James Vickery – Overture

By starrymag | August 13, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound? 

A) Soulful and Passionate

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I look up to people like Nao who has stuck with her sound from day one and has crafted her own lane. I’m definitely trying to do that myself. As a UK Male R&B Singer, I want to cover all bases of R&B and experiment with all the subforms with it, keep people guessing what they can expect from me next. The thing that ties it all together is the vocal. I am also the biggest Daniel Caeser fan. He is a huge inspiration for everything that I do.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Spanish Rose.”

A) I went through a phase of listening to everything The Neptunes produced and became infatuated with “Justified.” I’d be lying if “Senorita” wasn’t a huge inspiration behind “Spanish Rose,” so much so that we used the same technique Pharrell used in “Like I Love You” where he hits a different snare in the verses. I said to Maths [Times Joy] (the producer) that I wanted to do something similar and we did that in the verses of “Spanish Rose.” The lyrics came about because I was so besotted with a Spanish girl I was with at the time, her body was CRAZY. I had to write a song about it.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) It definitely feels like a song from the early 00’s era, so people feel a certain nostalgia when listening to it.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) We bought in the James Cousins Dance company for the video who really captured the emotion of the track and my favorite director Cameron Turnbull who allowed me to feel so free and step outside my comfort zone.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

A) I’ve had this notebook that I’ve written every song from day one up until now. I often read it and laugh how bad the first few pages were, but it’s great to appreciate the journey from then to now. It’s a miracle I haven’t lost it, but I’m about to finish the book which is sad. Gonna upgrade to a Moleskine soon, we out here.

 

Q) The track is produced by Maths Time Joy and Louis Mattrs, but how much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

A) I actually produced the guitar part of “Spanish Rose.” It was the first part of the song that I wrote and produced and the rest of the song was built around it.

 

Q) What are some themes you will be exploring on your new EP Overture?

A) All of my songs stem from my own personal experiences of love and relationships.

 

Q) What songs off your EP are you looking forward to performing live?

A) Honestly, all of them. I absolutely love performing live, it’s a big part of my project.

 

Q) Will there be any upcoming live performances from home to promote the EP?

A) I actually have my own series on YouTube called LIVE from London – where I perform all my songs in unique locations in my hometown with a full band. We managed to shoot all of these before the lockdown, so have been rolling these out post EP release!

 

Q) What are your personal favorites tracks on the album and why do they hold a special place in your heart?

A) “Turn Me On” is my current favorite off the EP, but “Something Good” is one of the most special songs I have ever written.

 

Q) What do you hope fans take away from listening to your new EP as a whole?

A) That R&B as a genre is so diverse, but I am capable of doing the whole spectrum!

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

A) I played a headline show in LA at the end of 2019 and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever played. We also played in South Africa last year and that was incredible. My family are from South Africa, so it was a special one for sure.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) It’s got to be Daniel Caeser, who is a huge inspiration for everything that I do!

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) At the moment I am loving this new artist from Toronto called Dylan Sinclair, everyone needs to go check him out. The R&B coming out of Toronto right now is incredible!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) It really allows fans to know me for who I am. My friends and family will tell you I am an open book, so if you follow me on social media you will see that!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you, you have changed my life!