Biography
Jamie Drake is an American a folk artist from Los Angeles.
With a songwriter for a father, a pentecostal church upbringing and the constant moving from place to place all contributed to her music.
Drake’s span of influences are primarily drawn from male singer songwriters ranging from Neil Young to Jeff Buckley to Band of Horses lead singer, Ben Bridwell. With hints of Billie Holiday and Jonie Mitchell, Drake’s voice
is something like a wine that has been waiting for the right time to be opened, and she doesn’t apologize if you can’t quite grasp what kind of earth it came from.
Drake was born in Ohio, and moved to Florida, Arkansas, and South Carolina before settling in Sturgis, Michigan with her family. Her parents were hippies who grew pot in their backyard and went to church on Sunday. Jamie spent most of her time daydreaming and playing a second-hand player piano her mom had bought her when she was younger. Her family was never able to afford lessons but she formed awkward chords on those black and white keys – trying to make sense of it without direction. When the piano fell off a moving truck, it took a couple years for her to finally pick up an old Kingston guitar at a pawnshop in town and begin playing. She learned a few chords and the gift her father had given started to come alive again: she began writing her first real songs.
For 10 years she wrote and sang before walking off the steps of her porch in Los Angeles two years ago, and deciding to start playing around town.
Drake started recording When I Was Yours in the fall of 2008 with producer, Dwayne Larring. The project took a year and a half to complete with it being Jamie’s first independent record. During this time, she became a regular performer at Room 5 Lounge and guest singer at the Hotel Café with other artists such as Brian Wright, The Brother Sal and Sally Jaye.
In early 2009, Drake discovered a gem of a dive called Cranes Tavern. It was a free bar with great sound, a genuine, built-in crowd and music over draw was
what was important. She found what other artists before her (i.e. Lissie, Truth and Salvage) had come to find there; a safe environment for an artist to grow. Jamie set up shop at Cranes - playing monthly shows, hosting events and had an October residency. In the late fall, the idea arose for her to play a year-long residency in 2010. Almost on a dare, she took on the idea and started playing weekly shows in the New Year. The residency has created a bit of a buzz around town from her peers and other artists looking for a place to grow. She plays on Wednesday nights and helps with some of the booking in her spare time.
In conjunction with the year-long residency, Drake was the winner of LP33.tv’s first ever “Studio Fast Track” contest in January of 2010. Handpicked by A&R guru, Michael Rosenblatt (Madonna, The B-52s) to “make a record with the pros.” She partnered with Pledge Music then, to work on raising the funds to help finish the pressing of her album and the campaign was a complete success. She then played her record release show at The Hotel Cafe on May 13th, 2010 and released the album officially on iTunes and Amazon on May 25th.
“On first listen, Drake’s songs are unmistakably good. Upon subsequent listens, they’re brilliant.” – Rockisagirlsbestfriend.com
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