The hardest thing for starting artists can be the demotivation that comes from not knowing where to start. For female producers, it’s an even harder foundation. According to Statista, in 2022 it was found that women only encompass 3.6% of producers in the music industry. The lack of resources or knowing where to start can be overwhelming, but looking at this statistic makes it even harder for women to feel like they can start in the industry; Hearing from an upcoming voice can be essential to understanding where to start.
Jasmine Foxall is a 19-year-old, singer/producer born in the UK; she is currently working on her first album and has a lot to say to 5678 Magazine.
5678: How did your love for music begin?
I guess since I was very young I’ve always been surrounded in music. My dad’s side are all musicians, and when we all met up there was never a quiet moment- someone would start singing out of nowhere, and then it would set everyone else off. And they took singing Happy Birthday VERY seriously. Still do, four-part harmonies and everything, I felt very special whenever it was my turn to experience it. So when my parents first bought a piano for our house I naturally started making songs using it. And then I recorded them on GarageBand, till eventually I switched to Logic when I was 11. The urge to make music for me came as naturally as sleeping. I never really thought about what I was doing it for, I just knew that above everything else, this is what I wanted to do most.
As a woman, the beauty standards in the industry can be draining. With so many female upcoming musicians a lot of worries can arise. With such a lack of female producers, is there a difference in the treatment they face coming into the industry?
5678: As a female producer, what are some worries you have going into the industry?
There are a lot of worries I have. All that I’m sure I’ll be able to deal with but it’s annoying that I’ll have to deal with them at all. I’d say I’ve already experienced the tip of the iceberg. A few people have questioned my ability, and have said I must use a ghost writer. But I haven’t yet faced the criticism about what I look like yet. When you’re a woman, eventually the focus comes to your appearance, no matter how talented you are, no matter how successful you are. I’d say a successful woman is more at risk of these comments, even. People hate it, and I never understood it.
With the discouragement that comes with buying a lot of equipment and having to learn a completely new software, Jasmine gives her opinion on the best ways to start your own music.
5678: What advice would you give to someone trying to start production?
There’s a misconception that to get into production you need all this gear, a studio reservation, all of this stuff that will leave you even more broke than finishing uni, but it’s not true. I saw Steve Lacy records all his stuff on his phone. Personally, I don’t think I’d have the patience for that so I just use Logic on my laptop to avoid fiddling around so much. But you can make something that sounds good using a phone if you put your mind to it. And learn how get the balance right. EQing, mixing and mastering, learning about these things will save you the trauma of playing your song out a different speaker and it sounding terrible
5678: So, what’s next for your career? What are your plans?
The album I’m going to be working on over the summer is something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now. I’d been debating whether it was right of me to speak on these things, or whether I was just unearthing something that didn’t need to be unearthed. But I’m an artist, and an artist speaks their truth so I don’t see why I shouldn’t be allowed to do that. I think I’ve been trying to be the bigger person for all this time, when really I’ve just been holding back. So I’m going to talk about these things once, and let people decide for themselves what it’s about. All that matters is that people heard it. There’ll be some lighter things too though, don’t get me wrong. This album showcases the different sides of me, the happiness, the frustration, everything in between. I just want to be as honest as I can be
