Biography
"If I'm doing my job, my songs should be full of extreme emotion, because life is extreme. Love is intense. It shouldn't be half-hearted in reality or in song. If love or loss is making an appearance in my music, it should move you like the real thing...Break you like the real thing."
Nashville based artist and songwriter Jamie Floyd holds nothing back in her debut EP Sunshine and Rainbows, co-produced by Brad Hill (Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris), released in March of 2016. She and Brad listened through 20 years of her work to choose songs that would fit the 'take no prisoners' concept of this first effort. The final handful of songs were chosen specifically for their captivating melodies and emotionally outright lyrics. "I always say, 'I'm a non-fiction writer' [laughs] I can't help myself, if it doesn't move me, run me over, slap me in the face--if I can't relate or feel that immediately, why would anyone else?"
Jamie grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, as far south as it gets, surrounded by a family full of professional musicians from New York. The collision of the two worlds made for an interesting array of musical influences that naturally show up in her songs, unique style of guitar playing, and her singing. Her parents, Tom & JoAnn Floyd (two full time musicians who have had a successful band based in South Florida for the last 32 years), introduced her to a eclectic collection of legendary musicians in country, jazz, and blues, including George Strait, George Benson, James Taylor, Trisha Yearwood, Linda Ronstadt, and Bonnie Raitt. To this day Jamie's roots are anchored in the traditions founded by these legendary songwriters, guitarists, and interpreters.
Jamie's career began at 11 years old when she signed her first record and publishing deal with Epic Records in New York. At 18, she made the move to Nashville. While pursuing her artist career, Jamie has been a successful staff songwriter for several major Nashville and California based publishers. In 2013, she started writing exclusively for her own publishing company, Jamie Floyd Music. Most recently, she penned the title track to Warner Brothers Nashville recording artist Ashley Monroe's brand new 2016 Grammy nominated album: "The Blade" (co written with legendary songwriters Allen Shamblin and Marc Beeson). Ashley's heartfelt version has already been named, "one of the top songs of 2015" by NPR Music and The New York Times. The track also features country superstar Miranda Lambert and was produced by Vince Gill and Justin Neibank. Jamie also co wrote "Mississippi Flood" which was featured on Season 3 & 4 of ABC's NASHVILLE. The song is performed by Hayden Panettiere's character ("Juliette Barnes"), and is available on the NASHVILLE Season 3 Vol. 2 Soundtrack!
Jamie has written songs for many artists in both Pop and Country Music over the years, including Ronnie Dunn of the legendary duo Brooks & Dunn, R&B superstar Brian McKnight, and upcoming country and pop acts Kellie Pickler, Natalie Stovall & The Drive, John Martin, Lucie Silvas, Annalise Emerick, and Australian country music superstars Jasmine Rae, The McClymonts & Kristy Cox. Her songwriting success has also translated to film and television, where her work has appeared in hit shows Finding Carter (MTV), NASHVILLE (ABC), The Client List (Lifetime), and Beauty & The Beast (CW Network). She also penned original music for the TV movie Manson's Lost Girls (Lifetime) and the finale and additional music performed by Brian McKnight in Dolly Parton's latest Christmas movie, A Country Christmas Story.
Success as a commercial songwriter has allowed Jamie to now focus on recording songs for her own solo artist project. Among the songs included in her debut effort is her version of "The Blade" - a devastating, bittersweet offering that insists: 'I thought we were both in all the way/But you caught it by the handle/And I caught it by the blade.'
Her special brand of brutal honesty also comes shining through "The People You Knew." The lyric is painfully open: 'I don't even know where you are now/And you don't know what I'm thinking/Or what I've been through without you/We don't even know what we're missing/We let go but we didn't mean to/Oh when the people you know/Become the people you knew.'
The project is also punctuated with songs filled with satire as well as intensity. "The Devil Don't Live In Georgia" is a bit of soul spiked with attitude, offering: 'Got my halo repo'ed/The pearly gates are shut/Give me fire and brimstone/'Cause I can't get enough/No, the Devil don't live in Georgia/He's sleeping in my bed.' The EP's title track, "Sunshine & Rainbows" serves to truly sum up the tone of the project with the underlying theme, shit happens: 'It ain't always sunshine and rainbows.'
In an industry where the current musical climate is what it is, she is certainly taking the road less traveled, with her collection of provoking songs that are void of anything less than high powered, unapologetic candor. "Music is my first language, first love..and Nashville is the biggest chance I'll ever take. I am not discouraged knowing that Country Music is not an easy place for female artists right now. I'm still here writing songs everyday and making music that may not fit the norm, or what is expected... but it fits me. I also think it fits real people who lead emotional and imperfect yet wonderful lives. It is the whole truth and like it or not, I'm not afraid to say it...or sing it."
