Country Pop Rising Star JAMIE MCROBERTS Releases “Just Like I Remember” From Bring Your ‘A’ Game Album
With the ongoing pandemic still affecting the world, it can be easy to despair and feel like you will never be able to enjoy life again. Yet even though some things have changed, there are certain experiences that remain the same. This feeling of gratitude is captured in Oakville, ON country pop singer Jamie McRoberts’ new single “Just Like I Remember,” the first song released from her debut album, Bring Me Your ‘A’ Game, both out now.
Crafted over an arduous year and a half, this album embodies the essence of patience and artistic dedication with legendary songwriter, producer, and music executive Ross Vannelli at the helm for his COA Productions label. Each note, lyric, and melody is meticulously crafted, it is the culmination of tireless effort and unwavering commitment. The prolonged period allowed McRoberts and Vannelli to new horizons, experiment with innovative sounds, and push creative boundaries – without losing a note of the classic country and pop sound.
During this extensive journey, the artist faced numerous challenges, encountered moments of self-doubt, and experienced the ebb and flow of inspiration. However, they persevered, embracing the long process as an opportunity for growth and refinement. Countless hours were spent in the studio, meticulously fine-tuning every aspect of the music to achieve perfection.
Both acoustic and electric guitar riffs open the song before the acoustic guitar takes the lead. The acoustic guitar adds an air of vulnerability to the song’s first verse as McRoberts sings of the long isolation she weathered before things felt lively again.
By the song’s chorus, the mood has uplifted as the singer discusses her relief at being able to go out and experience the natural world as well as the company of other people again. The steady acoustic rhythm and drumbeat add to the lyrics’ resolute and buoyant spirit.
“It was just like I remembered
Stepping out and I can finally breathe
It was just like I remembered
Back to where we wanna be
Like I remembered”
Of the song’s inspirations, McRoberts’ confirms that it was inspired by her experiences with living through the pandemic.
“As a performing artist, our industry was the first to be shut down during the pandemic, and the last to come back. I had to come up with a way to feed that part of me during a time when I was not allowed to be on stage. So, I decided to try my hand at writing and recording.”
In this song McRoberts’ resilience comes through in the song’s final verse as she sings of “troubled waters crossed” and the things lost during the pandemic that she managed to find again. Her vocals are particularly impressive as they soar right before the chorus comes in again.
In fact, the song is given even more emotional weight through its accompanying music video that features McRoberts’ reveling in the outside world. Whether enjoying life solo or observing the world around you, the music video shows that it is still possible to appreciate what life has to offer.
Watch the video for “Just Like I Remember” below and learn more about Jamie via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself?
Hiya! I’m Jamie McRoberts, and singer/songwriter/musician from Oakville, Ontario, and currently live in Burlington, Ontario. I’m also an award-winning actor/performer who has been lucky enough to perform internationally.
Tell us about the process of writing “Just Like I Remember”?
Ross Vannelli (my producer/co-writer/friend) had shown me a bunch of recorded tracks that he had been working on with me in mind. We landed on the track for “Just Like I Remember,” and he told me about the lyrical idea for the hook, which was the idea of remembering the world as it was. As an actor, I love to dive into storytelling immediately, and the idea of remembering something sparked a memory of one of the strongest and most powerful feelings I hadn’t had in some time: being back on stage after the pandemic. I remember the moment when we were finally able to go back to work, and stepping out on the stage was not only exhilarating but terrifying. I was worried heading into it that I wouldn’t remember how to do it, or maybe I wasn’t meant for it anymore after being off for so long… but the moment I stepped out in front of that audience, it was just like I remembered. Everything fell into place and it was like I never left. The light came back into my life and I was ready to celebrate being back in the world.
We used that feeling, that memory, and that celebration to create the lyrics for “Just Like I Remember.” We knew that this was a universal feeling for everyone, at some point, after things started to open up again and life started to get back to normal, or the “new norm”. Let’s celebrate being back to the life we once knew, but also not forget the journey back there.
What’s it like being a musician in Oakville?
I have been taking piano lessons and vocal lessons, basically since the age of 5. I trained as a classical pianist with the Royal Conservatory of Music, as well as taking jazz/pop piano lessons and ensemble keyboard training. I always enjoyed playing piano to the extent that I never asked my parents if I could quit. I was diligent in my practicing and did well in my examinations and competitions but along the way, I lost a bit of love for playing the instrument. I was playing other people’s music, as they had written it, being judged for my ability to “mimic” their tunes. I didn’t enjoy performing in front of people. It came with a lot of anxiety and stress and it didn’t feel like it was for me. I really enjoyed playing songs that I had picked out with my jazz/pop teachers and practiced them for myself and myself only, without the end goal of an exam or a performance, but those moments were few and far between as my focus was getting my Grade 10 piano certification with the RCM.
This process of writing, singing, and playing my own tunes has honestly completely rekindled my love for the instrument. My piano playing is rooted in emotion and expression of my own thoughts and feelings. It is connected to my voice and the things I want to say. It’s for me.
When Ross and I were working on the video for “Having One of Those Days,” which is another track on my album, I got the opportunity to perform in a gorgeous studio on a beautiful grand piano. When we were making edits and watching the video back, I got overwhelmed with emotion. I’ll say it: I cried. I felt a weight had lifted from me and I was able to LOVE playing piano again. Seeing myself singing and playing my own music was cathartic. I love my instrument again.
Who was the first Canadian ArGst to blow you away?
Burton Cummings. My mum and dad liked The Guess Who, and we would hear his work on the local oldies station. I always loved their songs and knew many of them to sing along to. However, I didn’t quite grasp the artistry until I was much older. Wheatfield Soul is one of the album staples that my husband and I listen to in our home. Obviously, Burton’s vocals are immaculate, but what appealed to me more was his piano background. He is also a classically trained pianist! I find it so rare that piano players make it big in mainstream music. It gave me hope that my instrument could also be considered “cool” in the popular music world. Great vocals and skilled piano playing is appreciated!
Side note, he’s also a nice guy. I had the pleasure of meeting him on a flight home from Calgary, we chatted a bit and had a minor dispute over his love of Canadian actor Keanu Reeves. He’s down to earth and has a great sense of humour.
Tell us how you got connected with Ross Vannelli?
My father-in-law is a big Gino Vannelli fan. My husband reached out via Gino’s website in hopes of a birthday message for his dad. Ross responded as Gino’s management, and my husband and Ross began chatting back and forth a bit. This was during the many lockdowns we had here in Canada. I still wasn’t able to perform on stage as the performing arts were the first to go in the pandemic, and the last to come back, and my heart was pretty heavy as a result. So, we set up a meeting with Ross for the next time we were in LA for work, in hopes to chat about recording some covers.
Ross has produced and written songs for Gino and many other artists over the years, I played and sang for Ross, and he said: why record covers? Let’s write some original tunes. This of course terrified me, but I said yes. I’m into saying yes to the things that scare me because it probably means I should try it. I try not to let fear or discomfort of the unknown rule my life. Our intention was to do 3 original tunes. We wrote many and recorded 3.
I had been bitten by the recording bug and felt like a missing puzzle piece was finally in place. After completing the first three songs, Ross wrote well over 30 music tracks during a span of two or three months. We got together multiple times, completed lyrics and we picked 8 more tunes to record vocals and for Ross to finalize arrangements and production creating my first album: Bring Me Your ‘A’ Game. It was an amazing process. Ross and I got along so well, almost immediately. We worked hard, we laughed, and we had many late nights, and yummy meals together. I got to meet his family and his dog, and we not only had a working relationship, but we became friends. I truly think that is how we came up with the product we have. We created an atmosphere together that was safe, creatively free, and fun, and why do it if it’s not fun?