EMMALINE CAMPBELL TALKS SWEETWATER

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

While it almost seems meant to be, playing a character who you share so much of yourself with, was acting really anything you ever envisioned yourself doing, before on set doing it?

The short answer, no! For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a musician and never dreamed that it would be possible to incorporate other art forms into my resume as well!

As your character Jeanne Staples would say, "There's no such thing as too late". Will we keep seeing you on screen?

Yes, I think it’s safe to say that I would absolutely be open to doing more acting in the future. If the right role came along!

Jeanne can’t stop singing, even when she takes care of the people around her. I guess that’s her way. How did you connect with Jeannie's soul?

I see a lot of myself in Jeanne Staples. She is a “jazz” singer who has dreams of pursuing a “blues” career. I started my own musical journey in the classical music world and always had dreams of learning to write my own songs and create my own sound that fuses jazz, soul and pop together. I took a big leap of faith at the age of nineteen, and shifted my musical studies. In this aspect, I felt very connected to the character.

While fictional, and channelling a lot of your own self, did you use any particular inspiration for how Jeannie carry herself?

I grew up watching lots of old, black and white films from the forties and fifties and have a love for everything “Old Hollywood.” I really tried to pull inspiration from Old Hollywood-actresses for Jeanne to keep her feeling very authentic to the time period.

Her connection to Clifton is instant. How did you find that bond with your co-star, Everett Osborne?

Hmm, good question! From the very start, Everett and I had an instant connection. I think our own personal connection helped the characters feel more in synch as well.

Jeannie loves artists such as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. Which artists played that kind of important role in your own musical journey?

In the jazz world, I would say the first jazz musicians that truly inspired me to my core were Billie Holiday, Julie London, Luiz Bonfa and Miles Davis. In other genres, I would say some of the most influential artists to me as a writer and a musician would be Amy Winehouse, Mac Miller, Lana Del Rey, Erykah Badu, so many more. I have a really wide music taste. I pretty much just appreciate anything that makes me feel something.

Where did your love of jazz begin, because you were set on being a violinist for many years?

My dad is a jazz pianist and arranger so I grew up with jazz. I began studying violin at the age of four years old and was classically trained from age four to nineteen. I went on to college on a full-ride, talent-based scholarship to study violin performance. Truth be told, my heart was never really in concert music and I always wished I could be a professional singer and songwriter of some kind. So, my first semester of college, I took a “jazz improvisation”-class and everything changed for me. I changed my major to jazz and began learning to write my own songs, as well as learn to incorporate my voice and violin together to create a unique sound.

'Sweetwater' opens with Michael Jordan as a reference point, helping younger generations grasp what Nat Clifton meant for sport. That idea, a timeless story at risk of being forgotten, echoes much of jazz history and its pioneers. How do you see the state of jazz today, and are you hopeful for its future?

With the rise of social media and with music streaming and downloading platforms, we have access to all types of music and every genre is at our fingertips. With this unlimited access, musicians and music appreciators alike are listening to such a wide variety of different music from different eras and genres. Because of this, I personally believe that jazz is connecting with new listeners now more than ever! Similarly, more artists are being inspired by jazz and beginning to incorporate its elements into their own music. I would like to see a world where genres are less relevant and where artists are just making the music that feels most authentic to them!