Having already spent the last few months releasing a wave of bold and impressive singles so far this year, London-based singer and songwriter Jim Jam has now returned with his latest offering ‘Work’.
With a distinct and vibrant aesthetic that borrows the wistful flow of Radiohead as much as the psychedelic efforts of Tame Impala, ‘Work’ makes for a wonderfully bright and euphoric return. Filled with soft and supple alt-pop overtones, his latest gem is the shimmering return we were all expecting from him.
So with his new release available now, we sat down with him to find out more about it and what he has planned in the near future?
Words by Chris Bound
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Chris) Hi Jim, how are you today?
Jim) I am doing very well thank you. Currently listening to the cricket and drinking a cup of tea. Very busy.
For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound and who have been your biggest influences so far?
I really struggle with that question. I listen to such a wide variety of music and like to think everything I hear gives me a different perspective. But I always revert back to artists in the singer-songwriter mould. I am a big fan of the folk singers of the 60's and 70s and the sounds of such artists as Nick Drake are never forgotten when writing.
My songs now have taken on a life encompassing more modern inspirations such as Beck, and perhaps in this song Tame Impala. Everything is based around soft vocal lines sitting alongside acoustically written songs that are starting to incorporate electronic sounds that are perhaps reminiscent of artists such as Jose Gonzalez. Essentially they are Low-fi pop tracks with a psych experimental quality.
You have just released your new single ‘Work’. Can you tell us how that track came about?
‘Work’ (set for release on 28th August) is the second instalment of a succession of new music I’m releasing this year. On this track I teamed up with my good friend, producer and session musician, Ben Scott. We were actually working on another song (to be released soon) and had a few hours left to kill in the studio and ended up coming up with this song. It is constructed around a beautiful classical piano melody I’d written and we just went from there. I don’t think I’ve created a song from writing to finished piece so quickly, and I’m really pleased with the quality we achieved in such a short space of time.
And was there a particular style you were looking for when you wrote it?
I was listening to Moby’s album ‘Play’ a lot and thought this song would sit well alongside that sound. The piano melody I’d written was the key to that and it was all about how to texture a subtle electronic ambiance over the top.
Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
I have four new songs I’m going to release across the rest of 2020 and perhaps they’ll end up as an EP. But I have also been working on the project ‘You, Me & Him’ with my good friend and Double Bass player extraordinaire Max Goff and we have a completed album ready for release which I’m really excited about.
The coronavirus outbreak has obviously affected everyone’s plans, but what have you got in store for the rest of the year?
I work in the music industry, particularly in live music so it's been a really hard time. The live scene has just evaporated which is hard for a lover of music as well as someone who makes a living out of it. I feel more fortunate than a lot of my friends who I know have been hit hard, and it still seems we're a way off resuming any normality within a live musical environment. But for the time being I have my next single 'Big Bad World' which I hope to get released soon. And as soon as we're allowed I'd love to get out and play some live shows.
And finally, what is your fondest memory since you started this project?
I will really cherish the time being in the studio with my friends. I feel very fortunate to be able to make the music I love with lots of laughs along the way. That’s pretty special.