Jamie McDell (born 3 November 1992) is a New Zealand musician and singer-songwriter. She was discovered at the age of 16 by EMI Music New Zealand after sending them a

demo tape A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...

of her acoustic original music. Prior to being signed by a major record label, McDell used various

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

outlets to gain exposure, posting YouTube videos – including original songs and

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...

, Twitter and Facebook to get her music out to the masses. She released her debut single, " You'll Never Take That Away", on 20 February 2012, which was certified Gold in New Zealand. Following the success of her debut single, McDell released her EP, '' All That I Wanted – Acoustic EP'', on 4 May 2012. Her second single, "

Rewind Rewind may refer to: General uses * Rewind, the process of winding magnetic tape inside a cassette or a microfilm reel backwards to a previous point on the reel ** Rewind symbol, a media control symbol indicating tape rewind or analogous operatio ...

" was released on 13 June 2012. McDell's debut studio album, '' Six Strings and a Sailboat'', was released 16 November 2012 and was certified Gold in New Zealand. '' Ask Me Anything'', McDell's second studio album, was released 27 March 2015. McDell's third studio album, ''Extraordinary Girl'', was released on 4 May 2018, independently released and recorded at House of Blues, Studio D, Nashville Tennessee. The album featured various country musicians such as

Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier. She is the daughter of fellow musicians, Diane and Bill Chambers, and the younger sister of musician and producer, Nash Chambers. ...

, Bill Chambers and

Tami Neilson Tamara Neilson, known professionally as Tami Neilson, is a Canadian-born New Zealand country & soul singer/songwriter. She is the winner of multiple awards, including the 2014 APRA Silver Scroll Awards and Best Country Song Award; she is also th ...

Early life and career

Jamie McDell was born in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

and brought up in a musical family, with a passion for singing and music. Her father Terry McDell, a New Zealand sailing champion (1972 Yachtsman of the Year) decided the family would live aboard a yacht in the Mediterranean when Jamie was seven years of age. She was introduced to the music of Jimmy Buffett and John Denver and learnt to play the guitar by watching her parents perform these songs on the boat. Jamie McDell on songwriting:

2012–present: ''Six Strings and a Sailboat''

McDell's single, " You'll Never Take That Away", was released to the New Zealand market on 20 February 2012. It was successful on the Official New Zealand Top 40, entering and debuting on the chart at No. 27 on 2 April 2012. The single climbed to No. 11 and spent a total of ten weeks on the chart. The single topped the Top 20 New Zealand Singles chart (which features singles by New Zealand artists) on 30 April 2012, holding the top position for four consecutive weeks. The single was certified Gold on 28 May 2012. Following the success of her debut single, McDell released a 5-track EP, '' All That I Wanted – Acoustic EP'', featuring acoustic renditions of " You'll Never Take That Away", "

" and three other original songs. It was released via EMI Music New Zealand on 4 May 2012. Her second single, "

", was released 13 July 2012. It peaked at number 30 on the New Zealand singles chart. Her third single, "Life in Sunshine", was released 12 October 2012. It peaked at number 27 on the New Zealand singles chart. McDell entered the studio to begin recording her debut studio album in August 2012. The cover art, release date and title for the album, ''Six Strings and a Sailboat'', were revealed on her official Facebook page. The album was released 16 November 2012. It peaked at No. 8 on the New Zealand albums chart. An instrumental version of the album was released on 11 January 2013 on the iTunes Store. Her fourth single, "Angel", was released 1 February 2013. She wrote a song called "Ode to the Lines" for

Global Citizen Global citizenship is the idea that one's identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader class: "humanity". This does not mean that such a person denounces or waives ...

. It was released on 26 July 2013 on the iTunes Store with all proceeds going towards helping those living in extreme poverty. She performed "Ode to the Lines" with

Anika Moa Anika Rose Moa (born 21 May 1980) is a New Zealand recording artist and television presenter. Her debut album ''Thinking Room'', was released in September 2001, which reached number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart and provided two Top ...

at the Global Citizen Concert, held at the Auckland Town Hall on 4 August 2013. Though Jamie began her music career in the commercial Pop music world, she became an independent artist in 2016 and decided to pursue her dream of recording in Nashville. In late 2017 Jamie travelled to Nashville to record an album, solely written by her, with award-winning Australian producer Nash Chambers. She was named 2018 Top Female Artist by the

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and show business club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand enterta ...

at the 2018 Benny Awards.

Discography

Studio albums

Notes

Extended plays

Singles

Charity singles

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McDell, Jamie New Zealand women singer-songwriters People from Auckland Living people 1992 births 21st-century New Zealand women singers New Zealand country singers New Zealand country guitarists New Zealand alternative country musicians