Jamie Hartman has already set 2012 alive with his latest single Happy New Year - which is the first song off his new album III.
III is the third album from the singer/songwriter but the first release under his own name.
I caught up with Jamie to talk about the new record, his movie to America and what lies ahead.
- You are about to release a new album so why have you struck out on your own and decided to release under your own name?
As Ben’s Brother I was always signed as a solo artist but I wanted to be in a band with four other guys on tour and I wanted a band name - there were a lot of James’ at the time James Morrison, James Blunt and so I didn’t really want to go down that road to start with.
But I thought it was about time as I have moved on, I am living in another country, this is my third album but I just wanted to come out from behind that mask a bit and just step out on my own.
And it seems to be working which is great - I am very grateful for the fact that people are taking to it really well. It’s quite something to do to change your name in the middle but it seems to be working - we are number 19 on the airplay chart today which I am chuffed about.
- So what can we expect from the sound of the new album?
Happy New Year was the first song from it and that really is a motivational 2012 here we come sort of vibe. But the album itself is much broader in its context and subject matter, it’s definitely about moving to a new country, and it’s about bigger subjects and issues that I have written about before.
The first two albums were more relationships based and this is just a slightly bigger context; you have got things about relationships, Before I Close My Eyes is about my daughter being born, the next single is called Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Jones - not quite your normal subject matter.
It’s a similar sound to the previous two albums but I would say it’s a bit more intimate and the subject matter is broader - I thin it’s the best one I have ever done so I am really excited about it.
- You worked with producer Warren Huart on this record so how did you find working with him? How did he influence the album?
He is great. He is an English man living in Los Angeles so I met up with him; there are a lot of English songwriters living out there now. He has been out there a long time and produced some great records - he is a good a lad and we worked really well together.
He really gave me free reign in the studio to do whatever I wanted and that is the best thing I think that anyone can do to an artist who has been around a bit and done a couple of albums.
For the half the time he was up in Boston making the new Aerosmith album so he really just opened his doors to me. The greatest thing that he did, apart from letting me us the piano that Adele played on Someone Like You; also the studios in Hollywood were fantastic, but he kept an eye on it from afar and guided me and gave me the right people to work with.
It was amazing because it really changed the way I felt about making a record because it made my life a lot easier - I just tried everything; I got gospel singers in and horn players in, the actual sound of the album is just a little bit cooler I think.
- You are heavily involved in the writing of the record so how important is it for you to have that massive creative input?
Pretty important, I wouldn’t say I am a control freak but I love to be the driving force behind songs for sure, and as an artist I have got to the point where I know how I want the album to sound.
I have started producing songs and albums for other people as well I was working with… I can come out and say in now because he said it in The Sun the other day… I was working with Lewis Hamilton a couple of weeks ago as he has been getting into song writing an RnB himself.
For me just trying things out with different people is great. I have got a little studio in Santa Monica and I am now really enjoying making records. There is a big French artist who has just gone to number one and I am producing his second single and I have two more on his album.
I have just been working with all of these people in America including The Pussycat Dolls and the Goo Goo Dolls; I ended up co-producing the Goo Goo Dolls single that came out recently, so it’s been a really good creative year for me in America.
- As you’ve said you moved to America a year ago so how have you settled into living in the States? And how did that influence your new album?
In terms of influencing the record it has definitely had a strong impact - I basically married my wife and said ‘let’s go to America’ and she said ‘fine’.
We moved to a national park called Topanga Canyon which is about 45 minutes from LA and it is pretty remote, it is probably one of the remotest parts of LA County. There are a lot of musicians out there but they are stuck away in these little houses in the woods.
So we went out there and my wife (laughs) got busy with making a baby and I was in the guest house writing songs - so the album was pretty much a product of this massive change for both of us; expecting a baby and then having the baby and looking after the baby.
If you are singer/songwriter, which I think I am rather than a pop guy, you write about what influences you and what is happening in your life so you can imagine that it’s had a big effect on the album - but a good one I think.
- You have described it as the album that you have always wanted to make. Totally honest and unafraid of what people might think - so why did you decide that it was the time to make such an honest record?
It’s my third one but I think becoming a parent really changes your view on wanting to impress people as quite as much.
I have always been honest in my writing but I think the difference is I don’t give as much of a f**k about what other people make of it as I use to - I was really worried about how people perceived it.
I had one album that went top 15 which was great, top three in iTunes which was fantastic and was nominated for an Ivor Novello, I know you know all this but I want to put it in some context, I had one album that did relatively well and then one which fell by the wayside because we didn’t get to release a song with Joss because EMI blocked it.
That really didn’t do well and for me to come back and say ‘well this time I don’t really care I just want to make an album that I love’.
This time it is totally independent it has nothing to do with a major record label and it totally self funded and you just think ’well sod it I may as well do it the way that I hear it’ and it has paid off.
- You have touched on my next question really how did you find moving away from a major label and making an album by yourself?
I think it was the right step for me and a logical progression for me. I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with major labels at all, it hasn’t done Adele any harm. If it works then brilliant keep doing that but if it doesn’t try something else.
For me it worked to start with and I am very grateful to EMI for what they did - they picked up my first record and took a punt on me as I wasn’t the youngest first album artist. So I am very grateful to the majors for giving me my start but this was just the right step for me.
- Happy New Year was the first single to be taken off the album so why did you choose this one to release first?
Timing really - it was a bit of a no brainer. I am just glad that it is still growing the fact that it was released on Christmas Day and it is only now that we are really starting to motor gives me confidence that it was the right thing to do.
Plus I took it to the people who I worked with and who have had five number one singles in the last eight nine months as plugger, radio pluggers, and they said ‘it’s massive you have got to do it’. Everyone seemed to react to that song first so that was the one.
- The single has been met well by Radio 2 and we have been hearing it on the likes of Match of the Day so you must be delighted by the response?
It’s still going, it ended up top forty last week on the airplay chart, we never really expected to do well on the singles market because I don’t get on Radio 1 but for the album listener and the Radio 2 listener they do go for that - they want to buy an album.
I was really excited that Radio 2 genuinely said to me ‘we think this is one of the best things that you have ever done so we are going to support you all the way’.
So that was very reassuring for me when you spend your own money on something you do want know that people at least appreciate when you are doing. So that was very cool because I know that they have listened to the rest of the album. I also feel very strongly about the next couple of singles so it all looks good, fingers crossed.
- You mentioned earlier that you had been working with other artists over the last twelve months so are the there any other collaborations on the horizon or people you would like to work with?
Oh year loads. I have never been scared of picking up the phone and asking someone to write with me and that is going really well so far.
I think time will tell now, as I said last year was Pussycat Dolls, Goo Goo Dolls and different artists from all over the world who are going to be coming out in 2012, so there are plenty of other things that I haven’t told you about that will surface as the years goes on. Hopefully onwards and upwards.
- Finally what's coming up for you over the next 12 months are we going to be seeing you on tour?
I sincerely hope so. That is a good question and a lot of your readers can help out with all they have to do is buy the album and I will be out there.
It really is as simple as that if people buy the album and take an interest in the music and what to hear it live then let us know at my Facebook page www.facebook.com/JamieHartmanMusic. I have been take on by this amazing live agent and we have planned it so that when we see how people are reacting to the album we will put a tour around that.
The album is out March 5th so we will see how that is going and then aim for a mid April tour, give people time to sing the songs back to us. So yeah hopefully we will be back a month after the album is released.
Jamie Hartman - III is released 5th March.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Jamie Hartman has already set 2012 alive with his latest single Happy New Year - which is the first song off his new album III.
III is the third album from the singer/songwriter but the first release under his own name.
I caught up with Jamie to talk about the new record, his movie to America and what lies ahead.
- You are about to release a new album so why have you struck out on your own and decided to release under your own name?
As Ben’s Brother I was always signed as a solo artist but I wanted to be in a band with four other guys on tour and I wanted a band name - there were a lot of James’ at the time James Morrison, James Blunt and so I didn’t really want to go down that road to start with.
But I thought it was about time as I have moved on, I am living in another country, this is my third album but I just wanted to come out from behind that mask a bit and just step out on my own.
And it seems to be working which is great - I am very grateful for the fact that people are taking to it really well. It’s quite something to do to change your name in the middle but it seems to be working - we are number 19 on the airplay chart today which I am chuffed about.
- So what can we expect from the sound of the new album?
Happy New Year was the first song from it and that really is a motivational 2012 here we come sort of vibe. But the album itself is much broader in its context and subject matter, it’s definitely about moving to a new country, and it’s about bigger subjects and issues that I have written about before.
The first two albums were more relationships based and this is just a slightly bigger context; you have got things about relationships, Before I Close My Eyes is about my daughter being born, the next single is called Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Jones - not quite your normal subject matter.
It’s a similar sound to the previous two albums but I would say it’s a bit more intimate and the subject matter is broader - I thin it’s the best one I have ever done so I am really excited about it.
- You worked with producer Warren Huart on this record so how did you find working with him? How did he influence the album?
He is great. He is an English man living in Los Angeles so I met up with him; there are a lot of English songwriters living out there now. He has been out there a long time and produced some great records - he is a good a lad and we worked really well together.
He really gave me free reign in the studio to do whatever I wanted and that is the best thing I think that anyone can do to an artist who has been around a bit and done a couple of albums.
For the half the time he was up in Boston making the new Aerosmith album so he really just opened his doors to me. The greatest thing that he did, apart from letting me us the piano that Adele played on Someone Like You; also the studios in Hollywood were fantastic, but he kept an eye on it from afar and guided me and gave me the right people to work with.
It was amazing because it really changed the way I felt about making a record because it made my life a lot easier - I just tried everything; I got gospel singers in and horn players in, the actual sound of the album is just a little bit cooler I think.
- You are heavily involved in the writing of the record so how important is it for you to have that massive creative input?
Pretty important, I wouldn’t say I am a control freak but I love to be the driving force behind songs for sure, and as an artist I have got to the point where I know how I want the album to sound.
I have started producing songs and albums for other people as well I was working with… I can come out and say in now because he said it in The Sun the other day… I was working with Lewis Hamilton a couple of weeks ago as he has been getting into song writing an RnB himself.
For me just trying things out with different people is great. I have got a little studio in Santa Monica and I am now really enjoying making records. There is a big French artist who has just gone to number one and I am producing his second single and I have two more on his album.