- 14 minutes ago
James Marriott reveals the poignant story behind his number one album Don't Tell the DogThe Independent, Camille Chorley
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00James Marriott is a YouTuber turned musician whose 2025 album Don't Tell the Dog
00:06beat the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and Oasis to a UK number one album.
00:13Now he's lending his indie pop sound to the stage at Latitude Festival.
00:17James, welcome to the Independent Studios. How are you?
00:20Thank you so much. That's very kind. I always find that comment quite funny
00:23because it's like as if they released debut albums or they just released an album that week
00:28but it was old albums so it was yeah it was a win but it was at what cost you
00:33know.
00:34Do you know what? We still use it as the plug. It's still in the show.
00:37Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sabrina Carpenter. That's the title.
00:39And the Oasis you know in their comeback year as well.
00:43Yeah, yeah. I do have that great fear of some older man coming after me being like
00:49you didn't actually beat them. I know I didn't. I'm sorry.
00:53How was it finding out that you'd got a UK number one album?
00:56It's so weird. You kind of like because the first album I released I think got to number 17 in
01:02the album charts
01:02and it was kind of a last minute like oh maybe we should kind of go for something here
01:06and then it did really well for you know the amount of work we put into it at the time
01:10and it was received really well by my audience which was fantastic.
01:13And then with the second campaign and with AWOL it was kind of how do we build on that
01:18and how do we kind of push for a slightly better spot
01:20and then you kind of don't want to think too much about it.
01:23Like yeah a top 10 would be great, a top 5 would be great and I think more is fantastic
01:27for sure.
01:29But it really only, it's a very temperamental thing.
01:32You kind of find out a couple of weeks before who's releasing in your week
01:37and then if it's worth like truly going for it in that sense.
01:40So it's very last minute and the pressure seems to kind of mount as time goes on.
01:46And yeah it was terrifying, like gently quite terrifying.
01:52We found out in the mid-weeks that we were doing quite well
01:55and that's obviously when the official charts start going,
01:58like they start gearing up for interviews and stuff
02:00and they do this interview on the Tuesday.
02:02Bear in mind that the results are on the Friday
02:03and they give you the award on the Tuesday and do the interview on the Tuesday
02:07so they can post it when it's announced.
02:10But you have no idea if you've got it or not.
02:12So there's probably an archive of artists holding number one awards
02:17and doing interviews when they don't get it.
02:19Oh my gosh, I'd want that footage.
02:21You're right, there's a part of my brain now that I know that.
02:24I'm like oh I want to see, I want the drama.
02:26But yeah it was one of those moments.
02:29The only thing I can really equate it to is getting my A-level results back.
02:33So having a number moment like that in my adult life
02:36was kind of like where my sister was really proud of my A-level results.
02:40And then kind of, you know, talking to my friends and family
02:43just calling everyone I knew and just being in tears about it.
02:46Because you just, it's not something you can ever really predict.
02:49So it happened and you're like well now it's happened.
02:51And now there's a little gold award in my apartment
02:54that I just kind of look at every now and then.
02:55I'm like that's weird, that's there.
02:57But yeah, no it was fantastic.
02:59So you said that you kind of phoned out a few weeks
03:02before going into that who you're going to be up against.
03:06Like when you saw the name Sabrina Carpenter in Oasis
03:09were you just like, ah it's not worth doing there.
03:12Well it's one of those things where when artists of that ilk
03:16are kind of coming back and doing tours
03:18you kind of, it's actually a little bit predictive.
03:21You can kind of assume what kind of units they're going to get in that week.
03:25Sorry to get really scientific about it.
03:26But it's, you kind of know like if we can get above this number
03:30we have a really good shot here.
03:31Unless an artist comes out like, so for example
03:35a Taylor Swift might come midweek and be like
03:37here's this vinyl version and then you're done.
03:40So it's one of those situations.
03:42But you know we didn't have too much pressure on it.
03:45We thought it could happen.
03:46If it didn't happen we were still really proud of the work that we'd done.
03:50Really happy with the way it was all received.
03:53And it was just kind of a cherry on top really.
03:56It was a really lovely situation.
03:58Well that's very humble of you to like not want to
04:02you know hammer home the Sabrina Carpenter bit.
04:04But I would.
04:06Congratulations.
04:07The music comes first for me.
04:09Like we were really proud of that record
04:10and we're really proud of the next one.
04:12And that for me is the most important thing.
04:15The people that got me to that position
04:17that were actually you know going out
04:19coming to the meet and greets, coming to the shows
04:22and buying the album and streaming the album
04:24or even just like listening to it
04:27from someone else's Spotify or anything.
04:30It was mainly you know it was for those people
04:32that the award kind of goes more to them
04:34than it does to me.
04:35So yeah.
04:36And how does Don't Tell the Dog differ
04:39from your previous work then?
04:41It's I would say it kind of
04:43I was really trying to establish myself
04:46as an indie artist before Don't Tell the Dog.
04:48I really wanted to kind of follow on
04:51from kind of the Bitter Tongues EP with Grapes
04:55and kind of establish more as an indie rock artist.
04:57I think because of that was what was widely
05:00thought of me in my space.
05:02But then as time has gone on
05:03and I've listened to more and more music
05:05I found my interest leaning for the first time
05:07more towards pop music.
05:09And so what I love about Don't Tell the Dog
05:12and the work we did on that
05:12is that kind of trying to find that through line
05:14between indie and pop
05:15which now is kind of the way that I write music
05:19in some kind of weird middle point
05:20between the two
05:21with some kind of like countryish influence
05:23every now and then.
05:24And I guess at the heart of it all is my lyrics
05:28which are very honest
05:29and sometimes a little bit self-scaping
05:31but I try to remain as honest with myself
05:33sometimes to a pretty weird point
05:37where I start writing in ways
05:39that become predictive about my life.
05:41It's a really hard thing to describe
05:42but I will sometimes go back half a year after
05:45I've written a lyric and go
05:46oh my god that's what this was about
05:48and I hadn't even really consciously thought of it
05:51in my personal life by that point.
05:54So yeah it was a
05:56I like to think that every single record
05:58that myself and my team work on
06:00is a significant step up from the previous one
06:02and we felt that way with Don't Tell the Dog
06:04and with the next album as well.
06:07Writing those lyrics
06:08because I read that it kind of happened
06:10across the space of a year
06:11whilst you were going through therapy
06:13and then you recorded it quite fast
06:16in three weeks.
06:17Three weeks.
06:18I think it was 18 days.
06:20How, tell me a bit about that process.
06:22Hold it.
06:23I wouldn't recommend that for anyone.
06:25It was kind of getting to the point
06:27because I, a lot of the studio time
06:30I spend with my live band as well
06:31and then our producer Alexi
06:33who's from Finland
06:34he kind of, we fly him to wherever we are
06:36and then he helps us out.
06:39We kind of have this long process
06:41of demo creation
06:41before we get into the studio
06:44where we kind of bounce these ideas
06:46off of each other.
06:46Sometimes I go and do writing sessions
06:48with different people.
06:49Sometimes it's with Jono
06:50my, kind of my keys player
06:52but also, you know
06:53my main writing partner
06:54we have a really sincere level
06:55of comfort writing with one another
06:56and then these ideas are bounced off
06:58of each other
06:59and kind of, kind of like a Lego tower
07:02kind of like built up
07:03into these final pieces
07:04and then quite often last minute
07:05there'll be these huge lyric overhauls
07:08where I just feel like
07:09no, this is not
07:10this song isn't about this thing
07:11it's about this thing
07:13and the lyrics primarily come from me
07:15they are, sometimes there's a lyric
07:17which when you write a song
07:19it just has to be a lyric
07:20like with, like
07:22I don't want to live like this
07:23or something like that
07:23that is the first thing
07:24that came out of my mouth
07:25when that song was being written
07:26and then it's like
07:27okay, well that has to be the lyric
07:29but then the verses
07:31and the bridges
07:31and stuff like that
07:32that really does take
07:33a lot of rework for me
07:34that's my favourite song
07:36on the album
07:36thank you
07:37I think it's the kind of
07:40weirdly the big inspiration
07:41behind that was
07:42Carly Rae Jepsen
07:43which is a really weird thing
07:44to think
07:45I don't think that's weird at all
07:46yeah, it was like
07:47kind of lending back
07:49into that really
07:49as poppy as we could get it
07:51really
07:53but yeah
07:53very happy with the album
07:55I thought it was a good album
07:56you also sampled
07:58quite a few
07:59unusual noises
08:00am I wrong here?
08:02tell me about Swing
08:03how on earth did that happen?
08:04so it was a slide
08:06a slide
08:07okay
08:07so it was in
08:08Big Jelly Studios
08:09in Ramsgate
08:10which is a great studio
08:11great studio
08:12sorry
08:13break the ball
08:13there's his office moment
08:14yeah
08:15oh there's my office moment
08:16and they did this
08:18magnificent thing
08:19right
08:19where there's a control room
08:20where the kind of
08:22the producer sits
08:23the recording engineer sits
08:24and then there's like
08:25this
08:25that's above the room
08:26and then there's this
08:27kind of great space
08:28underneath it
08:28where you can put like a band
08:29or like there's a vocal booth
08:31and all of that
08:31but
08:32there's stairs
08:33to kind of get
08:33up and down
08:34and sometimes it's long
08:35to kind of
08:36be going down
08:37and setting up the mics again
08:38and oh we've got to go
08:39and like change some
08:40amp settings or whatever
08:41so what these guys did
08:42in Big Jelly
08:43is they put a slide
08:44where the stairs are
08:45so you can just
08:47and I don't know
08:47how safe it is
08:48but you can just
08:49rocket yourself
08:50down this slide
08:51and whenever we're
08:52in a studio
08:52which has something authentic
08:54and kind of
08:56individual about it
08:57we try and use it
08:58for something
08:59yeah
08:59so for that
09:01it was the slide
09:02at the beginning
09:02of Something's Wrong
09:03there's kind of this
09:04whoo sound
09:05and that's our producer
09:07bending the slide
09:09not breaking it
09:10and for the next record
09:12I think we
09:12there were some chimes
09:14in the studio
09:15so we did this big
09:16chime
09:16chime swirl thing
09:18and then just chucked it
09:20for a load of guitar pedals
09:21and it's
09:21at the beginning
09:22of one of the songs
09:23really mashed up
09:24but it doesn't sound
09:25like chimes at all
09:26so yeah
09:27we like to do
09:28kind of quirky
09:28we're quirky
09:29we do quirky little things
09:30every now and then
09:30I love that
09:31I love
09:31they've got a slide
09:32in the office
09:33guys I think we should
09:33get a slide in the office
09:34you should
09:35all the way down
09:36the building as well
09:37just keep going
09:38yeah
09:40the title
09:41Don't Tell the Dog
09:43I want to know
09:43a little bit more
09:44about that
09:45because this was
09:45this kind of came
09:46from your childhood dog
09:48that you had
09:49how did this start
09:50Don't Tell the Dog
09:51it was
09:52I was kind of
09:54wanting to write
09:56an album which played
09:57on attachment theory
09:58a little bit
09:59and the kind of
10:00the ways in which
10:01your childhood
10:03affect your adulthood
10:04in ways
10:05like you don't really
10:06realise it's happening
10:07until you kind of
10:08go back over your history
10:09and go
10:09oh maybe this is the reason
10:10why I react to these
10:11sorts of situations
10:12or whatever
10:12so for me it was about
10:13establishing a through line
10:15between things that
10:16happened to me as a child
10:17and the way in which
10:17I react to
10:18friendships and relationships
10:20and my family
10:21as an adult
10:22and I found
10:23my dog
10:25Jasper
10:25to be a really
10:27interesting point of pivot
10:28in my life
10:29where I basically
10:31didn't thought
10:31a lot of family
10:32personal reasons
10:33I didn't see this dog
10:34for at least a year
10:36maybe a couple of years
10:37and he died
10:37in that period of time
10:39and the last thing
10:40I saw of him
10:41was his ashes
10:41being thrown into the ocean
10:42so the dog is blue
10:43on the album cover
10:44for that reason
10:45and for me it was
10:46there was this level
10:47of so much of my life
10:48changing in that period
10:49of my life
10:50from what would have been
10:51probably 14 to 16 years old
10:53around that area
10:54and don't tell the dog
10:56is essentially
10:58struggling to communicate
10:59that change
10:59with something
11:00you no longer
11:00have contact with
11:03and trying to establish
11:04the differences
11:05that you've made
11:05in your life
11:06since your childhood
11:07so yeah that's
11:08that's kind of it
11:09then the other side
11:10of it is I really
11:11like the idea
11:11of having a very
11:12block coloured
11:13white album
11:13blue dog
11:14with the title being
11:15don't tell the dog
11:16you're kind of
11:16looking at this dog
11:17and going like
11:17what do I know
11:19so yeah it's very
11:20like interactive
11:21in that sense
11:21who is the dog
11:22in the Instagram photos
11:23because that's
11:23obviously not the dog
11:25no it's not
11:26who is the dog
11:27in the Instagram photos
11:27it's my friend's dog
11:28who apparently
11:30does a lot of shoots
11:31so there you go
11:32superstar in his own right
11:34superstar yeah
11:34not a big enough dog
11:35it should have been
11:36a golden retriever
11:38you had some
11:39very popular videos
11:40back in the day
11:41on YouTube
11:42I mean still now
11:44where but these
11:45particular videos
11:46you would comment
11:47on other YouTubers
11:50who were trying
11:51to make it as singers
11:52yeah how dare they
11:53and branching out
11:54into the music industry
11:55at what point
11:56did the light bulb
11:57go off for you
11:58and you decided
12:00that no actually
12:01I'm going to do this
12:01as well now
12:02I think kind of
12:03not to tread on
12:05my own toes
12:06here too much
12:06but I think a lot
12:07of content like that
12:08online especially
12:09in that period of time
12:10and I may only be
12:11talking about myself
12:12here I guess
12:13but it was projection
12:14it was I couldn't
12:16understand how
12:18someone else was
12:18making that leap
12:20and I think for me
12:21kind of it was
12:22easier for me
12:22to deal with that
12:23by kind of
12:24taking the mick
12:24out of it
12:25than it was
12:25to actually go
12:26for it myself
12:27and it was only
12:28when I really met
12:29people that were
12:30in my position
12:31that were making
12:31music
12:32and doing it
12:33quite kind of
12:34just in a fun way
12:35not necessarily
12:36with much stress
12:36on it
12:37that I kind of
12:37figured to myself
12:38well why shouldn't
12:39I give this a go
12:40and COVID kind of
12:42came at a really
12:42interesting time
12:43for that
12:44because all of a
12:44sudden I had
12:44loads of time
12:45indoors
12:45I was able to
12:47kind of
12:48buy Ableton
12:49which is a DAW
12:50kind of production
12:51software
12:52and kind of
12:53teach myself
12:53little bits
12:54of that
12:54and I was rubbish
12:55and I'm still
12:56not great
12:57at production
12:57myself
12:58but turning it
12:59into a thing
13:00which exploring
13:01that side
13:01of my brain
13:02without needing
13:03to be kind of
13:04derivative about it
13:05and taking the mick
13:06out of other people
13:07but just kind of
13:08focusing on it
13:08as a passion of mine
13:09which it always
13:10has been
13:11was a real
13:12turning point for me
13:13I mean the thing
13:14about my YouTube channel
13:15if you go back
13:16the first videos
13:17of music
13:18so it is really
13:20and throughout
13:21this entire
13:21the entire period
13:22of time
13:22I've spoken to
13:23old friends about it
13:24and they've shown me
13:25messages in 2018
13:26of me saying
13:27I just want to be
13:28on stage
13:28which I'd completely
13:29forgotten about
13:30so I feel like
13:31I found myself
13:32in the right place
13:33but it did take
13:35a while
13:35and I was
13:36a bit mean
13:37at certain points
13:38in my life
13:39which I do regret
13:40and I apologise
13:41but yeah
13:42What do you think
13:43that James
13:44would say
13:45about
13:46He'd have a field day
13:47He would have a field day
13:49on me
13:49and I respect it
13:51I respect
13:51that's why
13:52whenever I've had
13:53you know
13:54kind of negative feedback
13:55over
13:56you know
13:57my work
13:57or my journey
13:58I've completely
13:59accepted it
13:59and kind of
14:00ridden with it
14:01because who am I
14:02to say otherwise
14:04I think music
14:04is a
14:05especially when you're
14:07tackling music
14:07for the first time
14:08I mean
14:08I would have been
14:09what 23
14:10that I released
14:10my first piece
14:11of music
14:13as an adult
14:15it's hard
14:16like you
14:16you are bad
14:17at first
14:18you just are bad
14:19and you surround
14:20yourself with good people
14:21and hope that it
14:22kind of you know
14:23gleans off of them
14:24and hits you
14:25and it gets better
14:26but I do believe
14:27that we're in a really
14:29solid spot now
14:29and I trust my ear
14:30and I trust my writing
14:32so yeah
14:33what do you think
14:33those videos
14:34like taught you
14:35when it came to
14:36kind of launching
14:37your own music career
14:38I think you need
14:40to be
14:41you need to
14:42avoid being
14:43disingenuous
14:44as much as possible
14:45I think the
14:46audiences online
14:47these days
14:48especially
14:48are far more
14:49open to
14:50seeing what you
14:52are willing
14:52to give a go
14:53like there's so
14:54many people now
14:55which start their
14:56careers doing
14:56one thing online
14:57and then moving
14:58into others
14:58you have Markiplier
15:00releasing films
15:01Raka Raka
15:01and that's in
15:03you know
15:03movie and film
15:04I have a friend
15:05called Pinely
15:06who is also
15:07moving into
15:08doing short film
15:09directing
15:09he directed a few
15:10of my music videos
15:11for Don't Tell the Dog
15:13and this is a thing
15:14which then you look
15:15at the music side
15:16you've got Addison Rae
15:17who came through
15:17obviously before that
15:18Troy Sivan
15:19Dodie
15:20Joji even
15:21there is a true
15:23you can do it
15:24level to it
15:25and it's a
15:27yeah it's becoming
15:28a lot more possible
15:29in that sense
15:30for people to kind of
15:31let their audience
15:32kind of be part of
15:33an honest journey
15:34within your artistry
15:35and yeah
15:36I think keep honest
15:37and you've got
15:38a good shot at it
15:39really
15:39you mentioned
15:40quite a few
15:41you know
15:41content creators
15:43I guess
15:44that have then
15:44come up through
15:45the music industry
15:46what does it mean
15:47to be an artist
15:49coming up through
15:50the internet
15:50rather than like
15:51you know
15:52the traditional
15:53music industry
15:53angles of gigging
15:55and things like that
15:56it swings and roundabouts
15:57the fact of the matter
15:58is you will blow up
15:59quicker online
16:00than you will
16:01in person
16:01but there is a
16:03certain level
16:04of the kind of
16:06like industry
16:07plant style thing
16:08and the
16:09kind of the
16:11it comes across
16:12as a little bit
16:12less sincere
16:14there's a thing
16:15which
16:15there's a quote
16:16somewhere
16:16from Dave
16:17Dave Grohl
16:18of the Foo Fighters
16:19saying that
16:19the best way
16:20to this day
16:21to promote your music
16:22is to play it live
16:23and I
16:23I believe there is
16:24a strong balance
16:25to be had there
16:26I think live music
16:27and music on track
16:28are two very different
16:29industries
16:29but
16:31if you are able
16:32to strike a strong
16:33enough balance
16:34between those two things
16:35I think Florence Road
16:35are a great example
16:36of that
16:37a band which
16:38from Ireland
16:39who
16:39whose first moment
16:40were these kind of
16:41garage TikTok videos
16:42but now
16:43loads of their content
16:44comes from their live music
16:46and their music is
16:47at the base of this
16:48incredible
16:50so I think
16:51you need to be able
16:51to kind of strike
16:52that balance
16:52between doing something
16:53online
16:53and doing something
16:54live and in person
16:55and kind of creating
16:56this fan base
16:58to be successful
16:59in the modern era
17:00and
17:01this is putting
17:02putting yourself
17:03online a lot
17:04how do you
17:05navigate that space
17:06and your own
17:07mental health
17:08when it comes to
17:09almost like
17:10the hamster wheel
17:10that is self-promotion
17:11yeah I
17:13I'm not
17:14I'm kind of
17:16I'm very
17:16you know
17:17fortunate
17:17in my position
17:18that I've been
17:19around the ringer
17:20so many times
17:21that I just
17:23don't really
17:23I just don't
17:24I try my best
17:25to kind of keep
17:26my happiness
17:27within my personal
17:28life
17:28and treat my work
17:29as my work
17:29I love performing
17:31and I love writing music
17:33and releasing records
17:35and marketing records
17:36but at the base
17:37of all of me
17:37and all of this
17:38is just someone
17:39who likes
17:40spending time
17:41with my cat
17:42and going to cafes
17:42and you know
17:44my coffee company
17:44and kind of
17:46spending time
17:46with my friends
17:47so music for me
17:49is kind of like
17:49I kind of morph
17:51into somewhat
17:51of what I feel
17:52is like an other
17:53when I perform
17:54it's very theatrical
17:55and I love it
17:56but I'm also
17:57very aware
17:58of the fact
17:59that this is
17:59a very fortunate
18:00career to have
18:01and to be in
18:01and I treat
18:02every moment
18:03as if it is
18:03the last moment
18:04that I have it
18:05so yeah
18:06I try my best
18:08to focus
18:09on the positives
18:10of you know
18:12having this career
18:13than worrying
18:14too much
18:14about what people
18:15who don't like me
18:16think about it
18:17it's yeah
18:18it's a good way
18:18to be
18:19yeah
18:19and I like
18:20being that point
18:21of contact
18:21for other people
18:22who are trying
18:23to do that
18:25I have a friend
18:25called Gabby Bell
18:26who's kind of
18:27working on more music
18:27and she's kind of
18:28putting herself out there
18:29she kind of comes
18:30from a similar
18:32style of YouTube content
18:33that I used to make
18:34and it's interesting
18:36she has the same
18:37kind of concerns
18:37about what should
18:38my short film content be
18:39and I'm just kind of
18:39there like do it
18:40just do it
18:41it doesn't matter
18:41like as long as
18:42you're honest about it
18:43and you enjoy it
18:44you know that will
18:45that energy will
18:46kind of come across
18:46so yeah
18:48your new song
18:50California Rain
18:51it's about being
18:53homesick
18:53when you were
18:54touring the states
18:57when
18:58where in the country
18:59when did that
19:00come to you
19:01how did we
19:01how did we
19:01get to that song
19:02it was
19:03Coldwell Idaho
19:04was the
19:05was the first day
19:06that I
19:08I spent writing
19:09that song
19:09with Jono
19:10who I mentioned
19:11before my keys player
19:12my kind of main
19:12writing partner
19:13in that sense
19:14it was
19:15tough
19:16touring
19:16touring the states
19:17is tough
19:18because if you're
19:18on a bus
19:19some days
19:20you kind of
19:21wake up on a bus
19:21and you're still
19:22driving to the next
19:23place
19:23because everything
19:24is so far
19:24from each other
19:25and we had this
19:26one day off
19:26in Coldwell Idaho
19:27and to save money
19:28we were kind of
19:28staying in kind of
19:30this bus park
19:31like outside of a town
19:32so to get into town
19:33took ages
19:34it was a Sunday
19:35so nothing was open
19:37I went in
19:38had a coffee
19:39came back to this hotel
19:40and kind of
19:41the only person
19:42that was still at the hotel
19:43was Jono
19:43and I was having
19:44one of these days
19:44where I was like
19:45god this is so hard
19:47and like everyone's
19:48got to be worrying
19:49about where I am
19:50and everyone's got
19:51you know I'm like
19:52having this real
19:53diva moment of a day
19:54and I get back
19:54expecting people to be like
19:55oh my god James
19:56are you okay
19:56like where have you been
19:57and everyone else
19:59was gone and having
19:59a very similar day to me
20:01so I kind of saw
20:02Jono and he'd started
20:03writing this song
20:05and he kind of
20:05got the chords together
20:06for the intro
20:08and the verse chords
20:11and we started
20:13writing
20:13there was a thing
20:14opposite
20:15the
20:16well just out of the window
20:17there's a place
20:17called Magic Recipe
20:18and it was
20:19basically about
20:20I started writing
20:22about like there's
20:22no magic recipe
20:23for kind of feeling
20:24okay whilst being
20:24away from your life
20:26and then
20:27it's a shame
20:27because that lyric
20:28got scrapped
20:28but the song
20:30then became
20:31so we're in
20:31Coldwell Idaho
20:32which is kind of
20:33god I can't even
20:34remember exactly
20:35where it is
20:35it's all the blur
20:36I'd like to think
20:37it's somewhere
20:37somewhere around
20:38Minnesota
20:39and then
20:40we went down
20:41the west coast
20:41so we did
20:43Vancouver
20:43then Seattle
20:44and we were
20:45rehearsing this song
20:46and I was kind of
20:47singing the top line
20:48as we were going
20:48down the west coast
20:49and then as we go
20:51down the west coast
20:51all of these kind of
20:52moments of travelling
20:53through these cities
20:54and seeing loads
20:55of different things
20:55kind of came
20:56through in the lyrics
20:57kind of
20:58it's interesting
20:59because the song
20:59is about California
21:00but the second verse
21:01is very much about
21:02Seattle
21:02like rolling down
21:03the bay
21:04was kind of
21:04I remember the stairs
21:05going down
21:06to go get a salmon
21:07sandwich
21:07the stairs were like
21:08really steep
21:08so I was kind of
21:09imagining how I felt
21:11in those mornings
21:11and kind of getting off
21:13and kind of scraping off
21:14all of the dust
21:14from the day before
21:15and trying to enjoy
21:16a day in a new city
21:18and then I just hoped
21:20when we got to California
21:21that it wouldn't rain
21:22because otherwise
21:23that would completely
21:24ruin the point of the song
21:25and it was cloudy
21:26slightly
21:27and I was like
21:27better not
21:28so yeah
21:29it was very much
21:30written for that tour
21:32and about that tour
21:34and sometimes
21:35I think it's good
21:36like I Don't Want to Live
21:37like this
21:37if you have a moment
21:38with a song
21:38and you believe in it
21:39play it immediately
21:41and feel the response
21:43of it
21:44and for that reason
21:45the song's not
21:46on the next record
21:46it's very much
21:47it's own moment
21:48in time
21:49and I love that
21:50for that song
21:52album number three
21:53on the way
21:54yeah
21:55what can you tell us
21:57can you tell us
21:58I'm still looking
21:59at my management
22:00in the corner
22:02no
22:03there is no album
22:05there is no album
22:07on the way
22:08well
22:10you said something
22:11at the start of the interview
22:12and I should have
22:12jumped on it there
22:13yeah
22:13there is absolutely
22:15no album
22:16I promise
22:17but there will be signs
22:18you
22:18okay
22:19well I'll ask you this
22:20then it's it
22:21you
22:22kind of changed direction
22:23a little bit
22:25from album number one
22:27to the second one
22:28just in terms of like
22:29inspiration
22:30and theme
22:31and all of that
22:32are there any
22:33new inspirations
22:35that you would like
22:35to take into album three
22:37so let's say
22:38hypothetically
22:39I was almost finished
22:40with a third album
22:41I would want to write
22:43something
22:44which was
22:44I wanted to write
22:46about the kind of
22:47formations of love
22:49and the kind of
22:51the doubts
22:52that you have
22:53and the finality
22:54of love
22:55so I love
22:57I've been listening
22:57a lot more
22:58to kind of
22:58alternative pop music
23:00and a lot
23:01and also a lot more
23:03folky indie stuff
23:04and I think for me
23:05the stuff that I've been
23:06writing over the last
23:06year and a half
23:08has been
23:09both of these things
23:10so for me
23:11it was kind of
23:11how do I
23:12produce a record
23:14which is able
23:15to have both
23:15of those flavours
23:16and I love the idea
23:17of having a record
23:18which starts more
23:19alternative
23:19old poppy
23:20a bit more
23:21kind of
23:22sensual
23:22in a way
23:23weirdly
23:24and then develops
23:26as you kind of
23:26rid yourself
23:27of that superficial
23:28layer you put on
23:29for other people
23:30and as love
23:31begins to form
23:32it becomes a lot
23:33more acoustic
23:34and it becomes
23:34a lot more
23:36real feeling
23:37so that's kind of
23:39where my head's at
23:40regarding
23:41a hypothetical
23:42future record
23:43that sounds very
23:44very exciting
23:45yeah I'm very excited
23:48now I love
23:50to put together
23:51little playlists
23:52with artists
23:53based on
23:55experiences
23:55or moods
23:56that you could be in
23:57would you be okay
23:58if we put together
23:59just like five songs
24:00in a playlist
24:01I don't have my phone
24:02on me though
24:02I might have to
24:03refer to my phone
24:05okay what would be
24:05your go-to road trip
24:07song
24:08okay
24:12oh okay
24:13this might
24:14this might
24:15this is gonna be tough
24:16can I
24:17can I get my phone
24:18am I allowed
24:19to get my phone
24:19you can get your phone
24:20there is a song
24:21off of the latest
24:22time record
24:23which absolutely
24:23feels like the one
24:24but I always forget
24:25the name off of it
24:27because this was
24:28when we were in America
24:29I was listening
24:30to this record
24:30all the time
24:32or maybe I was
24:32listening to it
24:33after
24:35it's off of
24:36I Quit
24:36Love You Right
24:37by Haim
24:38Love You Right
24:39by Haim
24:39go-to breakup song
24:41go-to breakup song
24:43I feel like
24:45it's too easy
24:46to say
24:46somebody else
24:47by the 1975
24:47but that is the one
24:48no I think
24:49that's yeah
24:50whenever I go
24:51for a breakup
24:52that's always
24:52the song
24:53which comes to my mind
24:53because
24:54I love how honest
24:56it is about
24:57kind of knowing
24:58that you've moved on
24:58from something
24:59but also not wanting
25:00to think about it
25:01and that kind of
25:02like pride
25:02element of it
25:03cooking up a storm
25:05in the kitchen
25:06cooking up a storm
25:07in the kitchen
25:08probably dance
25:09yourself clean
25:10by LCD sound system
25:11just because I
25:13that's my favourite
25:14song to listen to
25:15while I do something
25:16like that's
25:17because it has the
25:18kind of has like
25:19a really slow build
25:20and then when it
25:20cuts into the synth
25:21the synth pop
25:22it's like
25:23go on
25:23yeah
25:23great feeling
25:25dancing with friends
25:26on a night out
25:26dancing with friends
25:27on a night out
25:28okay I'm going to
25:29refer to my
25:30oh
25:31no
25:32Gimme Gimme
25:32Gimme by ABBA
25:33sorry
25:33the best song
25:34of all time
25:34like I
25:35anyone who says
25:37if you meet someone
25:38in your personal life
25:39and they say
25:39I don't really like ABBA
25:41never talk to them again
25:42I agree
25:42you save yourself
25:43a lot of pain
25:43I agree
25:44wholeheartedly
25:45the song you listen to
25:46when you've got a crush
25:47when I've got a crush
25:48okay I'm going to
25:49refer to my playlist again
25:51because I have a playlist
25:52where I just kind of
25:53any song that I feel
25:54one way about
25:56I kind of put it on
25:58this individual playlist
26:00hold on
26:00let me have a think
26:01when I have a crush
26:05Red Earth and the
26:06Pouring Rain
26:06by Bear's Den
26:08oh
26:08Bear's Den
26:09yeah
26:09that's a
26:10that song
26:11I have like a very
26:12strong connection with
26:13and I'll go back to it
26:14every now and then
26:14yeah
26:15because it kind of
26:16captures that lonely
26:17feeling of just kind of
26:18wanting to reach out
26:19to someone
26:19do you know
26:20when I listened
26:20when I re-listened
26:21to the album earlier
26:22Bear's Den did pop
26:24into my head
26:24on one of the songs
26:25I can't remember
26:26which song it was now
26:26but Bear's Den
26:27did pop into my head
26:28I've heard that a little bit
26:29about my next record as well
26:30not that it exists
26:31the hypothetical next record
26:33the hypothetical next record
26:34the hypothetical second half
26:35of the next record
26:36I've heard that a little bit
26:37about hypothetically
26:38okay
26:39what can
26:41Latitude festival goers
26:42expect from your performance
26:44we're bringing the bangers
26:46that's the kind of like
26:47the festival season
26:49that I want to have
26:50I remember I was chatting
26:51to a band
26:51this was ages ago
26:52when I did
26:53Yours and L's
26:53in Australia
26:54we kind of had
26:55this festival set
26:56which was very much
26:57kind of going through
26:58the motions of my albums
27:00and loads of different feelings
27:01and I came off stage
27:02and the guy was like
27:02just play the fast ones
27:04and ever since then
27:05I've gone like
27:06right well that's what
27:07I'm going to do
27:08we're going to play the fast ones
27:09the crowd pleases
27:09the ones that you can
27:10jump around to
27:11exactly
27:12I do want to play
27:13we are playing a new song
27:14as well
27:14I'm going to throw that
27:15out there
27:15and my management
27:16are going to kill me
27:16there you go
27:17there's my exclusive guys
27:19there's the exclusive
27:20we will play
27:21a new song
27:22off of a hypothetical record
27:24that doesn't exist
27:25well
27:26if you weren't coming
27:27you're definitely going to come
27:28now aren't you
27:28for that new track
27:30thank you so much
27:31for joining us today
27:32it's been an absolute pleasure
27:33chatting to you
27:34you can catch James
27:35at the second stage
27:37on Saturday
27:38on the Saturday
27:38of Latitude Festival
27:39which runs from the 23rd
27:41to the 26th of July
27:43can I also give a shout out
27:44to Florence Road
27:44you should go see them
27:45their class
27:46sorry just throwing
27:47that one out there
27:49amazing
27:50thank you so much
27:51cool
27:51thanks
Comments