Jewel Owusu is one of this month’s Next On artists, and she’ll take to the foyer stage at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre tomorrow night.
We asked her a few questions about her musical journey so far, how this initiative has helped her, and what to expect next.
Live Nation’s Next On initiative supports developing artists by unlocking stages at some of their venues rent-free, removing some of the biggest barriers facing developing artists: venue hire, and costs related to production, marketing, and ticketing.
Suzie: My first question was about your (literal) journey to this point. You’ve lived a very well travelled life from Hong Kong to New Zealand and now Melbourne is home. How does that life experience resonate within your music?
Jewel: I’ve never really thought about it as something separate from the music because it’s just been my normal. But I think moving between different places definitely changes the way you experience people and relationships.
A lot of my songs are about trying to make sense of where you fit, who you’re becoming, or holding onto things while everything around you is changing. I don’t always sit down and write about a specific place, but I think those experiences naturally find their way into the music.
And can you talk a little more widely about your music inspiration or influences? And do you feel that’s changing over time?
I take inspiration from a lot of different places. Sometimes it’s music, but just as often it’s films, conversations, memories or even a feeling I’m trying to make sense of.
I’ve always been drawn to artists who create a really strong sense of atmosphere around what they do. The kind of music that pulls you into a world and makes you feel something, even before you’ve fully worked out why.
My influences are definitely changing over time though. The longer I make music, the more I’m learning to trust my own instincts. I still find inspiration in other artists, but these days I’m probably more focused on following what feels exciting and honest to me rather than chasing a particular sound.
If people could only listen to one of your songs to get a taste of Jewel Owusu, which song would you recommend and why?
I’d probably say blurryeyed. It feels like the closest reflection of where I’m at creatively right now.
It has a lot of the things I find myself coming back to as a songwriter. There’s vulnerability in it, but there’s also a sense of movement and atmosphere that feels really important to me. If someone listened to that song first, I think they’d get a pretty good sense of the world I’m trying to build.
So you’ve been chosen to be one of Live Nation’s Next On artists. Can you share a little about how initiatives like this are helpful to you as an up and coming artist?
Opportunities like this can make a huge difference because they give developing artists the chance to think bigger. When you’re building a project independently, you’re often balancing creative ideas with what’s realistically possible. Initiatives like Next On help bridge that gap. They give artists a platform to reach new audiences, put on more ambitious shows and bring ideas to life that might otherwise stay on the drawing board.
It’s also just really encouraging to have people believe in what you’re doing and want to help you take the next step.
The idea behind the show has definitely been sitting in the back of my mind for a while. I’ve always wanted to put together something that feels bigger than just playing through a setlist. Next On has given me the opportunity to explore that idea properly and bring some of the creative concepts I’ve been carrying around to life.
What should people who haven’t seen you before expect from a Jewel Owusu show?
I think the biggest thing is that I want people to feel immersed in it.
I’ve always loved shows where you stop thinking about everything else for a little while and just exist inside the music, so that’s something I try to bring into my own live performances. There are quieter moments, there are bigger moments, but hopefully it all feels like part of the same story.
More than anything, I want people to walk away feeling like they experienced something rather than just watched it.
And will there be any ‘firsts’ at this upcoming show? For example are you testing any tracks live for the first time or changing something up in the set?
Definitely. I don’t want to give too much away, but there’ll be some new music making its live debut, which is always equal parts exciting and terrifying. We’re also approaching parts of the show a little differently to how we have in the past. Because it’s such a special opportunity, we’ve really treated it as a chance to experiment and push things creatively.
And finally what’s next for you musically? We’ve seen quite a few single releases since your last EP. Is the plan to keep going down that road or should we expect these to come together in a bigger release soon?
There’s definitely a lot of music waiting in the wings.
I’ve been releasing songs one at a time because that’s felt right for this chapter, but I’m also conscious that a bigger picture is starting to emerge. I’m spending a lot of time writing at the moment and figuring out what shape the next body of work takes. I can’t say too much yet, but there’s plenty more coming, and I’m really excited about where it’s heading.