Premiere: Jamie Gray – “Break Down”

Jamie Gray is a name you might recognize if you’ve been around Charleston’s DIY and house show scene in the past year or so. She’s a College of Charleston student and South Carolina native who has a really soulful voice. Jamie is also part of Beware of Dog Productions, who have been putting on some great shows in the Charleston’s DIY sphere lately. She plays mostly solo and acoustic sets around town, but she also performed with her friends in Cry Baby last weekend at Dunk Zone. This morning, Jamie released a new song called “Break Down” via 1770 Records.

“I recorded this song in my friend Marty’s bedroom,” Jamie says. “I didn’t really want it to be to polished. I truly wanted it to sound like I was recording it in someone’s bedroom. That experience is so special to me. My entire college experience so far has involved me having very special musical moments in a bedroom. Sometimes it’s me when I am just writing and playing guitar, and other times I am with other people who I can collaborate with and be inspired by. This song is a symbol of that.”

“Break Down” certainly does sound like a bedroom recording, but not in a bad way. The important part of the recording, which is Jamie’s voice, is captured in a very natural way. The gentle acoustic guitar beneath her vocals is turned low enough that it doesn’t get in the way, but is still present enough to accent Jamie’s singing.

“I have been singing since I was really young,” Jamie explains. “My mom was the children’s choir director at the church I grew up in, so that was pretty much where it started. The gospel music that I heard in that environment had a huge influence on me, and it still does today. My mom is an incredible singer, so I really wanted to mirror her growing up.”

According to Jamie, “Break Down” is part of an EP that she hopes to release in the near future, but this acoustic version of the song is not the one that will be released with the EP. Jamie says that she plans to create a more embellished recording of the track in the future, and that she wanted to put both versions out into the world.

Jamie also says that she had a blast performing with Cry Baby, and starting her own band is definitely something that’s on her radar. Extra Chill is in full support of Jamie Gray starting a band.

Listen to “Break Down” below.