Feature: Jem Cassar-Daley - tattoos used to come off in the pool
Growth is a key tenet of tattoos used to come off in the pool – debut album from Jem Cassar-Daley.
The release reveals itself as an exploration into the journey into adulthood; the ups and downs of relationships, the notion that past experiences make you the person you are today.
While some of the experiences catalogued on the album are her own and others are inspired by those close to her, the entire album is wrapped in her indie-pop storytelling that’s catchy but never disposable, relatable yet uniquely personal and dancefloor-ready yet heartbreakingly delicate.
Assembling an incredible lineup of producers for the album, including Robby De Sá (The Veronicas, MAY-A), MSquared (Newton Faulkner, Aloe Blacc), Ethan Reginato (Meg Mac, The Avalanches) and Garrett Kato (Budjerah, Tones And I).
Top of mind was ensuring that, even though the songs were recorded with different collaborators at different times and places. From Sydney to Nashville – the album retained a common thread, making it feel like a complete and compelling body of work.
Cassar-Daley sums up that thread in one word – “storytelling”.
“A song can be like a tattoo,” reflects Jem.
“It can represent a time in your life that should be looked on with fond eyes, even though it may be from a period you don’t resonate with anymore. That’s what growth’s about. I feel totally connected to this album. That was really important leading into a debut album, knowing that this is going to be a body of work that is me. If I reflect in 15, 20 years’ time, I’ll just know that that was from this time of my life…and I had total control over it.”
Jem Cassar-Daley’s debut album tattoos used to come off in the pool is available to stream now via Civilians.
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