Sydney-based producer, singer and DJ, Karmel Jäger continues to build on the momentum she achieved with 2019's electro-pop jam 'Trafalgar Square' with her newest single 'Nowhere To Go'.
With sultry vocals and mellow, jazzy riffs that touch on the frantic thoughts and frustrated yearning for connection brought through isolation, 'Nowhere To Go' is an upbeat ode to smoky jazz numbers Karmel has labelled 'jazz-hop'.Who is Karmel Jäger... I'm a classical singer turned electronic producer and DJ. Formerly based in London, I've moved back to Sydney and rediscovering my love of all things electronic.
I sound like... An eclectic mix of electronic, vocal dance music. So far I'm producing whatever comes into my head really, and with my music background that could be just about anything. This release I've categorised as jazz-hop, my last one was deep house. The constant throughout all my music so far is my vocals.
My first gig was... Hamer Hall in Melbourne.
When did you settle on your performance name... In 2018. It's just a play on my real name, coz if you Google my real name it's all classical music that comes up. So I needed to change it a bit to separate them out, and to make it slightly less confusing for people. It might have made it more confusing, however.
In the studio I usually... Drink a lot of water. Singers, lol!
If I could tour with anyone... Oh wow, probably Amelie Lens. She's such an inspiration and she comes across like such a fun and lovely person too.
Social media is... Toxic.
My favourite app at the moment is (why?)... Vivino – because I can never remember the name of that wine I like otherwise.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... OMG, which one!? I am a walking disaster. Honestly, I can't really go anywhere without knocking something over.
Last year I was at a single launch for a well-known electronic artist. I thought it would be a good idea to step up on to a table several times throughout the evening to talk to the DJ, who I knew and was playing a great set.
One of the times as I stepped my way back down from the DJ, the top of the table fell off and all the glasses and drinks smashed onto the floor! The room went silent and I hid behind the nearest person and just stood there frozen, as if that meant no one would be able to see me.
The host came over to me and apologised, saying that the table shouldn't have been unsteady; and I'm like 'oh, no, that's ok!' I met Ninajirachi later that night, another role model of mine; she'd seen it happen, so that was a thing.
Life on the road can be... Full on. Tours can be a whirlwind. I've gotten to know some wonderful people really well in the space of a short time while on tour.
You do everything together and as creatives, we open up so quickly and honestly. It's kind of strange to then go back home and not hang out with those people every day anymore.
If you have me on your bill, all I ask is that my rider contains... I'm pretty low maintenance. A lot of water to drink and some snacks, and a mirror.
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... I've had a few scary moments, but one of them was while I was giving a recital as a classical singer.
I suddenly realised, during the introduction of the piece, that I had no idea what my first line was. This, of course, made me lose my breath and totally freak out. I wracked my brain, and somehow found the first word to the song as I was literally inhaling to sing it! To stand on the stage in front of an audience and smile while literally not knowing what's about to come out of your mouth is pretty terrifying.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be a spokesperson for you... Oh, that's an impossible question! Maybe Anna Lunoe. As an Aussie, female DJ and producer who has her own record label, she's everything I aspire to be right now. I also love her cool, quirky fashion sense.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party (why?)... Ricky Gervais, Barack Obama and Emma Watson. How amazing a dinner party would that be?! The stories, the wisdom, the laughs. I wouldn't even talk, I'd just sit there and listen.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? I'm a terrible cook. I just can't be arsed! I guess I'd make my 'tuna surprise'. Named so because it's surprising how often I eat tuna.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... New tunes to mix.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... March, just before they closed them. Listening to music at the gym is the only way I can make myself exercise.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Vacuuming. I just won't do it. It sucks.
Do you have any phobias... please explain? I'm terrified of heights. I feel like I'm going to fall, and I become completely frozen and hysterical. It's happened a lot up when walking through mountains in Europe or New Zealand, which clearly isn't something I should be doing.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? If so, what type? OMG no way! I much prefer to live in real life without anyone watching me.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Oh man, my friend Mish. She got me bad recently and it's payback for sure! But I won't say here what I'll do. I'll post about it later if it works out.
