Jules Rendell: An Artist In Full Bloom

Hit the play button, Jules Rendell’s hit you back

Light and lively vocals calling to the melody of hope, with its harmony that you’re sometimes afraid to forever forget.

Yet, surrounded by a solid team, the ship shall never sink in time of hardships: their Lotusbloom EP is the obvious proof of this success.

The EP starts off with this funky, groovy and catchy tune ‘Destination, setting the tone of this album: providing an inspirational message.

Quoting Janelle Monae: « We’re gonna keep selling hope ».

Talking about hope and inspirational message, ‘Destination’ recalls immediately TD Jakes’ mantra who affirms that to ‘Own Your Own Happiness »

Wrap your mind around the fact that ‘it ain’t about the destination, but it is about the journey »: just enjoy the journey.

While the first track invites you to own your own happiness so you can appreciate your evolution and your arrival to the promised destination

The last track is planting a seed of hope, helping you visualize what you could be ‘One Day’: once you conceive it, you can believe it,

One seed of faith equals a smile on a face: this is the receipe to blossom.

Now, I had the privilege to converse with this highly talented singer and songwriter, based in London.

This interview you’re about to read was one of this unique and precious memorable times as it was a pure and honest moment of exchange.

These moments when you take the time to truly understand a musician, and the journey of this musician to get where he got with this work/music

… These moments are as priceless as the first moments of a rare flower that starts to blossom to exhale its unique perfume:

So, your The Lotus Bloom EP that you’ve done one year ago seems to be a great achievement. There seems to be quite an evolution since the previous release. Does the name ‘Lotus Bloom’ is a kind of reference to that evolution? If not, why this title?

« This is my fourth EP but somehow it feels like the first because it’s the first one I’m truly happy with, 100%. How many artists get to say that? The Collection EP was also good but a part mish-mash of styles and ways of recording.
The Lotusbloom EP was a complete work and done all at once, with pretty much the same band. And it’s theme is ‘hope’.

I like your idea that the title represents the evolution! I’d never thought of that.
I picked the title simply because that was my favourite track and the one that most people latched onto.
It also has a deep meaning – it was written for my best friend, who a few years ago was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue (ME).
She went from being a normal, social, exercising, healthy eating, working (albeit perfectionist) woman, to staying in all day, having a time limit for walking, no social life and not being able to work.
But through the whole process (she is now completely better miraculously! and has just given birth to her first child) she really blossomed as a person – from the darkness came out light.
And strangely, her name Suzanne, in Egyptian means Lotus Flower! That was a complete coincidence, as I’d had the idea for the song before we knew that. »

Then, your EP is somewhat funky, catchy: your band makes it groovy in here. Then there’s your light voice that brings the soulful flavours.Your work and these 5 records led you and your public to successful results as a #Destination, Yet to get there you had to deal with much pressure
And my question is: how did you get with this pressure? How did your team help you manage this pressure? (and why so much pressure?)

I wonder, did this question come from watching, ‘The Making Of The Lotusbloom’ video which is on my website?

[Hmmm maybe so]

« I think all artists feel pressure. My pressure came from wanting to make something brilliant – something that will last beyond me.
Then there’s always the pressure, that everyone feels – am I good enough? Will people like it? When recording,
I was always thinking, “I won’t be able to change this. This is what it will be on the CD forever” haha 😀 but my band and producer kept telling me, “feel the music, enjoy the music, relax in the music, don’t worry about anything else”. They’re right – at the end of the day, you only have to please yourself, and that’s what i did. »

Can you then describe your feeling of performing your EP tracks live, for the first time, after all this pressure while recording?

« I LOVE performing live. It’s way better than recording, though that’s enjoyable too. I love the vibe on stage, the way that a group of you are coming together to produce something amazing – that team work thing. I love interacting with the audience and seeing everyone have a good time, being involved, being touched by the music. It’s amazing and the best thing I do. And my band are incredible so that makes it very easy. »

I would also like to know what kind of vibes particularly inspires your vocals? Is this Gospel, Soul, or Funk? (or Pop)

« Um… I think soul music inspired my vocals the most… and a bit of jazz.
I listen to gospel music a lot and that often inspires the groove of the song but with my lighter voice, soul and jazz come before gospel vocally. In my early days, I was inspired by Erykah Badu, and later on Esperanza Spalding. »

Finally, what are your upcoming plans/projects? Do you still give singing lessons? Are you out performing?

« I’m currently writing lots of songs! And the inspiration to record again is slowly burgeoning 🙂 I’m planning to release some live demos on my soundcloud page and hopefully a video or two in the next few weeks.
My next big performance is on June 28th at the Bedford in Balham. Very excited!
I do teach still, but less and less as other things take over…
My main other thing is running a gospel and soul ensemble called Get Gospel – I think you already follow us on twitter. So I arrange music for that and sing in it. That’s really fun. »

One last note: your song ‘Destination » makes me think of that quote from that man called TD Jake who says ‘it ain’t about the destination’

« Ha! I love TD Jakes. I think this message has been circulating for the past few years…
I actually began writing that song in 2007 but it took along time to get to what it is on the EP.
I think it was actually hearing something Joyce Meyer said around that time that inspired me.
It’s one of those songs from which I always have to remember the message because I get so ‘destination’ focused! So it preaches to me all the time. »

But this is about the Journey. What do U think of it? how can U describe your journey making recording the song The Lotus Blooms and the EP

« Wow, that’s a big question. Recording the Lotusbloom EP was a privilege.
I worked with amazing people and was really touched that they wanted to record with me. It pushed me creatively and technically.
I made great friendships that will last. There were both ups and downs though.
Most of the downs came from financial pressures and being an independent artist.
The recording process was fulfilling and ended with a massive sense of achievement – not just musically but artistically, and as a project.
It hasn’t ended though, as I would love so many people to hear it and be encouraged and uplifted by the songs. That’s an ongoing process! Sometimes we won’t know the impact something like this has on people until we get to Heaven! »

To end this moment of privilege that I could give justice to an artist’s music, let us end this with this final note:

http://julesrendell.co.uk/