The Sons of James On the Making of “All They Told You”
What was the creative process like for this particular "All They Told You?"
During the lockdowns in 2020, there was a lot of time for writing and reflection and we took advantage of that. Steve and Sean lived close to each other at the time and would meet up several times a week and work out ideas and record demos at Steve's house. “All They Told You” is one that was written back then and stuck around in our minds as one that we always wanted to record.
Could you discuss the lyrical themes or messages conveyed in "All They Told You?"
The lyrics kinda call out the social norms that society is taught to live for the most part. There is this bar for what a successful life is supposed to look like and for some people, it is what they want and that's okay but there are a lot of people in the world who don't want the same. They're built differently.
And a lot of the time you wake up after a certain age and you call bullshit on what you've been told your whole life and decide to make a different life- one where you decide what a successful life is for you.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for "All They Told You?"
We recorded “All They Told You” at Candor Recording in Tampa Florida with Ryan Boesch engineering and co-producing it. We absolutely love that guy. We recorded 2 songs with him for the split 7-inch "TSOJ/SMHS" back in 2022. It was the first time that we met him and right away we knew we wanted to work with him more so when it came time to hit the studio again, we already knew which one and who we were going to. The process was pretty straightforward, the song had already been around and while so we knew how we wanted it. The exciting part of recording that song was when we heard our new vocalist Matt Shelly sing it for the first time. We had given him the song not too far before he came in and recorded the vocals so none of us had heard him sing it until he hit the vocal booth. We had a go pro sitting on a shelf in the control and it's still funny to go back and watch the video of our reaction when we heard him sing for the first time. He had put his twist on it and I don't think any of us were expecting it. Pretty sure everyone blurted out 'Fuck Yeah!' all at once. He gave the song more life and brought it up a notch.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they impacted your own sound?
We all listen to all sorts of styles of music and it's pretty reasonable to think that something from all of it influences. With us writing music usually happens whenever the idea pops up. Anyone of us could be driving down the road and out of nowhere something just hit and then you got to pull over and write it down and the first chance there is to go work it out you take it. For the most part though we all like energetic and fun music. If there is any one style that kinda underlays everything, it's probably pop punk. We grew up in the late 80s and 90s and became adults in the early 2000s, there were and are a lot of bands from those years we were listening to and still do so to single out a single or even a few bands that are inspiration would be hard.
What are your future goals or aspirations as a band?
That's pretty simple. To write music that we want to hear and play, music that does something for us. Then share that music with as many people as possible and create a bond with those who enjoy it. That's always the goal. We also love playing in new places and meeting new people and doing things that we normally wouldn't do in our everyday lives outside of being in a band so in a band we aspire to keep doing new things and having new experiences and taking new opportunities .....
JENSEY On the Making Of “Ride Or Die”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your "Ride Or Die"and the story it tells?
“Ride or Die” is a song I wrote for a friend on the Autism Spectrum. It’s about how he may see the world differently from me but regardless I’ll do my best to be there for him.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "Ride Or Die?"
A great moment was when I was telling Stevie D (producer of “Ride or Die”) what it was actually about.
Can you share any memorable experiences or stories from performing "Ride Or Die" live?
The first time I played it I actually got choked up. But I told the crowd what it was about and they a bunch of them standing up and started clapping. It was crazy.
How would you describe your musical style or genre?
Country Rock and/or Country
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
I’m grateful for every note I get to sing that people take their time to listen to. I love how playing live is raw and honest. Can’t be edited or fixed. I love that honesty in playing live.