Hello Jodie! Would you like to introduce yourself to my readers?
I find it hard to introduce myself. Well…I DJ at cool clubs the world over, I produce music with my favourite artists, I create club brands and throw awesome parties if I do say so myself. I work on creative direction for video and imagery for all the above too…I don’t get much sleep. And I do all this wearing a lot of makeup and nice shoes. It all keeps me from being bored and I love putting stuff out there for other people to enjoy.
Your life does sound awfully exhausting! Talk me through an average day in the life of you?
I get up quite early for someone who’s such a night owl. I’m up around 9, take the dog for a walk, pick up some coffee, and get down to work in my office with my assistant Jasmine, who is awesome. I might have a lunch meeting with a club venue or part of my eclectic team of DJ’s, dancers, promoters and club kids who work on my nights, and then start getting ready for a gig or a party. If I have a night off I’ll do some yoga and watch a DVD – I’m hooked on Mad Men at the moment. I never cook, which is awful I know. It saves me a lot of time not to.
Let’s take care of business first of all. THE NIGHT, a three track dance EP scheduled for release on 13th May, is your uber-exciting collaboration with Melanie C! Produced by yours truly and co-written with Melanie The Night promises to be quite the mash-up of pop music and the underground club scene of which you are not to exaggerate, the Queen of! Oh and a little known photographer by the name of Tim Bret-Day stepped in to photograph Melanie for the project. Doesn’t sound half bad on paper Jodie?
Ha, no it doesn’t sound too shabby does it? Melanie was awesome to work with – she’s a living legend and really knows her stuff when it comes to music. Her voice is lovely and we had a lot of fun writing these songs together. The process was quite lengthy and I orchestrated the project from recording to mastering to shooting the promo images with Tim – I’m a bit of a control freak, admittedly. But it was definitely a collaboration. We are both really happy with the result, I think people will enjoy the music and there’s something for everyone within the three tracks.
How did the collaboration come about?
We have a friend in common in Jo Berryman, the amazing interior designer. I met Melanie at Jo’s daughter’s birthday and we became friends. I suggested on an email that we lay down some tracks and the creative process began.
Can we expect a visual accompaniment to the EP in the way of a cheeky little music video… or at least you and Melanie playing some live sets of the material?
Hopefully both, but neither have been discussed. We are both very busy ladies, but I would love to take the project further if her schedule allowed it.
I wonder if you could also confirm or deny the nasty little rumour going around that you were going to feature on the artwork alongside Melanie but there wasn’t enough space to fit in both her hands AND that wonderful head of hair of yours?
Haha, nope. I imagine I would be slated if the cover image featured my massive hair. It’s all about Ms. C.
Oh and does Melanie still do those Sporty Spice cartwheels?
I bloody hope so! I didn’t see it with my own eyes though.
Ugh, disappointing.
Let’s go back in time to when you were a small child. How would you describe yourself? I would ask Melanie the same but we both know what she spent all her time doing!
I was full of character, dressed up a lot, performed for my family, loved music.
Do you think much has changed in you now that you are fully grown?
Nothing has changed other than my height and my face!
I expect a few of my readers won’t be as familiar with you as they are with a ‘Francois Sagat’ or a ‘Daniel Garofali’ – insert eye roll. So would you care to share with us how the character of Jodie Harsh was born, and how you first got involved in the London club scene?
That’s fine; both of those guys are friends of mine! Well I moved to the big city aged 18 to study at LCF, I did a degree in journalism there. I wanted to write for Vogue and be front row in Paris and Milan. I started working in clubs in a bit of a look because it paid my rent, and then I thought ‘hey, there’s an angle in this’. I started my club Circus when I left university then started to DJ at the beginning of the night because I was too cost-conscious to pay for a warm-up DJ. That’s where it all began.
Flash forward to now and we need to talk a little about your club night Room Service! Having interviewed Munroe Bergdorf (fierce), Alexis Gregory (marriage material), Nik Thakkar (Karl’s nephew) and Dimitris Theocharis (too cute to function) for my blog (Room Service regulars) I now feel like I am proper missing out on the best night ever in London! Only I fear a trip down from Scotland might be in vein, I’m as pale as a ghost you see and I’m not a huge fan of tank tops. Would I be turned away at the door do you think? I am hairy, half Portuguese, and a very good Table Tennis player if that counts for anything…?
Haha those Room Service pics are pretty legendary right? We do a little bit of retouching, admittedly…! I have every unedited picture saved on my hard drive so people better not fuck with me or I’ll hit ‘share’. Haha. It’s a fun gay party, very small and selective. I had the idea for it whilst in a New York hotel room ordering a burger.
What would you say you are more influenced by on a daily basis: music or fashion?
Both equally. The two together form the foundation of my career, my lifestyle and my interests. I need both to get by.
How would you describe your personal style?
I hate that word eclectic. Daring, maybe. Fashion-forward….
Which item of clothing in your closet gets most wear and why?
All of my Jeremy Scott for Adidas pieces. They are so comfy. I tend to mainly wear Jeremy when I DJ.
A guilty pleasure you can’t seem to quit?
Smoking and coffee. I enjoy both at the moment. I’m sure I’ll be able to quit – I stopped smoking for two years and found it pretty easy.
A song that makes your heart skip a beat?
Anything by Groove Armada. ‘Impressive Instant’ by Madonna.
It is Sunday morning, your head is hurting a little from the night before and all you want to do is sit down to a big cup of tea and your favourite magazine. Which one do you pick up off the coffee table most often?
I always buy The Sunday Times but I tend to get everything else from blogs, it’s so much more instant.
If you could be an animal for the day, which would you be and what would you do?
Probably a tiger. I like how secretive they are and how they move.
A tiger wearing Jeremy Scott for Adidas would just be the hottest looking animal ever!
Would you like to ask Portis Wasp a question?
Have you got that tenner you owe me?
This is awkward but no…. So what happens next?
A lot. I’m just getting started. More music, a new club brand, touring… We are still in chapter 1.
Thanks Jodie! I’ll be sure to order a serving of Room Service very soon!
Source: myportiswaspsays.com
Photo: Tim Bret Day
