I’m sure you’ve heard a classic harmony before. We’re in an age where the greats like Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills & Nash are but an internet stream away. (In fact, take a moment and stream the Mac’s album Tusk, would you?)

(Welcome back.)

Now, we’re on the same page about harmonies. But have you sat and watched a perfect harmony constructed, then pulled apart into isolated bits, then reassembled for your aural knowledge? That’s an experience that unveils the secret of music: that notes, just like people, need each other to have meaning. And when the people harmonizing have voices that belong together, well, it’s pure magic.

An impromptu class in harmony building is just one of the gifts JEMS give us on this episode of Music Diaries.

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Another one of the gifts comes by way of Fleetwood Mac. Remember how we all stopped to listen to Tusk a few paragraphs ago? Well, here comes an Easter egg: JEMS recorded their first album in Studio D of the Village Studios in West Los Angeles, a room that Fleetwood Mac, rich on their profits from their classic LP Rumours, customized in order to record their masterful follow-up Tusk. All wood and weird angles, the vibes were high in that space, and that comes through in this episode, too.

But at the heart of it all are Jessica Rotter, Emily Colombier, and Sarah Margaret Huff, a trio whose heartfelt songwriting triangulates Laurel Canyon, Nashville, and the Newport Folk Festival—and whose interpersonal charm is evident in their friendship, their story, and this interview.

It was one thing to learn about their families’ spectacular musical resumes—with Prince, Sinatra, and Michael Jackson in the mix—but the thing that filled Studio D's air the most movingly was their star-crossed origin story, steeped in rising solo careers set aside, to honor their vibratory connection.

As you’ll see, JEMS sang a few times for us while we were still in The Village, but when they rolled up to our Skyline Stage in fresh outfits, looking like silken sirens straight out of Stevie Nicks’ dreams, it was game time. The crystalline performances of "Clay" and "The Weather," with Emily’s accomplished mother on cello, are strangely good. Like, since you’re probably watching on a device, use some headphones and let it all soak through.

 
 
 
 
 
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Three artists set aside rising solo careers to form alternative folk trio @weare_jems. They demonstrate how they compose their unique harmonies at the world-famous recording complex Village Studios in West Los Angeles—the same space that Fleetwood Mac helped design prior to recording their album Tusk. JEMS share their story on #MusicDiaries, a new show hosted by @amritsingh that gives viewers an inside look at the stories of Southern California-based artists and bands—some established, some on the rise—and their relationship with the cities that provided the backdrop for their careers. Music Diaries premieres Thursday at 9PM on Spectrum News 1.

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It’s not every day you get to hear voices so sure that they belong together.

Thanks JEMS, for giving us an amazing entry in our Music Diaries. The trio’s debut album is streamable, and their new one is on the way. To learn more about the band, hit their Instagram and find them everywhere soon.

Music Diaries gives viewers an inside look at the stories of Southern California-based artists and bands Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Spectrum News 1.