Weather Any Storm with JEMS

By Sophie Grube

Alternative folk/country trio, JEMS, just released their newest single "The Weather" on January 25th! Following a series of notable performances touring with She & Him as well as a LIVE performance on NPR's World Cafe, "The Weather" is expected to resonate with fans as a powerful fan favorite, capturing the essence of their live performances and getting listeners ready for their highly anticipated album release this spring. After a year of “ideating next steps for the band,” Jems are excited to hit the ground running and own their 2024!

“The Weather” is a song about “trusting yourself and being proud of the goodness that you make and the choices you make that firm foundation for your life.” It is a beautifully emotional song that they hope listeners will be inspired to understand “they are strong enough to weather the storm” that is life. The origin of “The Weather” is a unique and interesting one, as Jems were on their way to Nashville for their first co-write as a band with another artist when Jessica Rotter woke up mid-flight from a very emotional dream. As all great songwriters do, Jess reflected on her emotions through lyrics, writing a poem on the plane about life and all that is going on. When the trio landed in Nashville and met up with artist, Emily Reid, for the co-write, Reid said,” I don’t know if y’all feel like getting sad but I have this so far…” and proceeded to play, as described by Jems, “the most beautiful and haunting progression”. Between the sad haunting music and the emotional poem written by Jessica, “The Weather” emerged.

Before JEMS was JEMS, they were just three friends who loved writing music and sharing their songs. In the mid-2010s, while singing backup for Jess’s very first, “pregnancy-fueled” album, Emily and Sarah Margaret became close friends. Then, in the summer of 2017, on the day of a solar eclipse in Nashville, Tennessee, the band finally released their debut album. At this moment both history and JEMS was made. Whether these women’s inspirations came from the talent and influence of their parents, a newfound love for song discovered after college, or even just starting as a way to process confusing and intense emotions, Emily, Jessica, and Sarah Margaret eventually found each other and came together to form this unique and beautiful sound.

This magical and mesmerizing band of women have created a beautiful friendship over the years since the birth of the band in 2017- Emily Colombier mentions “I have enjoyed being a part of a group, that has been the most fulfilling to me- way prefer these girls to the solo journey some artists take.” Demonstrating the bond these girls have and the closeness of the band, “Jems,” itself is an acronym for the names of these women in the band- Emily Colombier, Jessica Rotter, and Sarah Margaret Huff. Be part of their journey as they get ready for a busy year full of new music, filming music videos, touring, and so much more! The band plans to release new music every month until June of 2024 so be on the lookout for their new songs and sneak peek into their full album that is set to be released on June 14th, 2024!