There’s a particular kind of grief that doesn’t get talked about enough, not losing someone, but the slow drift away from the people who once felt inseparable from your everyday life. On her new single ‘Lost On Me‘, Australian-born, London-based singer-songwriter Jess Ball puts that feeling into words with a quiet precision that makes it feel immediately recognisable. Written from a place of genuine reflection and accompanied by real home footage filmed by her parents, the song marks a meaningful step in Ball’s evolution as a solo artist, one who spent years writing for others before deciding she had something worth saying under her own name. We caught up with Jess to talk memory, distance, and what it means to grow up.
Was there one specific memory or person that sparked ‘Lost On Me’, or did it come from a few blending together?
The song definitely came from a culmination of childhood memories and the realisation that the people you used to be attached at the hip with are now people you might only see once a week, every six months, or even years apart. We all become more independent as we get older, but the song is a means of reminiscing about a time when people felt closer and less distant.
The video uses real home footage your parents filmed. Was there a clip that hit differently than you expected when you went back through it?
Seeing my mum at the age I am now—27 years old—and holding me as a baby really blew me away and felt like a bit of a wake-up call. Obviously, I know I’m no longer a child, but it made me realise that my mum was basically a child herself when she had me. It really puts into perspective how quickly time goes by.
How has moving from Australia to London changed the way you think about the people you grew up around?
It hasn’t necessarily changed the way I think about them, but it has intensified the feelings of gratitude and love I have for them all. I’m extremely fortunate to have grown up surrounded by such supportive and beautiful people, and I feel their absence tremendously here in the UK.
Your first big break came through your high school music teacher introducing you to 1and2 Productions. Looking back, does that feel like fate or just good timing?
It really does feel like fate. I was feeling a little lost after school and wasn’t in a particularly healthy place, as I was solely focused on modelling, which doesn’t always do wonders for your body image. Being in the studio and having the opportunity to express myself creatively not only gave me an outlet for the things I was going through, but also allowed me to shift my focus away from how I looked and towards something I was genuinely passionate about. I’m not really sure where I would be these days if I hadn’t gone in for that first studio session, and I’ll be forever grateful to 1 & 2 Productions for seeing something in me and believing in my music career.
You spent years writing for other artists before going solo. What made you want your own name on the music?
While it was a great experience to write for and work with so many different artists in the beginning, I eventually got to a point where I felt I wanted more creative control over the songs I was making. I didn’t want to just sing something and send it off anymore; I wanted to create something that was my own little project and take full ownership of it. I still very much love to collaborate and work with other artists, but it’s nice to have a combination of the two.
Your influences range from Cigarettes After Sex to AJ Tracey. Where do you hear that mix show up most in your own sound?
I love the atmosphere in songs by Cigarettes After Sex and try to channel that same emotion and feeling into my songwriting. I want people to feel something when they listen to my songs, and I think Cigarettes After Sex are really good at creating that kind of emotional connection. I’ve always loved AJ Tracey too, and sometimes I’ll write over instrumentals or type beats in a similar vein just to switch things up and explore a different sound.
You’ve worked with Antoni and Richy on most of your solo material. What’s your creative shorthand like with them by now?
It honestly always comes very naturally when we’re all in the room together. We’re like family, so while they’re always supportive of whatever direction I want to take with my music, we’re also not afraid to be brutally honest if something isn’t working. Some of my fondest memories have been writing with Tone and Richy!
Does ‘Lost On Me’ feel like a continuation of ‘Kiddin”, or a different direction?
I definitely believe the songs are in the same realm, although they have a completely different feel. They both explore very different concepts, with ‘Kiddin’ being a little darker and centred around the struggles of living with OCD, while ‘Lost on Me’ is a bit lighter and more reminiscent of fond memories. Musically, though, I’d say they’re both within the alt-pop realm that I’m now moving into.
If one of the people this song is about heard it without knowing, what do you think they’d recognise first?
I think a lot of people would resonate with the line, ‘we’re finally the grown-ups’, as it’s a common topic of conversation among my friends and me. We’ve realised we’re now older than the football players, musicians & actors we used to idolise. It all happens gradually, but when you take a step back and realise how much has changed, it can be a bit of a shock to the system.
‘Lost On Me’ looks back while also moving forward. What does the next chapter look like for you now you’re settled in London?
Taking every opportunity I possibly can in terms of music, and putting out as much music as I possibly can to share this next chapter with you all.