by chris richmond
photo by shervin lainez
dba James is everything an independent artist should be. He's completely and utterly singular in his vision, with each of his sonically-fascinating tracks feeling like an insight into the inner-workings of his mind. The genre is rock with a grungy twist, with a definite sense of rough-and-ready, homemade-ness permeating the soundscape. It all makes for a compelling listen, and we were lucky enough to chat with dba James about his process when it comes to song creation, his career so far, and his plans for the future.
Thank you so much for chatting to us, James. Your music is super interesting! Your single “45” is out now. What was the inspiration behind the creation of the song? How did you know it had to be a single?
dba James: “Thank you! ‘45’ came out all at once, it took about 30 minutes to write… I usually know a song has to be a single if it arrives that quickly. It’s about craving solitude while living amongst millions. I think people have to do work to be ok alone, ‘45’ is what that work sounded like for me.”
Your big hit is “Trad Future” with over 200,000 listens in Spotify. What’s the story behind that song? What was your headspace like when that song came to fruition?
dba James: “‘Trad Future’ is about the world ending while I’m in a (rented) Range Rover. I hate peddling existential terror but it’s on my mind a lot. This song is a picture of the apocalypse from the perspective of an excellent consumer. Some might repent at the end, but this character embraces it. I think I’ll totally lose it when the world ends which is why it was so fun to write from this vantage point.”
What’s your favorite song of yours that you’ve released so far? Is there any that you’re particularly proud of?
dba James: “‘Trad Future’ was one of the first times I forgot all methods of production and just did what sounded good. The song is clipping, poorly mixed and like way, way too loud. But it’s perfect for me.”
What’s your creative process? How do you go from not having a song to having a song?
dba James: “It’s always a mantra stuck in my head. If it manifests in real life (subway ad, stranger talking, etc.), I write it. A lot of these mantras come when I pray. Some I’ll keep for myself, some become songs.”
Who are your musical inspirations? What sort of space in the musical sphere would you like to fill?
dba James: “My influence ranges from Marlon Dubois to Tom Petty. Some SoundCloud remixes and demos from friends have been influential too. Rock is the medium, but the exciting part for me is changing the color of the formula. I love it when people listen and say they’ve never heard anything like it, even if they’re lying!”
You had a gig on the 20th of April in New York at Heaven Can Wait. How do you prepare for something like that?
dba James: “4/20 baby! I just rehearse a lot and stretch. Maybe I’ll have a drink or two depending on what I ate that day. I’m usually running around right before I play, I love the idea of having to snap into it and get on stage. My goal for shows is to spread my energy from the first row to the door. Just send it to someone who wants it. I have way too much. The songs themselves are secondary to the performance in my mind. If I leave exhausted, I did okay.”
You call your live shows a “Day Off.” What’s the story behind that?
dba James: “It’s called Day Off because it’s what I’d do on the weekends even if I had a different life, like a job and everything. I’m lucky to play and when I do, it kind of feels like I’m skipping class.”
You’re a relatively new artist with your first single released just last year. What are some of the difficulties of navigating the machine that is the music industry as a smaller artist?
dba James: “Constantly explaining yourself is necessary as a new artist. It takes a long time for ideas to spread, so being at the beginning of one means I have to repeat myself a lot, but I’m fine with that. I wouldn’t trade this period for anything.”
What have been some of your highlights of your career so far?
dba James: “Hitting capacity at my first Day Off was special. It’s cute and tiny and the crowd was great to me. Thank you to whoever came if you’re reading this!!”
What are your goals for the next year or so? What would you like to achieve? Is there an album coming?
dba James: “I want to write a ton more songs and keep communicating with people. One of the best parts of the craft is aligning with those I’ve never met. A second EP is up next for me. I want to do more interviews like this too… some critical thinkers in here! Thanks for all the great questions. :)”