MNZ Interview: Cross Section S03 / E06 – Jazmine Mary

Aiming to dissect the cross section between the creative process and the industry side, Cross Section is an exciting interview series hosted by Shannon Coulomb.

Jazmine Mary returns with their third studio album I Want To Rock And Roll, a luminous and emotionally rich collection shaped by a period of heartbreak, recovery, and artistic evolution. Set for release on June 13, 2025, and recorded primarily at Tāmaki Makaurau’s Roundhead Studios with engineer De Stevens (Erny Belle, Molly Payton, Office Dog), the album explores a duality of harsh darkness and dreamy light through refined sonic textures and deeply personal songwriting. Featuring contributions from long-time collaborators Dave Khan, Louisa Nicklin, Arahi, Cass Basil, and Womb’s Cello Forrester, the album marks a shift in Mary’s creative process—an unflinching yet hopeful body of work born from fleeting moments of clarity amidst sadness.

Known for their arresting live performances and haunting, avant-garde songwriting, Mary has built a devoted cult following in Aotearoa and beyond, with past international tours, artist residencies in France and Thailand, and accolades including the 2022 Taite Music Prize for Best Independent Debut and a feature in Rolling Stone Australia’s 25 Best NZ Albums of 2023. They’ve opened for artists like Kurt Vile, Billy Bragg, and Reb Fountain, and are a key member of the kiwi rock supergroup Atomic!, which toured earlier this year. With I Want To Rock And Roll releasing mid-June and a national album release tour kicking off the next day, Jazmine Mary offers listeners their most self-assured and emotionally resonant work to date.

Your third album I Want To Rock And Roll reflects both emotional intensity and sonic clarity. What did the creative process behind this release look like?

I’m realising there is no clear beginning of the creative process, it’s really woven into the everyday. We spent 6 days at roundhead studios doing a majority of the tracking and thereafter at my studio with some more space and time to allow for creativity without time constraints. I think of that part as the labour. My journey has been a bit of a dance with life and death these last few years, flying really close to the flame, heart breaking and heart opening, I guess that’s what I love about making music and art is you can put purpose to all of that, transform it into something. In short it was very rich, colourful and messy.

Your music lives in a space that feels both deeply personal and performance based. Do you find that this same duality exists in how you navigate other areas of the industry, such as self-promotion or communicating your story online?

As far as I can see right now I don’t think there is clarity that separates personal and performance for me, even when it comes to fiction there is always really murky links to parts of truth, I perform to get closer to myself. I’m pretty put off by the idea of “self-promotion” but I can dive into sharing parts of myself and my art with sincerity. I don’t want to compromise on that or start having self-reflection about how I’m being perceived online, I also don’t think I have to, that’s a beauty of making art that isn’t appealing to everyone, there’s a freedom in that you know it won’t please everyone so just be. Also too much thinking about how I’m being perceived fucking unravels me.

You’ve mentioned that each song on the new record occupies its own emotional space. Does your creative process shift depending on the project, or have you found a rhythm or ritual that remains consistent across your work? 

I don’t necessarily have an awareness on the project per say, I’m usually just making music until there is enough to have a body of work and they will be tied together by my identity at the time. I like to act quite quickly in the capturing and sharing, because I know I’ll change and I want to beat myself to deciding it’s not relevant anymore. The creative process shifts radically upon reflection and I think I’d like to be really intentional about that at some point to see what happens if I’m being rigid with the process and beginning and end. Thus far it’s mostly impulsive and accidental, well my favourite parts anyway. I have rituals or creative practices that are consistent like improvising, writing and just dreaming up big projects that will never happen. I think that allows for more making/ creativity and being able to not treat creating like it needs an end product. It can just come and go and that will be present in shit you do later.

You’ve performed alongside artists like Reb Fountain, Kurt Vile and Billy Bragg, and collaborated with musicians such as Dave Khan, Louisa Nicklin and Cass Basil. What qualities do you find most magnetic or inspiring in other musicians?

In collaboration I find Gratitude and kindness, anyone can learn how to do something well, all the people I play alongside are brilliant musicians but ultimately I’m drawn to people who really feel grateful to be making music. Also I’m drawn to people that value connection and relationships and have a community minded approach to all of it. In musicians outside of collaboration I’m inspired by vision that comes from a real place, artists that show up with this ability to not look around to see what they should be doing. An unapologetic ownership of their art. Also artists that are willing to admit they know they are brilliant and that they really really want to be here, I think that’s so desirable.

If the opportunity came up to collaborate with another Aotearoa-based artist or band, who would you be most interested in working with?

Anyone really, especially people outside of my genre, because I can’t do what they do. I mean I’m a huge fan of NZ Hip-Hop and collaborating the cross genre of folk / hip hop is interesting to me. I do have some collaborations on the horizon that are outside what I would think I’d do. Basically, I’m open.

You’ve toured internationally, performed in galleries and cultural spaces around the world, and built a devoted following at home. How do you hold a vision for the future of your work while also staying present with the project at hand? 

I try not to think of the future, and I’m trying to kill my ambition. I have desires and I try to make them happen quite immediately, things I want which making more music so far has remained one of those desires. I like to try to allow myself to look very close in front of me. I have a list on my door of things to check off but they are more broad and about me being whole like “To be well within the making” and “rock and roll” .

Where have you found the most resonance when it comes to connecting with audiences here in Aotearoa? And has your approach shifted when taking your music to international spaces like China, Europe, or Australia? 

There is a type of willingness people meet each other with, and when I myself am willing and people are too, that’s where genuine connection comes from and I’m able to fully share. I can’t name a place that resonates more and I don’t know that there is one. As for internationally, all the pretend stuff changes, like how to catch a train or what money looks like, sharing art and connecting is the same shit, that’s the whole point.

There are some incredible artist-focused organisations in Aotearoa – APRA, MMF, and MuzicNZ to name a few. Have any of these resources played a part in helping shape your career, particularly during pivotal or breakthrough moments? 

The most challenging part of being an artist and the thing that stops me moving forward is money, so I’d say financial support from NZ on Air to make singles and videos, touring support from the NZ Music Commission that has been crucial in whether a project / tour lives or dies. And I’m very grateful for that, Also IMNZ (Independent Music NZ) who I’m also a board member of now. They put on the Taite music awards and winning a debut award for my first record was great encouragement and recognition in the industry and among my peers.

For artists navigating both the creative and logistical demands of music-making in Aotearoa, are there any other particular organisations, spaces, or communities you would recommend? Especially for those trying to honour their artistic truth while also building sustainable careers. 

Shannon Coulomb is the Head of Music at Birkenhead College (Auckland) and Curriculum Specialist for music education at AUT University. He is also a member of Experimental rock band Impostor Syndrome.

Stream Impostor Syndrome