Jodie Mellor
I’m super excited to feature Jodie Mellor on my blog once again. Her new single “Central London” is probably the most established single she’s ever released. Jodie has always been an amazing writer but she keeps getting better and better. “Central London” feels like a new beginning and it is probably her best record yet? It is definitely promising.
Congrats Jodie on this release. You are the amazing.
“Central London” is available now !
Photo credit: Emily Marcovecchio
Hi Jodie ! How are you? You're getting ready to release your brand new single "Central London" - how does it feel like to release new music again?
Hi! I’m great thanks. Hope you are too! I’m very excited. This single has been a long time coming for me. I’ve learnt so much since 2020, about myself, the industry and what I want to get out of it and I’m enjoying seeing how that’s impacting things this time around.
What's the inspiration/story behind "Central London”?
Central London is about having a long list of irrational fears and only being able to overcome them for someone you love. The song stems from my anxiety and fear surrounding particular situations, mostly social interactions. I’m a people pleaser, to the point where I’ll avoid any and all confrontation and I catastrophize everything. This includes but is definitely not limited to complaining in restaurants, being late, and talking to strangers (particularly over the phone). Central London is about that person who makes you feel like you can take on anything.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process behind this single? When did you start working on it?
I wrote this song early 2020, and it all started with a voice note of ‘I would drive through Central London for you’. I wrote it pretty quickly after that. It was one of those songs that fell together once I’d gotten the concept and the list of things that I’m scared of made for an easy chorus. I then produced a demo version for a University project which I posted and people seemed to really like it. Fast forward to December last year and I played a live show in Bristol with a full band for the first time, and this arrangement became the bones of this release. Charlie (my boyfriend, producer, and subject of this song lol) then started producing it, taking elements of my demo and the live performance to make the track what it is now. It was the first song we started working on together in our new flat and that’s really special to me.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I think this song is quite vulnerable and the honesty of it meant that I had no hesitations. Sometimes I question lyrics and try to make them smarter, funnier, more relatable, but this just felt right exactly how it came. I knew I had something good with the chorus, and that made me want to put it out straight away. Clearly 2 years later that didn’t quite happen how I’d planned!
What's your favourite thing about this song?
Definitely the chorus concept. I love when a song has a clear concept and it’s definitely not one of my strong points. Singing along to this chorus now I’m still really proud of it. I’m also not one for catchy melodies, and I don’t think I’ve beaten this one yet.
What made you want to release "Central London" as a single?
As soon as I write a new song, I go off the last one I finished. This didn’t happen with Central London. It stuck with me and I always loved playing it live. I think after the live shows I knew that I wanted to get back to releasing with this one. It’s the most pop of anything I’ve done before, and I’ve been holding off on teasing the rest of the song because I think people are really going to love the sound.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
I really struggle with the comparison online. I love consuming other peoples music and one of my favourite things about social media is seeing peoples songs in those early formats, just written in their bedroom kind of thing. But at the wrong kind of time on the wrong kind of day there’s nothing worse than seeing someone where you want to be. It’s quite hard to avoid that. The best part for me is definitely the excitement and satisfaction of finishing a song in a session, or writing that one line that completes an idea. It’s like the last piece of a puzzle. I think I’d actually be quite content with the process ending there, which is why I think I’d love to write more for others.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I absolutely love the platform that artists and listeners now have to share and find music. I love discovering new artists and supporting them and like to think that maybe I’m that person for someone else too. I think that despite this, success in the industry is still inaccessible to a lot of people. Studying songwriting at university and also being online from a young age, I'm surrounded by incredibly talented musicians who struggle to work on their music because they just don’t have the time, funds, opportunities or people there to support them and I wish that wasn’t the case. I love seeing initiatives that tackle this and would love to get involved with some.
What biggest lessons have you learnt since the beginning of your career?
The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to value someones opinion based on who they are as a person and what they mean to you, not on their level of perceived success. I was 15 in label meetings full of men telling me what I should be doing with my career, then I was 19 in lectures being told how to write my songs, and 20 in studios not feeling able to voice my ideas for fear of not knowing what I was talking about. I’ve learnt to have more belief in myself, but also how to take on advice when it’s needed. It’s about having those people around you whose opinions matter.
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