Based on the Podcast Episode: “If You Give Her Lemons: Jaime Jackett’s Art of Reinvention“ – Episode 59, The Magic of Songwriting with Francesca de Valence

For Jaime Jackett, songwriting isn’t just a practice—it’s a way of breathing. On The Magic of Songwriting Podcast, the genre-fluid pop artist, multi-instrumentalist, and brain cancer survivor takes us behind the scenes of her debut album Reinvention, and the spirited songwriting that led to one of its standout tracks, Lemonade.

Listen below for the full sonic experience, or read below for a brief summary.

Reinvention as a Creative Philosophy

Based in Broome (Rubibi) on Djugun-Yawuru Country, Jaime’s music blends pop with folk, blues, and soul—delivered through a voice that moves from light sweetness to powerful grit. True to its name, Reinvention is an album that doesn’t sit still. Jaime has reimagined the same songs for different live settings, from a 12-piece horn-driven launch band to a grittier four-piece rock outfit to stripped-back piano arrangements. Reinvention isn’t just a title—it’s a strategy for creative survival and adaptability as an independent artist.

The Power of Play: How Lemonade Was Born

When given a songwriting prompt with the theme “lemon,” Jaime didn’t reach for a guitar or piano. Instead, she built the groove using found sounds—pencils in a jar, the glide of her desk, a metal straw tapping a glass. The result was Lemonade, a song that started as a playful demo and later became a fully produced track on her album.

Her approach was grounded in rhythm first, using beatboxing and looping to generate an energetic tempo—an antidote to the ballad-heavy output common among singer-songwriters. Jaime encourages writers to start with a beat or bassline to break away from mid-tempo habits, even if that means making “tacky” sounds into a looper. And it works!

From Messy Drafts to Finished Songs

A long-time member of I Heart Songwriting Club, Jaime credits the Club’s weekly songwriting challenges with helping her let go of perfectionism. Writing a song in under an hour every week gave her permission to be messy, to experiment, and most importantly, to finish. 

In Lemonade’s case, the verse written in the studio car park minutes before recording made it into the final version. Jaime’s lyrics often begin as gibberish, shaped by how the words feel in the mouth and how they land sonically. It’s instinctive, fluid, and deeply felt.

Art First, Then the Rest

While Jaime wears many hats—as writer, performer, teacher, and self-manager—she makes it clear that the art leads. “The reason why you’re doing what you’re doing comes first,” she says. From there, she dons the marketer’s hat when needed—but never lets commercial expectations dictate her creative truth.

For Jaime Jackett, reinvention is not about chasing trends. It’s about staying alive—creatively, emotionally, and sometimes literally. And in her world, when life gives you lemons, you make a beat, layer a melody, and write a song!

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