Gavin James
Gavin James is a singer/songwriter to watch out for over the coming months as he is set to release his new EP Remember Me; his first release in the UK.
We caught up with him to chat about the new EP, a more produced sound and what lies ahead as we go into 2014.
- You are about to release your debut EP Remember Me, so what can we expect from the new collection of tracks?
I think that there is some different production compared to the tracks that you can hear on YouTube and places like that.
There is more oomph to them and there is a lot more production on the main track as well. I am dead happy with it as it has turned out really well.
A lot of people will be coming to your music for the first time with this EP so how would you sum up the sound of the record?
It is a taster of what the album is going to be like. Remember Me is probably the most produced track on the EP. For You will be similar.
The other tracks are stripped back and acoustic tracks. The album is going to be half and half; stripped back, and with a live feel while others will be more produced.
- There are still a few weeks to go before the release of the record but have you been able to gauge any early response to the new collection of tracks?
Yeah, it is going down really well. People really do seem to like it, which is great. I put it out on SoundCloud last week, and it seems to be getting a great response over the UK as well as in Ireland. I just need to get a video sorted and get that out before the track is released.
- Have you had a chance to play these tracks live? How are they going down with a live audience?
It is great, yeah. I have been playing that song for a while now over here in Ireland; I haven’t had the chance to play it over in the UK just yet. It seems to be going down really well, and people are starting to know the words over here. It is cool.
- The EP sees you work with producer Tom Nichols, so how did that collaboration come about?
We were searching for the right person to do the album, and we had loads of people that we were meeting up and having chats with and were interested in working with me.
We had the choice to go with a singer/songwriter producer; you would know what would happen with an album if we had gone with someone who had worked with a lot of singer/songwriters in the past.
Tom Nichols has more of a pop background and is a bit edgier than what we would have thought to be the obvious choice to go with. I thought that it was different as he wasn’t the obvious producer, but he did a really great job. I am delighted.
- Well, that does lead me into my next question. How did you find working with him? And what do you think his input brought to this record?
It was deadly because we bounced off each other. All the songs that I had written for the album I had never heard with any sort of production on it; I always play them live myself with just my guitar. So we were bouncing off each other, and he had these ideas that I would never have come up with.
He came up with loads of ideas for different drum patterns, and I would be like ‘that is cool’. At the start, I was a little uncertain, and then I would be like ‘shit that sounds a lot different’. The stuff that he came up with was just very cool.
- You say that these tracks are the most produced songs that you ever put out there. So how have you found going down that more produced sound path?
I think it is cool. I am new to all of these, and so I am only really learning about my sound. The album that we have out now is a defined sound and is what the sound is going to be for the next few years, I think.
I do love going gigs by myself with just a guitar - and I will continue to do that - but I am really happy with the way that this EP turned out.
- How hands on are you when it comes to the producing side of things?
I am fairly hands on; I am not afraid to say when I don’t like something (laughs). However, I was always open to anything that he wanted to try, but if I didn’t like it, I would be like ‘let’s not do that’.
Tom and I got on really well and bounced off each other when it came to doing all the production and all the mixes. So it was a really good collaboration.
- You have mentioned that there is a full-length album on the horizon so when are we going to expect that to drop? Have you started working on it?
We are just working on the mixes right now. So we just take another crack at it and iron out some little bits. It should be out in March or April of next year; we haven’t set an exact date yet. But I am hoping for the early part of next year.
- You are also going to be heading out on the road to support Ryan Keen, so how excited are you about getting back out playing live and bringing these tracks to a UK audience?
Oh yeah, I can’t wait. The Ryan Keen tour is the longest tour that I have ever done; I think I am going to be fairly wrecked by the end of it (laughs). It is going to be a great crack. Ryan Keen is also a sound lad as well so I am really looking forward to it.
- It has been a busy year for you as you have already toured with the likes of Kodaline so how was that experience?
That was class. That was really my first taste of doing those sorts of gigs; I was dead lucky to get that. That was a great tour, everything about it was awesome.
- For anyone who has a ticket to the upcoming shows what can they expect from your set?
A little bit of banter - actually a lot of banter. Just a lot of songs that they haven’t heard before that I am going to try to get them to sing.
- So where did your love of music start? And what bands and artists were you listening to as you were growing up?
Pearl Jam was one of the bands that I would listen to a lot. However, I also liked Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens; all the stuff my dad was listening to. He use to bring home tapes from work, and so I was introduced to all of these mad bands.
- Finally, what's next for you going through the rest of this year?
The release in October is the next big thing, and then I have to get on with this tour. I have an Irish tour in December, and that is set to be the biggest one that I have done over here; Ryan Keen is coming over to do that with me as well. It should be fun.
There will probably be another single next year, which will be followed by the album.
Gavin James - Remember Me EP is released 21st October.