Jammes Luckett

Jammes Luckett, also commonly credited as Jaye Barnes Luckett (born August 13, 1974 in Columbus, OH) is an American graphic designer and musician who leads the rock band Poperratic as singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music arranger, record producer, and music supervisor and actress. She has also composed film scores for both independent and major motion pictures, since 2002's May (film), which has since acquired a cult following. She is largely known for numerous collaborations with film director and friend Lucky McKee, having scored or written original songs for his best known works.

She had often been credited under her own name, but has also worked under various pseudonyms such as Alien Tempo Experiment 13 (or ATE 13) and also, Poperratic. In recent years, Luckett's Website has showcased more of her graphic design and other visual work - album covers, film posters, animation, film editing and more. She has frequently and openly stated that she has a long history with the visual arts, as well as music, and uses the influence of one to the other, interchangeably, in both her songwriting and in her music videos. She studied animation and filmmaking in college, and has sometimes been asked to work concurrently as a graphic designer on the same projects she has composed and performed original music for.

Poperratic
Jammes' one-woman music group, Poperratic, first began as Alien Tempo Experiment 13, also known as ATE 13. With Go Little Records, she self-released a number of cassette albums. In 1998, she saw her first 7" Vinyl E.P., "Live! From The Roller Derby" commercially released on the now-defunct New York-based indie label Glimmerfed Records. The E.P. was co-produced by Luckett, with A.J. Lambert, then-future film director Lucky McKee, and also Don Fleming (musician) the noted music producer who has worked with (Hole (band), Sonic Youth, Shonen Knife).

Poperratic's music is mostly noted for its catchy melodies, elaborate harmony arrangements, crunchy guitars and unusual structures, all written and performed by Luckett, herself. Due to the odd structures as well as storytellng of the music, Luckett's writing, tends to have a cinematic quality to it. When asked who his favorite film directors of previous generations who piqued his interest in horror were, McKee himself alluded to the fact that he considers Luckett somewhat a peer in this regard, by listing Poperratic as a favorite. Comic book illustrator Jordan Crane, of NON-existence Comics once described one of Luckett's early rock releases as "hitting around PJ Harvey meets the Pixies... with some Beatles."

In early 2007, Poperratic's first studio album, 'Vagus (the wandering nerve.)' was released. A review at Perrero said of the 'Vagus', "The album overall has a really bluesy old school rock feel, by way of the grrl band movement of the early 90s."

DEUXO
In 2006, Luckett formed an Electronic Pop collaboration called DEUXO, with fellow Los Angeles composer / musician / producer Schpilkas. They released a digital E.P. that year called "Tres Deuxo," which shows another side of Luckett's versatility as a synth player, vocalist and co-songwriter, this time, with dance music. It is available in wide release. In early 2007, their song "MoreSumthin (Fais Do Do)" was featured in the third episode of the FX (TV Network) show Dirt (TV Series), starring Courteney Cox.

Film and Television Soundtracks
In addition to being one of the few notable African-American as well as female composers working today, Luckett's scores have earned a reputation for their "haunting melodies and textured atmosphere". . Both Ain't It Cool News and The Los Angeles Times have cited Luckett as a "composer to watch". . Most of her early scoring work for Lucky McKee was written, performed and recorded herself, with modest equipment, lending itself to the unconventional nature of her writing.

In honor of her unusual approach to horror music, Luckett was asked to appeared at the first "Maestros of Horror" Composer Panel at the 2007 Weekend of Horrors. She appeared beside fellow composers Harry Manfredini, John Harrison, John Murphy (composer), Nathan Barr, and Richard Band, on the same day that soundtrack label La-La Land Records released an early retrospective of her film scoring work. That release was entitled "May and Other Selected Works of Jaye Barnes Luckett" (LLLCD 1056). She also appeared on a Weekend of Horrors panel in 2002, with Lucky McKee, Angela Bettis, Anna Faris, and Nichole Hiltz, while promoting May (film).

Jammes Luckett and Lucky McKee
One of Luckett's closest friends is screenwriter/film director McKee, whom she refers to as a "brother", stemming from their years as students at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles. Both also have stated that it was Luckett who originated the role of "May", in a series of short films from the USC-era, and having played in several bands together, McKee asked her years later to write the score for their first feature, May (film), which was an expansion of his student films.

In most of Luckett and McKee's collaborative works, Angela Bettis has appeared as an actor. However, for 2007's Roman (film), which also featured original score and songs by Luckett (as Poperratic), McKee starred in the title role, with Bettis directing.

To date, Luckett has scored or provided original songs for the following McKee-related films:
 * May (film) (2002) – her first orchestral score for a feature film. She also provided numerous original songs under the name Alien Tempo Experiment 13, and served as Music Supervisor.
 * The Woods (film) (2006) - original songs and additional score
 * Masters of Horror: Sick Girl (2006) – her first television score. Also featured original Poperratic songs.   This was the tenth episode of the first season of the popular Showtime TV series Masters of Horror
 * Roman (film) (2007) – her personal favorite of her own scores. Also features original Poperratic songs, and Luckett was co-music supervisor, along with director Angela Bettis.
 * Blue Like You (film) (2009) – co-wrote and performed the title theme song, for the XBox 360 Live episode, directed by McKee.

Design career
After Luckett's music career was well under way, it also became evident, from increased visual content on her Website, that Jammes also was a professional graphic designer. She had occasionally made note, through blog postings, Poperratic's album artwork, and interviews that she was inspired by visual artists, as well as musicians. When film director, writer and actor Lucky McKee was asked who his favorite film directors were of previous generations, who piqued his interest in horror, McKee alluded to the fact that he considers Jammes Luckett somewhat a peer in this regard, by listing Poperratic as a favorite.

This observation was further cemented, when in 2008, McKee recruited Jammes Luckett to create the poster art for his film Blue Like You (2008), which was created for XBox 360 Live's "Horror Meets Comedy" episodes which debuted on New Xbox Experience. Luckett's poster for the film was printed and distributed at that year's San Diego ComiCon, during an appearance by Lucky McKee and cast. It was also featured as the broadcasted art for the episode, which viewers watched via the XBox 360 console.

Furthermore, Luckett herself, has made a portfolio publicly available, which showcases various types of design work over the years, including album art, film posters, furniture designs and more.

Jammes Luckett has also recently directed some music videos for several of her songs, which can be viewed on the YouTube Website. In addition to directing them, other roles served on the project include as an editor, animator and actor.

Selected awards and nominations

 * Stiges Film Festival
 * Nominated for Best Soundtrack: May (film) (2002)

Other Interests
Jammes Luckett is also a writer of short stories and screenplays, as well as an actor, recently contributing voice talent to an animated pilot called "The Twincesses" She has also scored and acted in a number of films for writer/director Kevin Ford of Mo-Freek Filmworks. She has also recently directed some music videos for several of her songs, which can be viewed on the YouTube Website.