Malloy James – Something Died When You Left

By starrymag | August 6, 2024

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) A unique blend of psych-rock, hip-hop, jazz and neo-soul.  I like to think of my style as an open, fluid, artistic, and engaging approach to composition.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I grew up really inspired by musicians like Patti LaBelle, Earth, Wind and Fire and Barry White who created these whole worlds and moods with their work.  I’m also really influenced by Pharrell Williams, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Lenny Kravitz, Solange, Kid Cudi, Lauryn Hill and Childish Gambino.

 

Q) Your 15-track project Something Died When You Left is out now. What are some themes you explore on it?

A) The project is inspired by the idea that we all go through life, living on this huge rock, with so many other people in different places, but it’s easy to feel like your reality is the only one. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in whatever is going on with you that you forget, billions of other lives are moving forward on parallel tracks, and it is happening simultaneously.  We’re all the center of our own narrative. With this project, I was exploring that constant of synchronicity – while I’m having this low point somebody’s having a high point or lower point or while I’m having this okay time somebody’s having a greater time or a worse time.

The tracks reflect multiple versions of reality, multiple perspectives, multiple experiences that are contrasting and harmonious – the good and the bad are all always happening at the same time in a balance. If you look at the track list it also kind of reflects that with the titles of all the tracks, almost reading like a travel journal through Paris, Shibuya, Santa Fe, New York and beyond.  Some of these reflect the places in my life and reality and others are channeling a dream, an aspiration, a vision.

 

Q) When it comes to your songwriting, what is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Song writing is therapy for me.  The order varies – whether music or lyrics come first – but it’s about creating a vibe.

 

Q) You wrote, produced, composed and mixed this project all by yourself. Why was that so important for you to handle everything on your own?

A) I like to be hands on. I like knowing that it’s the truest, rawest form of my ideas and no one has been filtered through anyone else’s lens.  Keeping the process tight it very important to me.

 

Q) Which song(s) hold a special significance for you off the project and why are they so dear to your heart?

A) They all hold a lot of significance – this is the project that has taken me the longest to complete, in large part because everything is so carefully considered and felt.  If I had to choose one, it would be Southern California, which brings me back to the time I spent living on the west coast.

 

Q) What songs off this project are you looking forward to performing live?

A) “Southern California” and “400 Acres” because they set a specific mood – I’m excited to feel that with a live audience.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from exploring Something Died When You Left as a whole – either as a message or emotionally?

A) I hope people get a feeling of wholeness and connectedness.  The album is a set of disparate stories and experiences that are meant to work together and, in a way, it mirrors the way our lives can feel like a million different lives.  Hearing it all come together, I hope it stitches things into a cohesive whole for people.

 

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

A) New York, of course, because it’s home.  But I’m about to do my first show in Tokyo and am really looking forward to that.

 

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

A) Solange.  I feel like we have similar views on ways to push sound and artistry and I really respect her practice and approach.

 

Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) Mk.gee – he’s really bringing something different to his sound that is refreshing.

 

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

A) I want to let them know that I appreciate them all, I’m humbled by the support and I’m excited to see where we’ll go together.  We’ve only just begun…