Feature: J.J. Chamberlain Decodes ‘A Year With The Ghosts’
Can you talk about any specific themes or motifs that run throughout 'A Year With The Ghosts?'
Well, I can tell you that the ghosts are both metaphorical and they’re also symbolic of people that I’ve lost. Family and friends who have left us. For some, I feel I haven’t had the chance to say goodbye properly, so there are some songs here that serve as a goodbye. I occasionally see some of these people in dreams, which is why I chose the term ‘ghosts.’ But that word is also used to describe the marks that negative situations and relationships have left on me. The themes of loss and grief aren’t the only dimensions here though, it’s very much an album about overcoming adversities, about facing up to your tormentors and about rising above them.
How do you feel this album represents your artistic identity?
It’s a full representation of my abilities but also of my limitations, in that it was mostly recorded and produced by me. It all came from my brain, and it was only when I felt I needed help in elevating a couple of the songs that I called in the Ghostbusters. Joe Douglas and Takashi Takemura helped me to capture the big ones, the ones that were too powerful for me to contain.
I’ll always love this album. The catharsis and the validation that it has brought me is a powerful thing, and I think that it has helped me to develop a formula for my songwriting that works really well. Onto the next one!
Can you talk about any standout tracks on the album and what makes them special to you?
“Imposter Syndrome” is the song that everyone raves about when we play it live. I’ve had people request that and “Cheat Codes” more than any other. Funnily enough, both songs tackle similar themes: insecurity, self-doubt and confusion. I feel amazed that I can write songs that are supposed to be moments of self-validation, yet they speak to other people who have similar experiences. Both “Cheat Codes” and “Imposter Syndrome” also happen to be big and loud tracks! They’ve both got these unreasonably catchy hooks, and I felt that they needed to have memorable melodies to consolidate the regularity of the topics that they convey. I think I feel like an imposter every single day, at least once, and I’m always searching aimlessly for the cheat codes to navigate through difficult situations, that some people just seem to have naturally.
What’s the most profound emotional experience you’ve ever had while creating or performing music?
For me, it’s usually what I feel after it’s finished. I religiously listen to every performance that gets recorded, and it helps me to hone my live performances, but sometimes when I’ve done a day of tracking for a new song, the emotion behind the lyrics and sentiment of the composition hits me. I’ve had some pretty freaky emotional outbursts after a day of recording. The biggest was when I listened to the album one last time before submitting it for distribution. I felt like I was attending 3 funerals all at once, but also, I now understand how parents must feel when their children go off through the school gates for the first time.
What were some key milestones in your early career that helped shape who you are as an artist?
I think every recording process has helped me to get to this point. I always watched the engineer. I always asked the producer why they made certain decisions. I hated sitting around drinking tea and just waiting, so I felt like making more out of my experiences. Everything adds up and helps you to make choices that suit your own work. I decided that I wanted to be a musician when I was very young, but those moments that sealed the deal came at festivals, big gigs and days out together as a band. It’s so much fun, it’s hard work, but it’s so worthwhile!
