For many of us COVID has driven a wedge between individuals and left a sense of isolation festering away within us. However, for Gem this global pandemic has actually brought her home and allowed her to spend much more time with family than she otherwise would have.
Originally from Sydney, but now based out of Los Angeles, Gem is an electro-pop music producer who has been making big waves since relocating to the US. Shortly after arriving In the US Gem was placed on a top five list of female producers, was selected for the Grammy NEXT program and performed at both the Emmy Awards pre-party and both the New York and Miami Pride Festival. With all of these accomplishments accumulating so rapidly Gem told City Hub she was “pinching myself after seeing my name on a list with one of my lifelong heroes Linda Perry.”
With all of this success you might ask why would Gem return to Australia? Well the return was only meant to be a short fly in fly out trip for a performance at the Melbourne Grand Prix, but then the global pandemic hit and she decided Australia was the safest place to be.
“It felt so surreal,” explained Gem when asked how it felt watching COVID take hold as she returned to Australia. “I could have gone back [to the US] because I have a working visa but Australia is so safe and so beautiful that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now. I think Australia is doing a really good job handling everything.”
Perhaps the biggest benefit of quarantine in Australia for Gem though has been the opportunity to spend an extended period of time with her family that this has created.
“That is the magic of this moment,” Gem said before continuing, “I’ve got elderly grandparents and to have this time with them is time I wouldn’t have otherwise had, which is really special to me so I’m super grateful for that.”
While she has been here though Gem has continued to work incredibly hard on her music. She has been working “everyday” in her Surry Hills studio on her upcoming record, which fans got a nice teaser of with her most recent single Malibu. Gem has also used the opportunity in Australia to collaborate with up and coming Australian acts they she may otherwise never have been able to work with.
“Just being here. Being available and in being in the right time zone has made a big difference,” Gem explained. “There is so much talent here in Australia. There are a bunch of up and coming artists that I think are incredible. Max Jackson is an emerging country artist who I think is just great, I have a remix that I’ve done of Max’s new song Billionaire. Alicia Brook is an emerging singer-songwriter from the Central Coast. There are just so many people here.”
With concerts slowly returning here in Australia Gem said she is also hopefully that she may be able to return to the stage and perform while here, “Yeah definitely, let me know when! I would so love that.”
Follow Gem on Instagram @gem_rpm to keep track of her new music.
