Born into an artistic family – her mother a Japanese poet, her father the legendary vocalist Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company, Queen) – Jasmine Rodgers knew her way around both keyboard and fretboard before she even enrolled at secondary school. But given her love for art and zoology, music was initially a passionate pastime rather than a full-time pursuit. This changed when her older brother Steve, on hearing the ethereal beauty of Jasmine’s voice, asked her to sing with him and they formed the group Boa. Boa went on to record two albums, achieving renown in the Americas, France and Japan, after their single ‘Duvet’ featured in the anime series Serial Experiments Lain. The group disbanded in 2005, but Jasmine continued her association with the anime/manga genre, writing songs for the soundtrack of Armitage: Dual Matrix, which starred Juliette Lewis.
Jasmine continued rehearsing, writing and recording, releasing an EP of self-penned alt-folk nuggets and collaborating with artists including Indian classical musicians Mendi Mohinder Singh and Waqas Choudhary. She found inspiration for new material in the exploits of her travels. It was one such journey to the Joshua Tree desert in California that inspired Jasmine to capture the best of her material on a full-length album. She enlisted producer Sean Genockey (Tom McRae, Futureheads), whose experience working at Joshua Tree’s Rancho de la Luna studio made him ideal for bringing forth the material’s widescreen yet rootsy vibe. Blood Red Sun, to be released later in 2016, was recorded at Black Dog Studios in London and is the sound of an exceptional artist drawing deep from global musical experiences to craft a set of inventive, euphonious 21st-century folk.
Jasmine makes some sensitive folk, with an impressive voice (she gets that from her father). We interviewed her.
What is your all-time favorite song?
That’s really difficult! Probably “Rain song (live)”- Led Zeppelin. It could be “You’ve Got the Love” – Candi Staton, Jimmy Somerville – “Coming”… I really don’t know because it depends on the day, but all of those have pick me up lyrics and elements that I always enjoy.
Which song is perfect for a Road Trip?
My friend gave me a Sun Kil Moon album and I keep listening to Gentle Moon, it makes me think of California, where I was in March. Sound and Colour – Alabama Shakes, because everything is beautiful and strange when you’re on a road trip 🙂
To which song do you like to clean?
Cadenza – How Many Times. Keeps me cheerful.
What’s the perfect song to wake up with?
What’s your favorite artist from your home city?
Well, specifically John Martyn is from where I grew up, Kingston in Surrey, and I only just found this out, because of you, which is kind of cool (thank you). I love his style.
If you could be one artist for a day, who would that be?
Somebody who paints vibrantly colourful pieces, I want to see what the world looks like through their eyes.
What’s the best song to make love to? (…to ask someone out?)
Alt-J Tesselate? Jane’s Addiction – Sex is Violent. Just kidding…no idea.
What’s the most beautiful lyric you’ve ever heard?
“On us all a little rain must fall”, Rain Song, that’s why I like it. It’s kind of comforting, like being hugged.
At which place would you love to play a concert?
I’d love to play old atmospheric venues or ones in natural settings, because the music becomes even bigger and the experience feels deeper.
