Daniel James
Daniel James is back with his brand new single A Lonely Man, which sees him take on a bigger and bolder sound than ever before.
We caught up with him to chat about the new track, plans for an album and what lies ahead for him for the rest of this year.
- A Lonely Man is your new single so what can fans expect from this latest track?
Fans can expect a showcase of my song-writing; I am really interested in telling stories in my songs. They can expect, hopefully, a bit of a story; part of it is what I consider struggling actually is. So it is quite different.
- That does lead me into my next question. This is an incredibly atmospheric track about a man's struggle, so where did the inspiration for the song come from?
It was just an idea. I watch a lot of documentaries, and I was just thinking about something that was extreme and what I hadn't looked into before.
I was in the studio with my friend, and he had just read a book called The Grapes of Wrath, and it is all about struggles in Middle America; we just talked about it and that was where it came from really. It is not about a particular person as it is just imagination as well as some research as well.
- How are you finding the response to the track so far?
It has been really good and really positive. I have been really lucky to have Charm Factory doing the PR, and they have done a really good job.
I find it really exciting because I wake up every day, and the first think that I do is check the social stuff; it seems to be getting a really nice response.
- Can you talk a bit about the video, the idea behind it and where it was shot? How much input did you have into the concept?
It was shot in Cologne, Germany, and it was shot by these two German artists who had got in contact with my management. We just discussed some ideas. They were pretty free to do... there were some other ideas that were filmed and sent over.
Because it was done for free there are some things that I maybe would have changed if I had had a budget. But, at this stage, I am really pleased with it.
As far as ideas were concerned, we discussed certain things beforehand, but it was all filmed in one day.
We would get some cuts, and we would be like ‘do you have more of this?’ So the video really came together through talking.
- You released The Stone and the Hollow and Jackdaw online earlier this year so is there a debut album on the horizon?
Definitely. Not in the immediate future, but I have basically found my producer and the guy that I write a lot of my stuff with.
We are working hard. Once I get a budget... I don’t want to do anything half-heartedly because if I am going to do an album, I want to do it really well and make sure that it is the best that it can be. Hopefully, it won’t be too long.
- You have found who you want to work with for the album, so what were you looking for in your producer?
I am not exactly sure. The guy whom I wrote A Lonely Man with is also a producer and is signed with Sony.
We just went in there... co-writing is a weird scenario as you meet someone you have never met before, and then you talk and try to write a song. It is ridiculous.
We really just started talking like normal human beings, and we progressed from there. He really understands what I want to do, and I understand what he wants to do.
- The co-writing process is an interesting one as you say. I talk to a lot of musicians, and some just want to write by themselves while others only write with other people. Where do you stand on the whole thing?
I still do write a lot by myself. There can be times as a song-writer where it can be useful... I have no shame in going ‘I need help here’. You would be shocked at the number of people who completely write their own music as there are not many of them.
Someone may have written their whole album, but when it comes to the production phase the songs usually change; I am almost saving myself that process. I trust who I am working with.
- You are also going to be playing live in London on 9th September so have you played this track new track live yet? How has it been going down with live audiences?
I have played four shows with all of my new stuff, and I usually play this as the last song. There is another song called, We Are The Fire; I play that before A Lonely Man, and that is going down well.
However, A Lonely May does get great feedback - it is the end song, and I want to end the show on a bit of a boom.
- So what have you got planned for your London gig for anyone who has a ticket?
For the 9th, people should expect something that is raw; it is me and an acoustic guitar I have got a few peddles and a stomp box. I am singing my soul. It is very minimal, but it is honest; I feel like that is what is working at the moment.
- You are also going to be supporting Laura Aquilina on 12th September, so how did that come about?
That was through my agent Nick Matthews; he also looks after Emeli Sande. I am also supporting Liam Frost in St Pancreas Old Church on 2nd and 3rd - it is all on my Facebook. Liam Frost is from Manchester, and he is a really good singer/songwriter.
I am just playing good gigs when they come and showcasing these new songs. I am just really excited to get on the stage and singing really.
- You are originally from Northern Ireland, but you have made the move to London, so how have you found that move?
I have played four shows with all of my new stuff and I usually play this as the last song. There is another song called We Are The Fire, I play that before A Lonely Man, and that is going down well.
I know my new single is called A Lonely Man, but I am not really that lonely (laughs). It has been really fun, and I have got really good friends here. It has been really high tempo; it has just been none stop.
I came here three years ago to start a foundation art and design course, but I decided that that was not where I wanted to go. The music has always been calling, but I didn’t really have the balls to do it. So I just decided to write some songs, and it went from there really.
- Where did your love of music start? And is this the career that you always envisioned for yourself?
I haven’t wanted to be a singer/songwriter all of my life; I think that was purely because I didn’t really know if I had what it takes. It has been a really fast two years as I have been getting use to it and taking myself seriously to the point where I could do really well.
I have been really interested in art and in school, I loved sport, so I have done a lot of different things. But it makes sense now that I am doing this.
- Finally, what is next for you?
We have been visiting a lot of labels - from America as well. I am not concentrating on that as I am focusing on the shows and writing songs at the moment as I want to continue making this music.
I feel like I am writing the best stuff that I have ever written right now, and I am writing with the best people. It is exciting. The next six months look like they are going to be jam packed.