JAMES is a local San Diego artist originally from San Antonio, Texas. A lifelong musician and singer, JAMES began publicly releasing their music within the last few years. JAMES is a jack of all trades and doesn't confine their art to just one genre. Most of their music is created by what they feel in the moment. Let’s get to know this upcoming artist and see what they have in store for the future!

LISTEN TO THEIR MOST RECENT RELEASE, “MICHAEL” BY CLICKING BELOW!

TELL ME WHAT INSPIRED THE ARTIST NAME, JAMES. IS THERE A SIGNIFICANCE TO THE ALL CAPS, OR WAS IT MORE OF A STYLISTIC CHOICE?

"My artist name, JAMES, is actually my middle name. My mom named me after the band James, and I chose to go by it as a homage to my mom and that band, which was her favorite at the time of my birth. However, I put it in all caps to differentiate myself to avoid confusion. I also chose to go by JAMES to establish myself as a solo act or personality, like Mitski or Björk. Just one name for one person."

WHAT ARE SOME ARTISTS YOU WOULD COMPARE YOURSELF TO OR THAT INSPIRE THE TYPE OF MUSIC YOU MAKE? 

"I don't know who I'd compare myself to because I think every person has such a unique sound, but I draw lots of inspiration from Björk, Mitski, Thom Yorke, Damon Albarn, Alice Glass, and Poppy. I'm also inspired by what's happening around me and the sounds and beats I feel in my heart when I'm feeling a certain way."

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR WITH THE LOCAL SAN DIEGO MUSIC SCENE. DO YOU THINK THE SCENE EXCELS IN WAYS THAT OTHER MUSIC SCENES DON'T? IS ANYTHING THE SCENE IN SAN DIEGO NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON?

"It has been a while since I've been involved in the San Diego or ANY local music scene. I've been keeping to myself for a long time and only recently started trying to get more involved. I recently saw some local bands play at Amplified Studio for the first time, and it was amazing! I really liked JAMM and Citrus Jr. Everyone at the show was super friendly, and I even got to talk to some of the people performing. I can't compare the San Diego music scene to anywhere else, but I can say for sure that I'm loving it so far."

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR RECORDING/PRODUCTION PROCESS. DO YOU MAKE YOUR MUSIC AT HOME OR IN A STUDIO ENVIRONMENT?

"My production and recording process is on the cheaper side. I didn't use any mics or fancy software for my debut album. I've been only using GarageBand on an iPad. I use the app software and sing into the iPad mic because it's affordable. Free, in fact. Most of my songs were made either in my dad's camper that I'm living in or my car. Dead Cats Interlude, however, was made in a hotel bathroom! Going forward, I'd love to create music in a studio or with collaborators who can help me improve my production quality."

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT MAKING MUSIC? IS IT THE LYRICAL COMPONENTS, THE COMPOSITION, ETC.

"My favorite part about making music is having fun. I spend all my time singing because I really enjoy it. I love it when a song comes together and creates something that sounds so cool. I use music to try to make people feel something. I feel like I do so through sound rather than lyrics. I'm not a lyricist at heart. I often describe making a song as making a marble sculpture. I just chip away at things until something starts to take form. The song is already there, just waiting to be chiseled out. I find it very satisfying."

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, "FANTASY VIOLENCE." WHAT INSPIRED THE NAME OF THIS ALBUM?

"My debut album, Fantasy Violence, wasn't planned at all. I had fiddled around and made some tunes on my iPad for fun and eventually decided in October to put it all into an album before promptly releasing it in November. I started to notice a theme in my music. Most of my songs are fantastical and whimsical in nature, but they are also about violence. I'm a bit violent in my heart sometimes, and expressing it through art and music helps me cope with it and turn it into something positive and interesting. On top of all of that, I love to use video game-type sounds in my music, so the name came very naturally. Like, rated [blank] for fantasy violence and mild language."

WHAT IS THE OVERALL THEME/MESSAGE OF THIS ALBUM?

"The album's overall themes are loneliness, violence, heartbreak, unapologetic weirdness, and fun. Those might not seem like they all fit together, but for me, they do. I guess you could say my message is that even when life sucks, you can achieve acceptance and still have fun. Life is full of terrible shit, but life would also be boring if it weren't, so you have to learn to appreciate that."

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SONG TO PUT TOGETHER ON "FANTASY VIOLENCE"? 

"My favorite song to put together was 'Loveless' because I was feeling like shit when I wrote it, and it made me feel better. I was really happy with how it sounded and how it flowed out of me. It was a nice reminder not to sit still and to act when feeling inspired."

WHAT SONG PROVED TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING TO MAKE ON THE ALBUM? 

"Nerv was the most challenging song to make for me. I made it by taking a small random audio clip of my best friend, Michael, shifting the semitones up and down, and layering them to make something that conveyed a certain atmosphere. It was challenging because I didn't know much about music theory and some basic music concepts, so I just had to play it by ear and figure it out by trial and error."

WHAT SONG ARE YOU THE PROUDEST OF, OR WOULD YOU SUGGEST FOR A FIRST-TIME LISTENER? 

"It's hard to choose which song I'm most proud of, but I will have to go with 'The Lonely Angel' because, as I said earlier, I'm not a great lyricist, but that song is well written. I feel the same way about 'You Can't Help Drowning.' This song is about my ex, and I made it the day after she broke up with me. 'The Lonely Angel' is about Kaworu Nagisa from Neon Genesis Evangelion (my favorite anime ever). I could talk about Evangelion all day, so I had so much to say. Sometimes I just be cooking fr. I'm very happy with those songs' production, structure, and lyricism."

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MOST RECENT RELEASE, "MICHAEL," THAT CAME OUT ON DECEMBER 7TH, 2023. WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THIS SONG?

"Michael is about my best friend, Michael. We met in middle school in Texas and have been best friends ever since, despite living in different states for the last several years. When I wrote Michael, I was just having a moment of appreciation and adoration for him. I wanted to make him something special to celebrate our long-standing bond and our dedication to each other."

WHAT IS SOME ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO SOMEONE IN REGARDS TO RELEASING YOUR OWN MUSIC? 

"My advice is to research distributors before choosing one and always to keep your eyes and ears open for inspiration. Let the whole world and yourself inspire you."

WHAT CAN LISTENERS EXPECT IN THE FUTURE FROM YOU? 

"The future is not far. I'm already working on lots of new music for a second album, and I also have two new singles on the way called 'The Church of Weird' and 'Echoes.'"

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JAMES, CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW!