[Exclusive Interview]: Scottish Singer-Songwriter James Gillespie on Keeping Creative
James Gillespie is an English-born, Scottish raised pop singer-songwriter and his name has emerged from the underground music scene with quite an exciting fury. He has been premiered on Complex for his single “What You Do”, and has been recognized by notable blogs such as Hilly Dilly and The Line of Best Fit. His music is wonderfully serene combination of Dermot Kennedy, Hozier, Tom Walker, and Ed Sheeran.
With his soul and blues-influenced voice and his heavy-hitting folk-pop music, he’s created a comforting sound in all of the darkness and uncertainty of the world. The artist recently released his single “Rescue Me”, which is a song very fitting of the emotions our own mind plays out. It’s an uplifting record, with of course a melancholy storyline, that rises and falls with the inflections and tones of his vocals. He rings through the crescendos of the instrumental and takes you through an all too familiar feeling of the madness we face in isolation and the unbearable notion of being alone followed by the burning desire for connection and love to rescue himself from it all.
Each of his tracks are accompanied by a complimentary black & white sketch of his own making that is both simple and elegant, giving you a glimpse into the mind of the artist. Which brings me to say that I was excited to chat with the artist briefly during these weird times and hear about his creative process and some other fun facts.
[NM]: How did you get started in music and why music?
[JG]: “I guess it started when I was singing in a choir back when. The second I realized that I could find harmony I knew it was all I wanted to do. I think it’s the only thing I know how to do tbh.”
[NM]: How would you describe yourself using 1 word or phrase?
[JG]: "If ever a man was broken..."
[NM]: While in quarantine, is there anything you feel like you’ve learned so far?
[JG]: “So much. I’ve learned how to produce better than before. I’ve taken the time out to focus on diving deeper into each side of production. Thank fuck for YouTube. Hahaha. I’ve also learnt how important it is to take time for yourself. And I’ve never read so much in my entire life. “
[NM]: How have you continued to be creative during this time?
[JG]: “I think I’ve always recorded snippets of things I think about. Melodies, lyrics, sounds, conversations etc. So I’ve been able to go through them and turn them into something meaningful. Thats helped loads. Also just hearing other peoples stories has given me inspiration. More than ever before. “
[NM]: What is your detour?
[JG]: “Uff. I draw. But I guess people already know that from my music artwork. Erm.... I snowboard. A lot. Well - not recently. But I used to go out 3 or 4 times a year. I guess no one really knows that about me. As far as isolation goes...not much!!!! Oh yeah. I play Fortnite now. And I’m nearly a Jedi warrior on that. LOL.”
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Thanks so much for the interview, James, and I can’t wait to hear more of the works that you have coming out this year.