Focus Music Notes. "Out of the Blues". Popular music through the decades

Jess Mills came out of the blocks with her first offering in 2011 with the Breakage produced ‘Vultures’ quickly followed by her debut single proper, ‘Live For What I’d Die For’, both of which set the stage for her career as a solo artist . Jess had previously provided guest vocals for Breakage’s own material (namely 2011’s Top 40 hit Fighting Fire), which led the two to work together in the studio on her own music. Jess also toured the world as the live vocalist for Leftfield while her path to pop stardom was being forged. 2012’s ‘Pixelated People’ went further to prove Jess’s talents as a songwriter. A talent which at every turn is underpinned by her unwavering love of dance music, a genre, both underground and mainstream, that has shaped Jess as a person and musician since as early as she can remember. ‘For My Sins’ is her new single hot from the studio where she’s been holed up writing and recording her debut album in recent months. This new offering, as well as part of the album,...

‘Live For What I’d Die For’ is the first single from our newest star in the making, Jess Mills. Having signed to Island records earlier this year, Jess introduced us to her enticing solo material in April with her ‘Vultures EP’. This impressive package came complete with her cover of The Cure’s ‘A Forest’ and a heavyweight line up of remixes from MJ Cole, Nu:Tone and Photek. Also produced by Breakage, ‘Live for What I’d Die For’ goes further to illustrate Jess’s desire to combine classic song writing with her experiences and influences from her love of dance music, long summers spent in Ibiza and her many trips to the likes of Glastonbury from a very early age.Working together on her solo material, Jess and Breakage drew up a widescreen list of reference points that included The Cure, Portishead, Massive Attack and Radiohead – but knew from the start that Mills's songs would inevitably, absolutely, contain two feelings any seasoned club kid would understand on a cellular level: a s...

There’s a fair chance you’re already familiar with the sublime voice of North London girl Jess Mills since her vocals graced the recent Radio 1 A listed single ‘Fighting Fire ’ by Breakage. Jess’s relationship with Breakage began on Leftfield’s recent comeback tour, where Jess was providing the vocals for the seminal dance act, and Breakage was the support. Bonding over a shared love of Radiohead, 90s drum’n’bass and Depeche Mode they decided to bunker down in James’ South London studio, the place where he’d recently crafted his now infamous remix of Clare Maguire. There Jess wrote and laid down the vocals for his club smash ‘Fighting Fire’. A track that left confused message board chatter over whether it was dub-step, trance or pop music, but that clearly united people on the dance-floor. Like Geoff Barrow’s first meeting with Beth Gibbons, there was magic in the air… And a pact was made to return the favour by producing some of Jess’ own solo material. The result is Vultures, the fi...