5 Q&A With James Stephen & The Good Ones
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Growing Up" and the story it tells?
Honestly? The "inspiration" was more a muted despair over the fact that a younger, less responsible and more carefree me doesn't exist anymore. I wouldn't trade my life for anything right now because I have everything I want on a personal level, but I do sometimes acknowledge that I didn't appreciate how easy things were for me ten, fifteen years ago. I think we all feel that way eventually!
Were there any moments in the recording process where you knew you had something special?
For this particular song, probably once the lead guitar parts went down. Elliot Robertson, the lead guitarist of The Good Ones, is a true wizard with a great ear for lead lines. His work on this took it from standard "train track" song to a beautiful, emotive ballad within two takes. Shout out to our producer, Danny Woodward (of Whitewood Studios), for also being a diamond here. He works magic behind the desk and really brought this song to life!
How does "Growing Up" fit into your overall artistic vision and what can listeners expect from you in the future?
“Growing Up” is the first single of the "The Good Ones" outfit. This is a culmination of years of releasing solo material under James Stephen and honing in on my "sound". As such, this release is the first instalment in what I hope will be a very long, notable contribution to UK Americana. Listeners can expect more ear worms, melodic musicianship and big vocals in the coming months as we start releasing more singles from our debut EP!
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I've always been musical, which is not at all standard in my family. I've always been fascinated by words and the art form associated with making them mean something to somebody else. Songwriting isn't just a mechanism for expressing oneself but, I truly believe, it is an opportunity to say for others what they can't say for themselves. So I think feeling like I have something to say and, by extension, helping others to say the same thing is what inspired me most to start writing songs back in high school!
How do you continuously grow and evolve as an artist?
Great question. Firstly, I'm going to shout out my band here. The Good Ones - in particular Elliot Robertson and Sam Lord, the mainstays of the group on a recording and touring level - are tremendously talented musicians who make me want to be better whenever we get in a room together.
Secondly, there are artists we're inspired by who might not have a bearing on our sound or writing style, then there are those who we admire so much we want to try and emulate it a bit (without outright copying, of course). For me, artists like The Bros. Landreth, John Butler Trio, Deaf Havana, they all write songs in a way that I love. Listening to these guys, amongst others, also makes me want to raise my own standard to what I perceive theirs to be.
I believe evolution can happen whenever we want if we try to let it. This new venture as James Stephen & The Good Ones is very much an evolution of a more scattergun, eclectic approach to music as a solo artist...and I think 'Growing Up' is a good place to start!
