Artist: Early James
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Latest Album: Strange Time to Be Alive
Release Date: August 19, 2022
Label: Easy Eye Sound
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?
I’d say almost never. I have trouble writing about myself and not being honest. It’s gotta be known it’s me or else it isn’t therapeutic anymore.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
Chet Atkins and chitlins.
Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?
I’d say Fiona Apple because her music is so honest and raw. I’ve always wanted to write melodies and lyrics like her.
What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?
Before a show usually a couple beers or a shot of whiskey and a cigarette. In the studio coffee, cigarettes, and before a vocal take a shot of honey and hot sauce.
What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?
Video games, honestly. There’s so much good music that I heard as a child before I ever had an understanding of genres or culture. Hearing it made it just a feeling. Now I can never go back to that because I know where the music comes from, but back then it was just magic.
Photo Credit: Jim Herrington
