Jane Fraser hails from the working class city of Limerick, home of frank McCourts rain drenched 'Angela's Ashes' and 90's rock band 'The Cranberries’. The only child of a prominent local musician, Jane grew up around live music and developed a keen ear for harmony and rhythm. Having trained as a dancer for a brief time she soon decided her passion for singing and writing music was too strong to ignore!
Musically Jane bears a distinctive honest vocal style that is both powerful and haunting. Citing influences like James Blake, The XX, Bat for Lashes, Tori Amos, Feist and Metronome, her quirky lyrics and soundscapes create a unique and at times dark quality, yet manage to remain rhythmically driven.
We met Jane whilst stood in a queue to buy tickets for 'Brian And Robin's Christmas Compendium Of Reason' (an event featuring Dr Brian Cox to be hosted in Dec 2014). Whilst waiting in the cold, Jane told us of her love for Brian and how one day, he would fall in love with her and they would marry and have many babies together.....before she rattled on further about her feelings towards the ex member of D:Ream, we jumped in with some questions, here's how we got on....
Please introduce yourself and your music in one sentence....
Melodramatic Red Head making Melodramatic Electro Quirky tunes..
You are also a producer, what do you feel you bring to that aspect of music?
Being able to shape my own songs through production has been the most valuable skill I have acquired in the past few years. It means that your ideas can be exactly how you hear them in your head without them becoming diluted with outside influences.
You played The Eugene song at Ont' Sofa (music Channel) how did this come about and why did you choose that song? (See the video at the end of the interview)
I saw a band I was friendly with Ont' Sofa and though it was really well shot..so I got in touch with them to record "The Eugene Song" because it was the tune I happened to be doting on at the time.
How and when did you decide that you wanted to be a performer?
It wasn’t really a decision, it just was part of me since the year dot. My dad is a musician so it’s in the genes.
How has social media aided your music?
Social media is a way of reaching people with my music I otherwise wouldn’t be able to, especially people back in Ireland who are genuinely interested in what I’m creating, without social media that interest would be much harder to connect with. It is also a great way of making industry contacts because you don’t need to knock on someone’s door now to get their attention.
What is the best advice you ever received and who was it from?
It was from a manager (who shall remain nameless.. I sang for one of his artists a long time ago). He said…"Don’t try to be on trend or emulate what is going on in the industry at any given time. The most important thing is to do YOU because people can subconsciously tell if you are faking it!!"
In your opinion, what is the BEST album/record ever released?
This is really hard! I'll give my top 3!
- Michael Jackson - Thriller
- Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill
- Corinne Bailey Rea - The Sea
Do you own a record that you wouldn’t like to admit you have?
Um…I don't think so..Im pretty comfortable with my musicality!
First gig you ever went to?
Well my mom used to go to my dads gigs when I was in the womb so that was officially the first gig I was ever at I guess..probably the first gig I ever went to alone was to see Prodigy at Witness when I was about 16!
Best show at the theatre you have seen?
Best show I have ever seen "Miss Saigon" in the west end…and a close second would definitely be "The Phantom of the Opera".
Being a fellow ‘Ginge’, who would you say is the leader of the movement?
Orphan Annie - a positive role model gingers the world over..growing up a ginge is not for the faint hearted and Annie was a proper warrior!
Name three people (alive, dead or fictional) that you would like as dinner party guests?
Brian Cox (I love him), Stephen Fry and Amy Winehouse.
Who would you like to know has your music on their iPod, MP3 or cassette walkman?
Feist, Samantha Goddard from Bat for Lashes…Damon Albarn, the guy is a genius, Kat Power.
There are many good bands and musicians out there, who would you ask the readers of musicmuso to look out for?
The Hics . saw these guys at gig two weeks ago and they blew me away. Ella Chi - She has a voice that I could listen to forever.
Some acts I am working with at the moment in different capacities are;
Brooke Jazz Lawrence, Five Grand Stereo and D'lys ….(yes that was a shameless plug!)
Do you think we can ever live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without having its motives questioned?
No.
A question you posted on twitter is “if you weren't you, would you hang out with you?” What is YOUR answer to that?
I think yeah, I would hang out with me but probably in an acquaintance capacity rather then a bestie, I'm not very available with what Im doing with my life these days and I'm into quality not quantity when it comes to besties!
Your musical life has brought you many twists and turns, can you tell us a story or two?
I once saw a middle aged woman, proper suited and booted city worker, take a Didier Drogba style diving header into a floor monitor….that was pretty hilarious!
Another time I saw a man lose both his trousers and underpants on his way to the loo during a gig….it wasn't pretty!
I think most of all my favourite part of living a musical life is the weird and wonderful people I have met along the way….musios are a unique breed that aren't really defined by age or nationality instead they belonging to a transient subgroup of misfits and mad hatters!
What are your plans for 2014?
Release two EP's part 1 and the sequel…shall we say! both are really taking shape now and I have some lovely players on the tracks…particularly bassist Samer Sharawi who is very generous with his skills.
The latter half of 2014 will be focused on plugging the aforementioned…and playing my bass as much as possible (my new favourite pastime!)
Jane had slipped back into her dreamy thoughts of spending the rest of her life with Dr Cox and was starting to make no sense to anyone, we interrupted her trance with a strong coffee and slipped in a few quick-fire questions before she could lapse back into her star-gazing trance....
Coffee or Tea? Coffee and lots of it!
Coke or Pepsi? Neither…I like my insides.
Drum machine or the real deal? Drum machine at a push!
Mac or PC? Mac
Fry up or Sunday roast? Sunday Roast
Lemmy (Motorhead) or Ozzy (Black Sabbath)? Ozzy coz he is friggin' bonkers!
CD or Vinyl? Vinyl
Car or Motorbike? Motorbike ..doesn't give me a gippy tummy
Acoustic or electric? Acoustic
Shower or Bath? Shower
Tattoos or Piercings? Tattoos
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino? Pacino..may be the sexiest man that ever walked the earth
God or Google? Google..again Im not gone on either but I find myself asking google more!
SOCIAL MEDIA
We would like to thank Jane for taking time out of her hectic schedule to answer our questions, we wish her every success in the future and look forward to receiving further news stories from her and who knows, maybe even an invite to what wil be THE wedding of the century (nuff said...)
Interview by fellow 'ginge' Mark Wincott.