Jazmine Mary has announced their forthcoming third studio album, I Want to Rock and Roll.
Today’s album announcement is accompanied by the lead single, “Memphis”, which was recorded at Roundhead Studios with De Stevens, with Mary handling production duties.
“Memphis” finds the indie-folk artist refining their sonic palette, adding in cinematic orchestral sweeps and Waxahatchee-esque alt-country twangs where needed.
Watch the music video for “Memphis” below, which was helmed by Annabel Kean and made with the support of NZ On Air. The enthralling, wry clip was shot at a shopping mall and skate rink, and sees Mary setting up a table inside the mall beside a sign reading, “Jazmine Mary Super Star Singer Song Singer… Meet and Greet Today Only.”
“Memphis” follows last year’s sole release “In a Field”, which featured in Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s Song You Need to Know series. “In a Field” was preceded by Mary’s excellent second album, Dog, which was well-received in 2023.
“Dog is vulnerable, enchanting, and true to Mary’s poetic, folk compositions, that exist to make you feel something that may be hiding inside of yourself,” we praised after its release. You can read Mary’s detailed breakdown of each track on Dog here.
Dog was also included in our Best New Zealand Albums of 2023 list at No. 15.
“Australian-born but Aotearoa-made, Jazmine Mary’s profound songwriting has been fully embraced by their adopted country… Expect Mary to feature in the Taite Music Prize shortlist in 2024, and Dog would be a worthy winner next year,” we wrote.
RNZ also cited Mary’s second album in one of its 2023 year-end lists, noting “Dog is a clear progression of the style that Tamaki-based artist Jazmine Mary laid out on their previous album.”
Set for release later this year (date to be confirmed), Mary’s third album will be one of the most highly anticipated releases in New Zealand music in 2025.
Their first album, The Licking of a Tangerine, won the Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award at the 2022 Taite Music Prize, despite facing strong competition from Adelaide Cara and Proteins of Magic.
Jazmine Mary’s “Memphis” is out now.
