Indie-pop songwriter Jerry Williams is here to prove that the seaside town of Portsmouth has the capacity to produce musicians of the same calibre as other, more well-known seaside locations such as Brighton. Releasing her debut EP ‘A Hairdressers Called Sid’ in 2014, the title-track has Jerry telling a story of a night out and how she’s “hung up on a moment in time”. Featuring delicate acoustic guitar playing and cherub sweet, soaring vocals, the song stands up on it’s own as a great bit of storytelling and melody crafting.
Following up this release with the ‘Cold Beer’ EP, pop-hooks and sleek production became the focus for Jerry. Of course, this was an addition to her songwriting and story telling, and this time we get to hear about a boy with a drinking problem. “I locked you out / ’cause you threw up in the sink” she sings, giving the listener a very (and maybe too) descriptive look into her life. Two tracks from this EP (Cold Beer and Boy Oh Boy) came with glossy music videos to match this updated sound, however this direction wasn’t to last.
On her most recent release, the ‘Let’s Just Forget It’ EP, Jerry strikes tellthebell perfect balance between a stripped back sound and pop sensibilities. Lead single ‘Mother’ would be at home on any Little Comets fans’ playlist, all sunshine, joyful vocals and jangle-guitars, yet one of the best tracks on the EP is ‘I’m Not In Love With You’. Again Jerry’s storytelling shines as she talks about falling out of love with someone on top of a full-band backing that doesn’t overwhelm the song. “I’m not in love with you / are you with me?” she asks, pin-pointing that feeling when you know a relationship is ending and you have to resign to the fact.
This last EP hasn’t gone unnoticed, grabbing the title of ‘Best Produced Release’ at the Unsigned Music Awards this year whilst allowing her to tour the UK as a headlining act which included a sold-out show in Portsmouth. With so much achieved whilst being unsigned, there’s no question of the heights Jerry Williams will reach with her music.