JODIE NICHOLSON

HURWORTH-ON-TEES’ SINGER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST JODIE NICHOLSON TALKS ABOUT LESSONS LEARNED AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE LED TO SELF-GROWTH

2020 has been a pretty crazy year for me in terms of music, I really didn’t expect it. Jo Whiley played Losing Track on BBC Radio 2 in February and I thought ‘that’s it, 2020 complete’, especially when lockdown hit. Weeks after the announcement, I launched a Kickstarter to release my album Golden Hour on 12” vinyl and it ended up over 250% of its initial target – madness! – and it feels like I haven’t stopped since then.

Crowdfunding and lockdown in general has made me step out of my comfort zone massively with social media. I’ve shown more of my face, experimented with content to try and cut through the noise, and livestreamed for New York’s Rockwood Music Hall and Summer Streets’ Virtual Festival; that likely wouldn’t have happened without the pandemic. I’ve also learned animation, the importance of a plan B (or C or D!) and delved into Facebook Business (a big, baffling world that I never knew existed).

The biggest game-changer has been receiving Help Musicians’ Do It Differently and PRS Foundation’s Women Make Music awards in May – it would have been a very different year without these awards. They’ve given me the opportunity to release new music right through to Spring 2021 with a new EP in the works, (virtually) meet so many amazing people in the industry and work remotely with the phenomenal producer, Tim Bran, (who’s previously worked with Aurora, London Grammar and Rae Morris). It’s been SO cool watching my new single, Move, unfold since its release in September, from class write-ups in the States, to landing a spot on BBC 6 Music’s Introducing playlist and Radio 1 with Huw Stephens and Amazing Radio’s A-list.

This year’s been one heck of a roller-coaster and it’s definitely not been plain sailing, but it’s taught me that even during a global pandemic, loads of things are possible. I’ve gained a huge amount of knowledge and reassurance, space to really grow as an artist and form an amazing support system, despite Covid’s limitations. I feel very grateful.

www.jodienicholsonmusic.com