I’ve been enjoying New Zealand singer-songwriter Jamie McDell’s album Extraordinary Girl so much that I haven’t wanted to stop listening long enough to write about it … which is why the premiere of the video of her new single, ‘Running Now’, has presented the opportunity for an excellent compromise (of sorts).
The album was recorded in Nashville in 2017. Says McDell: ‘Nashville was me getting out of my comfort zone and finding my way back to it. I like to write songs quickly and alone and quite frankly when I feel like it, and I think being away from home helped me get back to that headspace.
‘The listener is getting a sincerely true collection of stories that haven’t been tampered with since they were written. They are exactly what I felt like saying/singing at the time – raw, unpolished and deeply honest.’
McDell lives in Auckland and recently toured Australia with Busby Marou. If you missed her , however, start with ‘Running Now’, fall in love with her voice, her lyrics and her sound, then you’ll soon find yourself running to the album.
Extraordinary Girl is out now.