Jeffrey James
The first time I featured Jeffrey James was for his single “Downtown”. I remember being super excited about this artist because of his crazy vocals, timeless melodies and the production behind the song. I’ve been following what he has been doing ever since and it looks like things have been nothing but positive for him. I’m so happy to get to feature him once again on my blog. His new song “Beautiful Ones” is the kind of songs that will instantly make you happy. It’s an anthem. A feel-good song, and a smash.
He has a brand new EP coming up and I can’t wait to hear all these new songs.
”Beautiful Ones” is now available everywhere !
Hi Jeffrey! How are you? What have you been up to since our first interview?
Hello! I’m super great, thank you for asking. Since the East London EP, I’ve released another EP - Songs I Found In The Year I Lost - and a handful of new singles and collaborations. Over the past two years I’ve also had music featured in a few commercials for Ford and Xbox. I also recently featured on a song by DJ Dave Audé called “Break Out” that hit #5 on the UK Dance charts. It’s been a busy couple years!
You're getting ready to release your new single "Beautiful Ones" - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
I wanted to write some happy and upbeat music. I wanted my own music to pick me up the way I usually use other artists' music to put me in a good mood. When I wrote “Beautiful Ones,” it was a damn near perfect, sunny day. I was feeling confident about life and love and all the good stuff. So, I decided to chase that feeling and bottle it up into a song.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? Who helped you create it?
I wrote this song with Brett Truitt, who also produced the track. It was the second time we had worked together but we were already in a killer groove. He worked on the arrangement while I was writing lyrics, coming up with melodies, and yelling at him from the other side of the room which sounds I liked and which sounds I didn’t. Then, he’d chime in with more lyrical and melody ideas to add to mine. We did that back and forth for about 3 to 4 hours until the song was done and recorded. We spent a few more days adding small pieces here and there but 90% of the song was truly finished on that first day!
What did you feel when writing this song?
It’s probably obvious, but I was in a great mood while writing “Beautiful Ones.” Brett and I work so well together and his studio is bright and open. Good vibes all around!
What made you want to release "Beautiful Ones" as a single?
The song felt like it wanted to be heard and I wanted to send some joy out into the world.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The artwork is a collage of a handful of old public domain images that spoke to me for different reasons. And we mixed in pics taken from a recent trip I took around Italy and Croatia. The skyline is from a sunset in Sicily. The “sun” is a cafe table that caught my eye while walking around Rome. A few of the flowers are from Rome as well. The mansion was on the coast of Rovinj, Croatia. The people swimming are my wife and our best friends in the Adriatic Sea. And that’s my French Bulldog, Kipo (Kee-poh), sitting in his tin tub that we use as a little pool for him. It’s also poignant that he is side-eying the camera. He’s a judge-y asshole. It’s what I love most about him. The pic of me was taken by Chance Edwards!
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP?
“Beautiful Ones” is a great precursor to the EP. It’s my most uptempo and feel-good project yet. There’s a lot of 90 alt/indie pop-rock influences in there as well!
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part is creating music that you love. And the best part is creating music that you love.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to play the social media game as much as artists need to these days. Most days I’d rather be an emo hermit and sit in my room in my boxers, writing songs and recording them. But I also love connecting with fans and finding music communities all over the world faster and easier than any generation of artists could in the past. So, it’s a give and take.
What advice would you give to artists out there?
Keep making music that speaks to you.
What biggest lessons have you learned since the beginning of your career?
Patience is everything.
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