In Conversation Wth - James Smith
East London’s James Smith has just released his new EP, which sees him mixing deep into the styles of Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Paolo Nutini, and provides us with a first full taste of what is to come from this unique artist. He took a moment to talk to us about playing to rowdy crowds in East Ham Working Men’s Club, getting kicked out of school and how the EP came together.
Your EP is out now, how does it feel?
I’m over the moon! I’ve had such a good response to it. It feels like a big step for me because it’s the first project I’ve released in which I’ve really felt like an artist and spoke about things which are true to me! My friends also really like it which is a first haha. They reckon the music sounds like me for the first time!
Some of your earliest shows were playing at East Ham Working Men’s Club, who sort of crowds did you play to? Care to share some memories with us?
So I used to play to crowds of pissed up market traders ’n rowdy football fans - it was proper ‘old school east end’ - sort of felt like something out of the Kray twins.
It gave me an understanding of how different crowds react. They weren’t as in to my own stuff but loved it when I played a bit of ‘Folsom Prison Blues’. They all come to my shows now when I play in London and bloody love it!
You were kicked out of school at the age of fifteen, what did you do?
It was a series of things really, I used to spend my time playing pranks all the time. We’d moved from Upton Park down to Upminster and I guess I was trying to fit…..it was a tough time.
But from that, you started working on a market stall selling soap with your dad, how do you feel that shaped you as a character? And do you feel it has influenced your song writing style?
Well, it made me grow up young. Made me realise how important it is to graft and not mess about so much. I suppose it’s rubbed off on me - I spend as much time as I can in the studio because I’m determined to make it to the top! Working on the stalls also helped to ground me as a person, I learned that I don’t need to act up and show off to be myself - I can just be me and that’s fine. I sort of feel that I do that in my music - I’m not really trying to show off, I’m just trying to be truthful to myself and my roots!
What would you say are the key inspirations on your EP? And what sort of message were you trying to put on it?
The EP was all written within two weeks of each other and it’s all about a four year relationship that ended. The EP sort of sums up that two week period of my life, explaining the emotions I had dealing with this breakup. Bob Dylan is a huge inspiration for my writing and lyricism and that’s another reason I chose to put the Bob Dylan cover at the end. It’s also my dad’s favourite song, so hats off to him for having good taste in music.
Do you have a favorite lyric from the EP? If so, which one and why?
Rely On Me was probably the most truthful and blatant thing I’ve ever written. The chorus lyric being ‘you still rely on me and i still rely on you for things that we shouldn’t’ It’s so simple but says so many things. I know it’s not genius but it is just sooo real and i love it.
The EP features a Bob Dylan cover, which is also your dad’s favorite song, how does he feel about you version?
Well when I played it to him, he was very proud and LOVED the harmonica - but, however, he did say ‘you do know that bob dylan fans might hate it and prefer his version’ which I thought was class ahaha. Good ol constructive feedback.
Now the EP is out there, what next? What are your plans for the next few months?
Well, I’ve got sooooo much more music just sitting here ready to be released. So the plan is to grow as much as possible this year with my fans - continue to up the shows as much as poss - then hopefully get to an album. The new music will actually blow everyone’s minds, this EP is just the first step
Headline show at the Scala 21 st April - On sale here.