Jack Savoretti and Jemma Powell look back at their fiery relationship, a dramatic flight to Ibiza, and Jack's most annoying trait. The musician and the artist share their journey from a passionate young couple to a settled family in Oxfordshire.
A Kiss That Started It All
Jemma recalls the first music video she appeared in with Jack: "Jack and I had just met and were permanently attached to each other's faces. It was the first music video of his I'd been in – I was an actor at the time, and furious that he was always auditioning my friends and not me. It took me getting a casting call for a Paolo Nutini video for him to panic and finally give me a part."
Jack remembers the moment differently: "We were trying to capture a day in our life for the video for my song Dr Frankenstein. That kiss wasn't a suggestion from the director. It was a genuine moment. I must have had great chat, because I somehow got away with that choker."
Meeting and Falling in Love
Jemma describes their first meeting: "We first met at a party. I got chatting to this lovely girl called Beatrice, and when I saw Jack come in, I said to her, 'There's a guy over there who I think is so gorgeous.' It turned out it was her brother. Jack and I hung out that night, and the next week he came to see me in the cafe I worked in. I remember being so red that I had to hug him so he couldn't tell how embarrassed I was."
Jack adds: "The night I met Jemma, I was very hungover from a boys' weekend. I needed to go home, but when she walked in I thought, 'There you are. The mother of my children. My future.' My sister said, 'Did you see that girl that was sitting next to me? She thinks you're really cute.'"
When asked about her job, Jemma replied, "I'm a fairy," which Jack found refreshing. She was an out-of-work actor who also did parties for kids.
Fiery Fights and Dramatic Flights
Jemma admits: "I was madly in love with Jack. I was mad, full stop. After meeting him, I lost the plot. We would have crazy fights, mainly centring around the intensity of how we felt about each other."
Jack recalls a fight on a plane: "I was already recording my first album when we got together, but all the songs after that are written about Jemma. Harder Than Easy was the first track about our relationship – we got in a fight on an easyJet to Ibiza and I wrote it on the plane. What was the fight about? Our love was never enough, and we always needed more from each other."
Building a Life Together
The couple married in 2010 and had their first child six months later. Jemma says: "That's not to say our marriage is always calm. It's often in a state of flux. There are times when he's winning and needs to be strong for me, then it all switches around."
Jack notes: "When Jemma got pregnant, there was a dramatic change. She became a woman and her self-esteem was no longer dependent on anyone else. Having a family also changed how we related to each other's roles."
Annoying Traits and Romance
Jemma says Jack's most annoying trait is that he is a sulker: "It can last for three days sometimes and I feel it in my body, in my cells, because silence is toxic."
They make time for romance with three kids, four dogs, and a cat. Jemma sometimes cooks Jack's favourite pasta dishes, and they laugh together often.
Advice for Lasting Love
Jack reflects: "Part of the reason our marriage has lasted is that we started when we were young. There's a naivety that helps in the long run. Another part is knowing when to give space and leave the other person to their own devices. It's also important to be realistic about the ups and downs of marriage. To truly love each other, you have to hate each other. My advice is: find someone you can hate, because falling in love is easy."
Jemma concludes: "Even after all these years, I feel the same as I did in that picture. Only instead of being deranged, I am full of pride that those two crazy kids settled down and built a life together."
