It’s been a couple of weeks since Welsh singer Jamie Miller’s visit to the Philippines, and it appears that he thoroughly enjoyed his time in the country.
PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) had an exclusive interview with Jamie in September 2023, during which he discussed his experiences in the Philippines.
The Los Angeles-based artist said, “It’s been amazing, like this whole opportunity has just been incredible to me and I’m so grateful, yeah.”
Did he have specific expectations before arriving in Manila?
Jamie answered, “Not expectations, I was just being excited to like, explore here finally.
“I think I’ve wanted to come here for so long, so like, to be actually here and in the flesh is really, it’s really cool.”
JAMIE MILLER: EXPERIENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Jamie’s time in Manila was filled with incredible moments and riding a jeepney stood out as one of his favorites during his time here.
Talking about his experience, he said, “We explored [the city] on the jeepney when I first landed, so we did try some like Filipino food and like we just experienced the city…
“And then it was straight into like TV shows and stuff, so it’s been jam-packed, but again, I’m grateful.”
He added, “Yeah, they booked one out for me, so it was a lot more space than the normal one, but it was really cool.
“I, like, wanted to immerse myself into like, the Filipino culture, so yeah, I did exactly that.”
Apart from the jeepney, Jamie enthusiastically embraced Filipino cuisine, particularly enjoying kare-kare.
Although he hadn’t tasted sinigang at that point, he was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to do so.
He said, “The food, I tried kare-kare. I loved that, it was so good… And sinigang… it’s something that I really want to try, I haven’t tried it yet, so I want to try it.”
JAMIE MILLER: COLLABORATIONS
In addition to immersing himself in the culture, Jamie expressed excitement about meeting his fans and discovering new musical talents as two things he eagerly anticipated during his visit.
He told PEP.ph, “I would say the fans are incredible, the musical talent over here is like insane…”
Much like many international celebrities, he was amazed by the exceptional talent of Filipinos, especially when they joined him in a song during an unexpected busking performance in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Reflecting on the experience, he shared, “I just did a busk… I went to BGC, Bonifacio High Street, and a lot of people showed up, that was like, the coolest thing to me…
“Like, coming over to the other side of the world, and having fans sing music back to you, it’s like the most surreal feeling as an artist, so yeah, it was wicked.”
Jamie mentioned that busking in the Philippines is on his to-do list, given its significance to the start of his career.
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“I started out busking before I was like a signed artist, so to go back to my roots, and it was incredible just to have people there with their phones up and screaming my words back to them, it was a little bit of a different experience, yeah.”
Regarding music, is there a Filipino artist he would like to collaborate with?
Jamie mentioned that he actually has three in mind.
“I think, I think I just did one of my dream collaborations with Moira dela Torre, and that was, that was really unbelievable.
“But I’m also a huge fan of Zach [Tabudlo] and Ben&Ben, I’m getting, I’m getting cultured, and people are showing me new music, so yeah, they’d be fun to collaborate with.”
JAMIE MILLER: NEW MUSIC
Jamie visited the Philippines to promote his latest music, specifically his song “Empty Room,” which he unveiled in September 2023.
When asked about the inspiration behind the song, he shared, “I lost my grandma, who was like, very close to me, she was my best friend.
“And I think for me, even though it was like, a few years ago, it was one of those moments that I feel like I never wrote about it.
“And I think coming up with this EP, and that was one song I was missing, and it was like the closure that I needed for that chapter.
“And even though she’s not physically here, I know she can always hear me, so it’s called ‘Empty Room,’ if you want to listen to it.”
He added, “I think, honestly, it’s like a song about loss, in general.
“So I think if you’ve ever lost someone, whether that be from them passing away, or like, I don’t know, a friendship, or anything like that, I think you’ll relate to the song in some way.”
Jamie further revealed that it only took him a few hours to write the lyrics of the song, saying, “I wrote it within like, four hours, and then produced it within two days… yeah, so it’s kind of quick.”
In addition to his latest single, he enthusiastically discussed his new extended play, the album titled The Things I Left Unsaid.
When questioned about how he would compare his album to a place, he replied, “I would say, New York… New York, yeah, I feel like it’s like New York in the winter, very cozy, but also kind of like lonely at times, you know?”
Similar to the theme of his album title, does he often find himself holding back what he wishes to say or expressing what he truly wants to convey?
Jamie answered “I think I did for a long time, I feel like, especially last year, was something that I had to take a step back and re-evaluate what I wanted, and who I wanted in my life…
“And I felt like, for so long, I allowed people to say things for me, or walk all over me, and I feel like it was time that I reclaimed back…
“And finally got a chance to say what I wanted to say, rather than someone telling me what I should say, you know?”
Jamie pointed out, though, that while the beginning of his album might have a somber tone, he assured his audience that it would encompass a complete journey of healing.
“I think it just goes through, like, it starts off very sad, and then by the end of the song, it’s like a healing process…
“And you watch the journey of me healing, and getting rid of people, and getting heartbroken, and then falling in love again, and then you’ll see.”
Is there a specific song in the album he’s excited for his fans to hear?
Jamie told PEP.ph, “There’s also, like, I think it’ll be really cool for people to listen because there’s a different side of me.
“There’s a few really pop records in there, which will want to make you dance, and scream, and I feel like I’ve really explored different, it’s very diverse, this project, and I think people are going to be surprised.”
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