Jem (Dance)

Born and raised in Cardiff, Wales, Jem Griffiths first pursued higher education at Sussex University, where her academic studies coincided with a growing passion for music. While still a student, she scouted talent for area DJs, promoted local club nights, and played a key role in establishing the electronica label Marine Parade, crossing paths with Lo Fidelity Allstars and breakbeat techno artist Adam Freeland. After shedding her surname and returning to Cardiff, she began crafting tracks independently and honing her vocal technique.

She next headed to London carrying demo recordings, where she worked alongside producer Guy Sigsworth and earned a co-writing credit on Madonna’s “Nothing Fails.” From there she moved to the United States and teamed with hip-hop producer Ge-Ology plus programmer Yoad Nevo, whose prior credits include Bond and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Their sessions shaped her material into a blend of understated electronica and gentle vocals reminiscent of Dido. In early 2002, KCRW’s Nic Harcourt began airing the track “Finally Woken” on Morning Becomes Eclectic, prompting ATO Records to sign her and release the EP It All Starts Here in fall 2003.

The full-length album Finally Woken arrived in March 2004; its single “They,” built around a Swingle Singers sample of a Johann Sebastian Bach piece, reached number six on the U.K. chart. Her songs subsequently appeared in various films and television programs. In 2008 she issued her second album, Down to Earth, which featured the track “Amazing” on the Sex and the City soundtrack.

Although new material was underway by 2009, complications between ATO and Sony stalled progress. She turned instead to side projects, including the digital release “Until the Morning Comes” with her brother Yestyn Griffiths of Glass Pear. Solo work resumed in 2012 at Grand Master Studios in Hollywood, culminating in the 2016 album Beachwood Canyon and its title-track single.