Member Spotlight #18: Jamz Supernova, Future Bounce Founder and DJ at BBC Radio 1Xtra
For this month’s Member Spotlight, we talk to Jamz Supernova, founder of Future Bounce Club nights and radio host at BBC Radio 1Xtra.
shesaid.so: Tell us about your career path. How did you land your job with BBC Radio 1Xtra? What did you experience at the time — were you anxious, passionate, confident?
I started out at BBC Radio 1Xtra as an intern. I was 19 years old and worked there for two months. A few months later, they asked me back to work as a freelancer working behind the scenes. I did that for 5 years whilst having various radio shows on community station Reprezent Radio and, after many knock-backs, I was given my own show. When I got the show, because it was all I had wanted for so long, I was really excited and overjoyed, but my first few months on air were pretty car crash. It took me a while to settle into my own voice.
shesaid.so: What is a piece of advice you were given in your career that really resonated with you?
When I was 21 and getting frustrated with knock-backs, an experienced former radio exec asked me why I was trying to get to the top of the mountain so quickly. He explained that once you get there, there’s nowhere else to go. “Take time and enjoy the journey”. I think that’s been really helpful to remind myself that it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
shesaid.so: You seem to be juggling quite a few different things, with your radio show, club nights, and promoting. What is the toughest aspect of your job today and how do you manage it?
The juggling side of it isn’t what I struggle with, I have a great team around me who I work closely with and I’m a very organised being. But ultimately, what I’ve learned is that some things have to take a back seat, not all plates can spin at 100%. Whilst I was launching my label, my club nights had to take a back seat as well as a lot of personal Jamz Supernova things. But at the end of the day, it always works itself back out. The best way for me to manage it now is to be really harsh with my time. I can’t have meetings with everyone, or be out at every event. Though I definitely find saying “No” really hard.
shesaid.so: Have you had to overcome any personal or industry barriers along your career?
I think the biggest barrier is actually often myself. I’m an extreme perfectionist and sometimes it can be tiring. So I’m constantly working on myself to let things go and move on.
shesaid.so: What did you want to be when you grew up as a kid?
I initially wanted to be a singer but really can’t sing so that was quickly parked. But I loved music and watched a lot of MTV and T4 growing up, so thought TV Present would be the next best thing! But it wasn’t until college, when I saw my first radio studio, that I decided radio was for me.
shesaid.so: Where do you get your fuel from?
I played a lot of sports growing up and played for a grassroots football team until I was 16. I’m very competitive, mostly with myself. I always want to be the best and I think through playing football you realise that there is always going to be someone better than you. You can’t control that but you can always train harder. I think I’ve kept that sentiment.
shesaid.so: What does music mean to you? When did you first connect with music?
I really want to get a tattoo somewhere that says “Music First”. Swindle said it at a talk of his I went to and it really resonated with me. He was explaining that as long as you always put Music First you can’t lose. It’s very easy in this industry to get swept away with all the superficial sides of it. But I got into it because of my love of music. It’s what I’ve always loved. I bought my first tape when I was 5 years old with my pocket money. I remember being in reception and annoyed that the older girls were singing a song I didn’t know. A few days later, I came home from school and heard it on the radio and I just remember feeling so excited that this was the song and I’d found it and could now say I know it. All my family were heavily into music and that’s how we did and still spend time together.
shesaid.so: What are you listening to on repeat?
Ari Lennox — Shea Butter Baby. It’s such a brilliant album. Took me a second to get into it but I’m fully in now. I think it’s classic.
shesaid.so: Is there an aspect of the music business you would like to see change? What would you push for or do differently?
The industry is changing so rapidly, it’s been really exciting to see over the last 10 years that people now question things like diversity and are speaking out about it. On a grassroots/entry level we’re doing really well. But I still think we have a long way to go. If you look at all the senior people in music, you will find there’s only one type of person in power. So I think alongside making change at the bottom, let’s start shaking it up from the top down. I want to see way more women and people of colour in those positions.
shesaid.so: You were nominated on the Shesaid.so AltList and were praised for your networking skills and ability to bring people together. What is one networking tip you would share for the music industry or in general?
That was really nice what was said on the AltList. I think the biggest tip is you have to be really comfortable with yourself and what you have to offer. When I first started going to music events and trying to “network”, I was 18/19 and really shy, I just thought you had to be polite. But at every event I would literally get pushed out of the way when I’d finally plucked up the courage to talk to someone by a larger character. So I went to adult drama classes, I just thought that being this shy was going to get me nowhere. the main things I took from the classes were about body language, eye contact and speaking with conviction. I’m never going to be the loudest person in the room but I’m happy to be the quietly confident one.
I’m never going to be the loudest person in the room but I’m happy to be the quietly confident one.
shesaid.so: Any projects you are working on currently that we should know about?
I’m bringing back my Future Bounce Club Nights. We’re launching September 13th and programming a live showcase through to a club night. With two rooms. It’s going to be a 360 experience. I’m really excited to be able to bring everything I love musically under one roof!
