We had an awesome opportunity to speak with Elliot about his latest single Yesterdays Fashion. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Elliot! We are reviewing your EP Favourite. Yesterdays Fashion is the lead single off the EP. You created a beautiful fusion of sound. Tell us what inspired the song?
Thanks so much for checking out the EP! Fashion was made in one night at NRG studios in Noho. Cobeshack and I went back a week later and recorded the song fully, but the night before the EP went out for distribution I panicked and told Cobe I wanted to use the demo instead, so we did, then when Jason Kramer discovered it and started playing it on radio via KCRW, fate decided for us and it became the single.
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Tell us about the writing process for your visual EP Soft Dreams Osaka.
I was in a place where I felt I hadn’t made what I wanted to in a really long time, we usually make everything in the studio and for whatever reason the idea to make an EP in my bedroom sounded really appealing. I decided to just write linearly and constantly, that’s why the whole thing sort of plays as one long song, it felt like a dream. I remember going back later that night and listening to it and being really surprised, completely out of angst we released it the following day with a pink dreamy visual.
Do you agree your music is a fusion of different genres?
Definitely. I’m not always sure which ones though! ha.
You’re currently working on your LP. Tell us about the writing process.
It’s been really fulfilling/freeing coming off the completion of our ‘Extremely Bad Man’ album Love Is Pure and then being able to immediately focus on something that is totally passion fueled as well. With my new LP and the Bad Man LP, it seems like there is a definitive groove to recording and writing at the same time, capturing the takes that were meant to be, rather than hours of comping like in pop records. I’ve gone back to making records the way we grew up making them in the garages and studios where you played the whole song take to take.
What inspired the album.
After making Soft Dreams Osaka EP and then Favourite EP it just seemed like the next necessary step creatively.
Growing up, what songs inspired you?
My mum’s name is Jude, definitely always the Beatles – loads of Michael Jackson and Bob Marley, Oasis that sort of thing.
Do you draw from personal experiences to create your music?
It depends a lot on the song, I just always go with the first idea if it feels right and sees where it takes me, the words usually present themselves and are never hard to find, I’m always trying to come from an honest place.
Your lyrics make people think! What is the most important aspect of songwriting?
I think probably how you just said it, to make us think, and find your design in the words. They’re the gateway to your story, it’s like watching a film, you get to be the main character every time.
Q9. What is the biggest misconception about being a singer and songwriter?
On a technical level, there are those singers which were born to sing, with songwriting you fall in love with the record because you know the person singing it wrote it too, it’s a different dynamic, but equally meaningful.
What is your most favorite performance in your career to date?
I was just thinking the other day about how much I miss the South Florida music scene, the community, and those loud sweaty shows. They were some of the most fun, in a chaotic but endearing way. One of the greatest was playing O2 in London just minutes from where I was born, that was special.
List the 5 things you need to have with you on a stage.
Always extras batteries, forever. Definitely in-ears, towels, water, sometimes incense. And always keep something only you know about, for good luck of course
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
Yes, always 😉
Complete this sentence, if I had an opportunity to change anything, I would change ___________.
The archaic ideas people still have about how the industry works. There’s more opportunity than there’s ever been in history for the underdog to succeed, we have tools that the younger versions of ourselves would’ve killed for. I’m passionate about living a life that serves my desires, not the other way around, I love encouraging people to trust in the same flow. We’re proud of Blossöm Records because its evidence of a roster of artists that are making a living off their projects, and creating a sustainable future, without sacrificing publishing and writers share. I would love to change people’s perception that there is only one proper way to do anything.
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Elliot James is the founder of Blossöm Records.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliot_James
Official links:
Web: http://elliotjames.co/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/elliotjames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/elliotjames
Facebook: http://facebook.com/elliotjamesofficial
Web: http://blossomrecs.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/blossomrecords/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blossomrecords
Facebook: http://facebook.com/blossomrecords
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