An Interview With Australian Musician, JARRYD JAMES On His Debut EP, Touring With Tove Lo and Much More!

The debut EP from Brisbane based singer-songwriter Jarryd James, one of Australia’s most promising new pop talents, is now out via Interscope Records. James’ lead single, ‘Do You Remember” debuted at number one on the Hype Machine as well as the Australian iTunes charts and was also the number one most Shazamed song in Australia upon its release.

Purchase via Apple Music here: http://smarturl.it/JarrydJamesEP

After receiving praise from the likes of NME, Ed Sheeran, Vogue Australia, Triple J, Pigeons and Planes, and Zane Lowe, James continues to share his talents overseas; “I like the idea of reconnecting people with simple songs, bringing them back to why they liked music in the first place,” James explains. “Nothing makes me happier than when I’m singing, opening my eyes and seeing people smiling. If I can evoke an emotion in someone, I’m stoked. That’s all that matters.”

Learn more about Jarryd in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! How’s your summer been going? Or rather your Winter in Australia?

Well I haven’t even really been in Australia for winter, I’ve been in the U.S. a lot, and I was just in Europe which was real nice. I’m having a good time, seeing a lot of the world and singing for people and life is great.

Congrats on recently releasing your debut EP! What’s that feel like?

It feels amazing- especially because, if you’d asked me a year ago if I would be putting music out this year, I would have thought you were a crazy person. Everything has really had a nice flow to it.

How long have you been working on this collection of music?

Maybe about a year and like I said, and a lot of the stuff was just for the sake of writing, not necessarily for any kind of release.

What was the inspiration for the EP’s lead single, “Do You Remember”? 

Joel and I were just trying to make a piece of music that we loved ourselves, and then when I was writing it I was feeling very nostalgic and I was in an unfamiliar place all by myself, so I guess I was feeling a little bit fragile… i think I realised that when you actually sit down and reminisce about things, there really is so much beautiful life that goes by us so quickly, and maybe we forget a lot of the details…

Why do you think people are really responding to it now?

I think because it’s a song that connects them to their own emotions. and i think that people like the sensation they feel when a long forgotten memory comes flooding back into their consciousness.. there’s something very unique about that feeling.

Growing up, was music always a big part of your life? 

It was. I spent a lot of my childhood figuring out how to play instruments and really listening to how other people played them, and how other people used their voices.

Can you remember the moment when you decided to make performing a full-time career?

Not really. It was a very gradual thing. I was always very shy so it took a little while for me to be comfortable with the idea of being in front of people and singing. It’s very exposing. I don’t think I really ‘perform’ so to speak, at least I don’t feel like I do. I just sing songs that I wrote. I love it when I see people in the audience with their eyes closed, just taking in the sound of it all. I think that’s beautiful.

What artists have consistently inspired you and your music?

I don’t think there’s any one artist that consistently does that; it’s a very ongoing thing. I take inspiration from wherever it happens to show up

Who would you love to work with one day?

 I’d love to do something with Kendrick!

Who are some upcoming Australian artists that Americans need to be on the lookout for now?

Alpine. Govs. Cloud Control. Meg Mac.

This fall, you will be joining Meg Myers on her US tour. How excited are you for that tour? 

I’m so pumped for that. It will be a lot of travelling through the U.S. which excites me because there is all these people that I get to be in a room with and share cool moments with.

What about joining Tove Lo on her winter UK tour? 

That is also gonna be so amazing – I love playing first, it’s cool to set the scene for the rest of the evening of music. It also means i don’t have to wait as long to play haha

What’s been a favorite show of yours so far?

I recently played a festival in Australia called Splendour In The Grass, and that was incredible. So many people came to see/hear my set and the vibe was incredible.

What do you hope is the message of your music? 

I don’t have a message as much as I have the desire to evoke emotions. I want people to get lost in what they are hearing and I want them to be able to forget whatever else might be going on at that moment, and find some sort of release.

Is there something you hope listeners take away from your music?

The desire to hear it again and attach memories to it.