London born singer, songwriter and composer, Caroline Jay grew up on a diet rich in original R&B, Soul and Funk, which helped sculpt the sound and songs she performs now – a blend of edgy alternative Soul with dollop of Rock. Her live performances have been compared to a cross between Pink and Aretha Franklin.
Her godmother, the American Soul singer Madeline Bell who performed with Elton John, Joe Cocker, Dusty Springfield and Stevie Wonder amongst others, encouraged and inspired her from an early age. That and growing up on her parents’ record collection from Soul and Gospel, to Blues and Jazz, Stax to Atlantic via Motown helped to shape her first love - songwriting.
Introduced to a piano at 12, the songs flowed ("...although the piano was more of a punch bag for my teenage angst and the songs were shite..." admits Jay).
From her late teens she fronted several London bands whilst also working at various recording studios to learn the craft of sound engineering and backing singing.
Performing live in front of paying audiences from a young age, she’s played notorious UK and London venues including Shepherds Bush Empire, Hammersmith Apollo, East London’s Cargo and Queen of Hoxton, Bloomsbury Ballroom, Ronnie Scotts, and the Jazz cafe to the West’s Notting Hill Arts Club and Cobden Club.
She has collaborated with various Producers including leading UK Garage artist Sunship, and House Electro DJ, Switch, as well as lending her vocals for sessions and events alongside the likes of legendary George Clinton, Omar Lyefook, Stevie Wonder to name a few!
TV work to date has included work on X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, to writing songs for programmes featured on Sky Television and the Discovery channel.
PERSONAL BIOG
Like most singer-songwriters I started somewhere in the beginning, back in the days of secondary school, heart-aches and acne.
I wrote songs fuelled by teenage angst because, like most teenagers, I had an inability to express myself any other way. It was cathartic and much cheaper than going to therapy. My piano was my punch bag and still carries the battle scars. The songs were shite but I was hooked and my passion quickly grew.
Music has been my life since I can remember. I was blessed to have parents who loved music and their record collection was my starting point in music. I grew up on a diet rich in Soul, Rhythm and Blues - listening to artists including Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Aretha, Millie Jackson, Carole King , The Fat Back Band and Led Zepplin to name but a few.
My first gig in front of a paying audience (yes they actually paid), at the ripe old age of 16 is a memory that will forever make me cringe (my Dad said I was great)…but it set me on a path and made me who I am today…
Various collaborations with bands and producers ensued, including 4 years fronting a funk-punk and disco outfit, and vocals featured on two tracks written with UK Garage producer Sunship. These years of working closely with other musicians and producers, has taught me so much, developing and challenging myself, and ultimately helped me to carve out my sound and focus on what I really wanted to produce.
So who am I? A contradiction to some who judge a book by its cover - look a little deeper and you’ll see that I have learnt that what ever I create it’s has to be honest. Like it or not, I keep on writing songs from the heart…songs with soul. I used to run from this to try and fit in with whatever the current trend of cool was - “. . . create something cutting edge” they’d say “if you wanna make it in London” - (bollocks to contrived . . . and to peddling music that’ll be cast aside once we stop riding that wave) - here’s to longevity and good old fashioned soul!