be about. It could be influenced by a TV show – I actually did one recently and we mashed together Love Island The Handmaid’s Tale.
Do you find yourself writing alone or co-writing more often?
I usually write on my own, but I’m really finding the benefits of co-writing at the moment. It’s something everyone should try at least once. One, you meet loads of interesting people and two, sometimes there’s things that your brain maybe wouldn’t come up with that someone else’s would and it’s this nice collaboration and harmonious session. I really enjoy co-writing.
Can we expect to hear this Love Island-Handmaid’s Tale mash-up on any upcoming releases?
Maybe! It’ll probably be next year before anybody hears that. You’ll have to wait and see for that one!
‘Obsessed’ has been your most upbeat, summery release so far, but its lyrics hint at something a bit darker. What’s the story behind that track?
A friend had told me about a situation where they’d got a bit of a following and they had fans which was great, but it came to the point where a certain person was just a little bit too obsessed, came to all their shows and even ended up at their house. That’s a little bit scary, so I thought that’s a really interesting concept to write about – infatuation and when somebody can’t see [they’re] crossing a line and going too far.
What made you write that song as very bright and poppy rather than a moody track to match the lyrical content?
What I love doing in my songs is that juxtaposition. I love songs that you can sing along to and you think it’s happy, but when you sit back and actually take a listen, it’s something darker and you’re like, ‘oh!’. It’s like a little sneak attack.
Tell me about your upcoming single ‘Better’. How did the collaborations come about?
I got the chance to work with David through Jazzlife Alliance. He has a great reputation and is insanely talented and we got the chance to write together. It was all done over lockdown, so remotely over Zoom passing ideas back and forth. We created this track I thought was great and he was vibing it as well. We got to the point where we needed a bridge. We didn’t want to change the chord sequence too much because we really like the groove of it, but we wanted a different section that would break it up a bit. We had the discussion that a rap would be good – I can’t rap to save my life! I know Jamel from the X Collective that I’m part of based in Dublin, made up of loads of different creatives. I’d heard Jamel rap before and he has a certain tone and how he delivers his flow, it’s just excellent. I was like, he’s the perfect one for this track and would fit in really nice. I reached out and he was thrilled. He sent over his rap and he just got it straight away. He got the concept and hit the nail on the head.
Who would be your dream collaboration?
I would love to have collaborated with Amy Winehouse, she was such a talent. Essentially she was also a poet. He lyrics are so clever and so raw which is something I think is hard to capture sometimes. I do always have to say Beyoncé because I am a big fan, she is the queen! I would love to collaborate with Sam Fender actually, I really enjoy his songwriting. There’s also an up-and-coming artist called Rachel Chinouriri who is just incredible.
Who are your favourite NI acts at the moment?
Jordan Adetunji is one, and Sasha Samara – really excited to hear what’s she’s gonna be releasing in January. Cherym are really fun, loving what they’ve been putting out into the world recently. Paddy Chambers is a DJ and producer from the north coast and he’s so good at what he does.
Do you find that working in radio broadcasting gives you a different perspective as an artist?
It’s great because I get to see the artist side and the more industry side which I didn’t really know before. I studied music business [Commercial Modern Music at BIMM in Dublin], but you don’t really know it until you’re in it. It really is one big network and it helps to know who does PR on this and how to do an effective press release. It’s really insightful for me as an artist as well. I’m a hands-on person and a like to be involved, whether it’s PR or promotion or social media [since] I’ve been a DIY musician for so long.
How was it returning to gigging at Stendhal?
It was my first proper gig back since COVID – I’d done livestreams and video performances, but it’s not the same as a live gig. I was very nervous, but it couldn’t have gone any better. It was really nice to be back up on the stage again and being able to sing to an actual audience. On Instagram you have the wee clapping emojis, but actual claps were really nice! And having that interaction where it’s not just you talking to your phone. My next gig is happening on 6th October at Voodoo in Belfast supporting the incredible Joesef.
Do you have anything else in the pipeline musically? Is releasing an album in the coming years something you’d like to do?
I would love to do an album, but it is a wee bit into the future. I’m currently working towards more new music, maybe a bigger body of work to come. ‘Better’ is out on 22nd September and 2022 is going to be lots of new music from me.
You’re stuck on a desert island and can only have three albums to listen to. What are you bringing?
Definitely Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not, that was a big one for me growing up, I was obsessed. Still am! Amy Winehouse for sure, Back to Black. And Mahalia’s Love and Compromise album.
What’s something that you’re never asked but would like to be?
I love silly questions. Like cats or dogs, your favourite flavour of ice cream… I have a terrible sense of humour so I enjoy things like that!
Would you like to share your favourite flavour of ice cream?
This is gonna sound so boring but I do just like vanilla ice cream, that was maybe the wrong question! Not because it’s bland or boring, but it’s a classic, isn’t it?
This interview was conducted for Dig With It magazine. It appears in print in Issue 6, which you can purchase here.
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