ifitbeyourwill Podcast
“ifitbeyourwill" Podcasts is on a mission to talk to amazing indie artists from around the world! Join us for cozy, conversational episodes where you'll hear from talented and charismatic singer-songwriters, bands from all walks of life talk about their musical journey. Let's celebrate being music lovers!
Season Four runs from September 2024 to December 2024
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ifitbeyourwill Podcast
ifitbeyourwill S04E04 • James Smith of Good Good Blood
Can music heal a broken heart? Join us for an emotional and inspiring conversation with James Smith of Good Good Blood as he returns to the podcast, revealing the profound transformations in his life and music since we last spoke in January 2023. James opens up about the deeply personal loss of his baby girl, Poppy, and how this tragedy shaped his latest album, "Forever Scars," allowing him to channel his grief and creativity into something beautiful and raw.
James's journey is not just about crafting songs but about coping with unimaginable pain and finding solace in the process. He shares poignant insights into how Poppy's short life touched many, from family members to medical staff, and how songwriting has been his lifeline through this difficult period. This episode captures the essence of James's transformation—how he's evolved from a "pre-Poppy" to a "post-Poppy" version of himself, with his music reflecting this profound shift. Listen to a heart-wrenching live performance of "Little Sparrow," a testament to the raw vulnerability and authenticity that now define his work.
The conversation also delves into the collaborative efforts that have breathed new life into James's music. Hear about his unique approach to achieving a lo-fi sound using second-hand instruments and the invaluable partnership with his friend Paul, who brings a meticulous touch to James's spontaneous creativity. Discover how older tracks like "Forever Scars" and "Flowers Bloom" have been reimagined with deeper emotional layers, and get a glimpse into the creation of new songs that push the boundaries of his artistic expression. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration, resilience, and the healing power of music.
this is a first for me where I bring back an artist that I've talked to already, and this one is extra special. He holds a super special place in my heart because he was the first episode of season one. I'm talking about james smith of good good blood. I screwed up the name of where you live last time, but I'm gonna try to get it right this time, if I can. Werefield.
Speaker 2:Merfield, mer. There you go.
Speaker 1:We got it wrong again.
Speaker 2:You're not the first and you won't be the last.
Speaker 1:And I remember you telling me it's named after where it was built on a bog or an old bog. Is that correct?
Speaker 2:Yeah, probably. I can't remember what I said last time. Yeah, maybe I made that up. Yeah, Mer is an old't. Remember what I said last time, yeah, maybe.
Speaker 1:I made that up. Yeah, Mary's in Old Wood. So you're coming in from Northern. It's Northern UK, right? I guess?
Speaker 2:North of England, Northern England area, yeah not far from Leeds, manchester, kind of in between Leeds and Manchester. Yeah, Amazing.
Speaker 1:Well, this is so special to have you back, James, joining me for like a part two of, I mean, I guess it's been about a year and a half or so yeah. And lots has gone on right January 2023, that's when we spoke for the first time, wow. Now, since then, you've put out a bunch of singles, you've put out two new records. So musically, you've been like not like, not slowing down at all.
Speaker 1:Um no, I don't really your, your catalog expands and expands and expands. Um and I kind of wanted to talk just to start off is um, how has your music been going like, how has it been feeling the last year or so? Um, have new things seeped into your recording process, your, your songwriting process? You get new equipment, new guitars, um, can you give a little update about um kind of like how, what you've been doing music wise this last little while?
Speaker 2:Well, I just never stopped really um writing, um and recording as much as I can, really any spare moment. You know we've got a busy family life, so, um, any kind of spare moment that I've got, I tend to write and uh, record Um. So, yeah, in terms of like, I think, every time, you know, the idea of being an artist or working on music or being creative is that every time you get better. So you hope that you you know, from a personal point of view, not from an external point of view, but from an internal point of view, from an external point of view, but from an internal point of view you want to keep um, you know, um improving your chops and getting better at writing, getting better at lyric writing, getting better in more interesting, you know, um chordal structures, which doesn't necessarily mean more complex, it could mean really simple. You know, it doesn't have to be um avant-garde jazz, it can be simple chords, simple words, but with meaning and and I think that's something that I've got better with just with age really just just sort of letting it flow and not worrying too much.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of automatic writing, there's a lot of, you know, just streams of consciousness, that sort of just sort of come out of nowhere, which sounds really pretentious, but it doesn't. It isn't meant to be, it's just that, um, I kind of that's. What I've got better at is just being able to just let it flow and just get out, get out whatever's in there. And you know, um, I couldn't see how I could live my life without writing songs. It's my diaries, you know. They're my feelings and thoughts, um, and stuff that I don't even know, that you know I'm thinking about. The subconscious takes over, I guess.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, in terms of songwriting, you always want to get better, else you give up. Um, right, so you might, you know, if you, as long as you feel that you're improving, then you keep going, um, and then, yeah, trying to just think of almost stripping back a little bit is something that I'm trying to do at the moment, and I know that my songs have been quite soupy and quite heavy and layered and I just sort of like a you know, like a an artist just throw paint at the wall and and what sticks sticks. But I'm trying to part of some of this albums the one that's just recently come out is probably the last of that ilk where there are a lot of layers on. I'm hoping that, um you know, in the future you'll start to my more of my voice and will be front and center.
Speaker 1:Hopefully we'll see how we get on that great, great and that record that just came out forever scars. I know that you had some pretty traumatic experience like since we talked as well and was was this record a part of dealing with those events that had taken place in your like yes so in the last year or so.
Speaker 2:Eh yeah. So yeah, we unfortunately our little baby girl, poppy, passed away. She was born in December 23 and lived just for a couple of days. She had heart problems, which we knew about before she was born. So not that that made it any easier, but, um, you know, we had. It was quite a traumatic pregnancy as well, with a lot of scans and a lot of appointments that we had to attend and nobody was really sure how she would be when she was born. It was very much We'll see how she is when she was born and unfortunately her little heart couldn't, um wasn't fit enough to withstand living. So unfortunately she passed away.
Speaker 2:So this album, the album that's just come out, forever Scars is kind of I'd written most well, I'd written all of it before Poppy was born and while my wife was pregnant and recorded most of it. To be honest, it was pretty much there. The idea was like I'll get as much of it as I can done, um, before um poppy's born or out the baby. At that time we didn't know she was going to be called poppy, but, um, because I knew, even if everything was reason, you know, if her heart was okay we knew that we were going to be in for a long slog of treatment and she was going to stay, have to to be in for a long slog of treatment and she was going to stay, have to stay in hospital for a long time. So, yeah, it was kind of like, let's, I'll get as much as I can done before that and then, obviously, um, the universe decided that that isn't, um, isn't going to happen. So, um, we, I had, yeah, downtime, I was um, off work, um on bereavement leave, etc.
Speaker 2:Not in a good place at all, obviously, you know very traumatic experience and really sad and heartbroken, et cetera. So, um, you know, the default in those situations for me is to um, is to write and to um. But I've kind of got most of these songs pretty much there, um, and it was a fact of once I felt capable and and in the right head space. It was a case of, you know, dusting them off a little bit and and seeing how, the, how they, how they sat with me and I think, because they kind of straddled that period, I think there was a lot of prophesying going on that I wouldn't have known until I, you know, I came back to them in February when, whenever it was Um and yeah, I felt like I had a duty to sort of finish these off and um and get them out.
Speaker 2:Really, and you know, like you were saying about the volume of releases and stuff, it's I don't like sitting on things. I like to again, it's just write it, record it, make it sound as good as I can and put it out and move on and let's see what's coming next. So, yeah, it's been, it's been tough, but the music and the songwriting, as always, is something that I fall back on and it helps me get through.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, my big condolences to James. I remember we talked about, we touched base um I don't know a while ago and we, you had told me about what had happened and I really just was in shock and I mean, we met recently but I just felt so attached to you and so, uh, pain, felt sorry and a lot of pain for you.
Speaker 2:I know that it must have been a very, very difficult time.
Speaker 1:But you know, with that in mind, I went back and I did a deep dive into forever scars, and I do think this prophecy of is in there, embedded, embedded in there. And one of the things I noticed in particular maybe you can expand on this is your amazing connection back to nature, and that nature is wild and does wild things to us, and we kind of ride that wave kind of, and it's very insecure and sometimes very scary, but it is all around us and it's a part of our existence. Um, and I found that those connections to nature, and even the cover album, where you have those pods. You know it looks very dead, but inside those little pods is life, you know, yeah, eventually, even amongst all this tangle and debris. So I just felt this, I, I I didn't know, though, james, that this was written before.
Speaker 1:I thought a lot of this was written after the fact. So it, when you said prophecy, it really like just oh yeah, wait a minute, I'm I. I see this now. How did it? Does that make sense to you? My, my description of of what I was getting from your record and that the the point about the artwork.
Speaker 2:It's amazing because that's exactly. Yeah, it's just a garden on our road which was a little bit overgrown and there were these weird like old seed pods thing where I don't even know what planet is, to be honest. But yeah, no, that was exactly the sentiment that you know, um, life is all about death and life and rebirth. And you know, there's and, yeah, nature does play a part, nature I don't consciously think about nature, but, um, I think it's more sort of the grounding in. You know where I live, um, you know a little northern town in england, you know, surrounding a valley surrounded by countryside, um, you know, um, it just seeps its way into it and and you know, yeah, little, I think you know also just recording in a house with children and et cetera. You know it just bleeds into.
Speaker 2:You know you'll hear at the end of tracks or whatever. You'll hear the odd kids scream or you know noise and some of the songs that's been quite. You know, in the past I've I've kept that and even some of the songs that's been quite you know, in the past I've kept that and even some of the songs I've released in the past the kids have sung on and stuff. So, yeah, I think it's perhaps more just my personality and my heart and soul being on there, which does then mean that they do sound grounded in nature or whatever. But, um, no, I'm really pleased that you picked that up about the, because that was kind of the point. Like yeah, it looks pretty, it looks pretty ugly, but inside those little red things, life carries on absolutely.
Speaker 1:I mean, I could go through each of your records and pull out again more of those comparisons, because I think that it is pervasive throughout um, but sometimes you have the technology kind of trying to infringe on the natural parts of the world and that struggle between the two. Um, yeah, but I I'd like to ask james, like once, once poppy had left, um, what space were you in for writing, like, was it hard to to, to reflect on those memories and like, or did it help, was it, was it cathartic a bit and kind of helped with the grieving process for you?
Speaker 2:it definitely helped with the grieving process. I was, we were all, you know, we were all devastated and you know it was such a short, such a short time that Poppy was here. But you know, you kind of got to just take what you can out of it and even though she was only here for a short period of time, she had such a massive effect on so many people the nurses, doctors who cared for her, um, our, you know, the four boys that we've we've got um us, obviously, but she, um, her impact carries on and you know, um taking comfort in that and taking comfort in writing about Poppy, not, you know, not explicitly, but certainly in in stuff that I'm working on now. You know, um, I want to tell the story. I don't want to not talk about it in my songwriting. I want that to be in there because that's part of who I am Right, um, you know I kind of we. You know I kind of we. You know both, my all, all of us.
Speaker 2:But you know, the way I describe it is that I was broken into a thousand pieces and had to put myself back together again and and there was a pre Poppy James and there's a post Poppy James, and you know, hopefully, um, poppy's legacy is that you know I've grown and become a better person and, you know, a better artist and a better human and a better dad or you know all that stuff, but, and that's a legacy and, um, but, yeah, it was. It was tough and you know it took a lot of courage to listen to these songs that, um, that are on this album, because I'd like to say predominantly worked on them before. But once I'd listened through and thought you know, wow, there's, there's messages in here that I was obviously trying to talk about and get out, even before I knew what, the, what, the future lied ahead.
Speaker 1:So, um, yeah, yeah, yeah and after, like, or is there any songs that you've written recently that you have a hard time facing, that you had to get out, but then you needed just to get them out and you didn't want to do more with them? Did you have any of your songs that had that feeling to them where it was just more for a personal grief that you were going through and they're not intended for the world?
Speaker 2:I think there were probably earlier versions of the songs that I'm working on at the moment. So, yeah, there's about nine or ten songs that I'm working on at the moment and they were very much raw forms and not that. I'm not the kind of person who would then go back and rewrite stuff, but there's been, you know, maybe just sort of changing things here and there, but there is also that, like I say, that automatic writing style that if it's coming out, it's coming out and it's going on the page and I try not to fiddle with it too much because I just never finish anything because you just, you know, but also, yeah, it's just I feel like why, if it's coming out so easily, why mess with it? You know what I mean, that's. So some of the stuff might be. You know, there's a, there is a song and I've played.
Speaker 2:I played a gig in March time where I'd kind of written a few of these songs that I'm working on at the moment, and there was the one called it's called little sparrow and, um, yeah, it was. I played that one live and at the end of this little gig that I did in in the place called slit well, it's Slawit, but it's. Yeah, there wasn't a dry eye in in the house. Really it was a. It was a very emotional and I was, you know, I managed to get through it, but I was sort of in tears while I was singing it.
Speaker 2:But again, that was, you know, that was really hard to do and actually being so vulnerable. I look back now I think, god, it was. You know, it was a, it was a very vulnerable place to put myself, but again, out of the reason of because saying I'm not a massive lover of playing live shows, I don't like it and I I just really struggle with the, the, the, the stress and nerves. I'm not and I'm not a good enough musician to to sort of play live.
Speaker 2:Um, so, but I forced myself to do it because I thought that's, you know, what these songs need to be to be sung to people, and it's all part of post poppy, you know, and it's all part of the new james. So let's, let's have a go. And I'm so glad I did it because then that informed that more, because it was just me and acoustic guitar and it went down really well and lots of people gave me lots of really nice compliments. So that kind of spurred me on to think about well, okay, let's think about stripping stuff back and and being more of me and showing more of me as well, rather than having a, you know, 17 vocal tracks on a song or you know cause.
Speaker 2:It's always been trying to trying to cover over or trying to make it sound not like me. But um, and I don't know where that comes from. It's a confidence thing, I guess. Maybe it's a confidence thing, but I feel like I am getting more confident and more comfortable in my own skin, to to be myself and to sound like myself yeah, well, I remember we talked a lot the last time and it was a song we put at the end of the podcast.
Speaker 1:Johnny was an ocean child and we talked about that. The layers and layers of vocals, and I mean it sounds like a huge ensemble that you assembled, you know. So I hear what you're saying about and you know, one thing I noticed about listening to um, uh, forever scars is exactly what you're saying is that it feels like you've come, you've pushed the instrumentation aside more and you're there, yeah, um, and I've really enjoyed that. Um, it. I feel you through these songs. Um, and I think people, even if they might not know you, um, there's so many good parts and and moments in each of the songs that that delivers us James Smith, um, in such a great way.
Speaker 1:So I've been really, really enjoying the record a lot and I'm really glad that you went in and and played live.
Speaker 1:I asked this musician a couple of days ago like where do you get the bravery to do that? Because you're alone, you have your guitar in front of you and a mic lights on you, people staring at you and you're about to reveal your diary notes or your journal notes. Know, like, where do you get the bravery to be able to get to that stage saying I'm going to do this, like most of us, um, humans out here in the world would never do that. Like what is it, james, that that, that maybe not that one instance, because I can see that it that it was something that you were working through. But just in general, as a musician and I know you had mentioned that you don't like playing live but you put yourself out there for the world to listen to. They don't know you. They could throw your songs on, listen to you. Where does that come from that sense of I want to put myself out there for the world to listen to?
Speaker 2:In terms of playing live, the bravery came from alcohol, which was a bad thing, and that's one of the reasons why, you know, I would have a couple of drinks for Dutch Courage, which would then turn into five or six, and then I wouldn't play very well because I was, you know, drunk or half drunk or whatever, and so that was part of the element of, and you know, I always feel when I've played you know it's not like I'm a prolific gigger or anything but when I've played with other people I always feel more comfortable when there are other people on stage with me. I think you're right, it's that standing up there on your own with an acoustic guitar and singing and playing guitar is hard. So I think I'm, you know, I have got war wounds from all my own silly behaviour really, and that sort of lays heavily on me. But um, I guess, and time, you know, I've got a busy family life and it takes a lot um, and we were so before, just before covid, I was rehearsing and we were going to do a little tour and um, and then covid hit and that kind of kiboshed it all. But we were getting in really good shape.
Speaker 2:I had a little band and I was really excited about it. So you know, who knows, in the future that might, that might come around again. But yeah, for me, just, I would much rather rather than spend time rehearsing to play live and and I would much rather put that time and effort into writing and creating new songs. And I don't feel like I've got the time, energy or interest to do both, which isn't, you know, that does. That doesn't help, I guess, my music career or whatever you want to call it, but I haven't got the, I ain't got the capacity, because I want to write and I want to improve and I want to tell stories and I want to focus on that and that's where my energy and my interest lies.
Speaker 1:Right, I guess that's what success means for you as a musician is that you have the capacity to keep writing and putting your music out there and you know what comes of it comes of it, but that's that's your focus is is that process that you go through, writing the songs success to me is you saying that you listen and you like it.
Speaker 2:that's, you know, to me. People who tell me that they listen, not even if they like it, but just that they listen, listen and um, and you know, they get something out of it. And it might just be one song, it might be half a song, it might be one lyric Um, but that's success to me because it means people are connecting and that's what music is about. It's about communion, it's about community and it's about connection and um, yeah, that to me is all, yeah, success. For what? What does that even mean these days? Do you know what I mean? Success is a weird word, but, um, absolutely, I take great pleasure in people telling me that they like what I do. So you know, but that wouldn't stay in people. If everyone's telling me they hated it, I'd still carry on because it's part of who I am, you know, and I will. I'll do this till the day I die, hopefully, you know.
Speaker 2:So it's just I have to do it.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. Do you ever get writer's block, james? Like it was a question I was thinking about as I was going through your records and singles and like, has it ever come a time where you just you felt like empty, like you had nothing, nothing more to say?
Speaker 2:it kind of comes in blocks. So when I'm working on, I tend not to write too much when I'm working on something. So I've always got a few songs on the go, um, and I'll be recording them. They'll be in different stages, but um it's not. Um, I do have I had writer's block, but I do have periods of creativity, bursts of creativity, where I can sit down with a guitar for an hour and you know a couple of songs will come or whatever, and then I'll record them on my phone and then what I tend to do is I'll listen to them in a little bit of refinery, but I won't start working out the structures and finishing the lyrics until I've started recording. So, because I like to, I don't.
Speaker 2:I feel like, if you know, I've never really demoed the songs that I guess my songs are more demo like, because that's how I work, if I record something and capture it. You know I've tried in the past I've done a version of and I'm working through some of that now in terms of re-recording some of my older songs to make them sound a little bit different, but generally it's. I can't recapture it and it always sounds rubbish. You know, you you've just and it might, but generally it's. I can't recapture it and it always sounds rubbish. You know, you've just, and it might be that it's played really poorly, but it's just got something about it that you can't recreate. It's got a vibe or an energy, so no, it's.
Speaker 2:So. I'd kind of write on the fly. Really it's like the planes in the air and I'm writing as it's taking off. You know what I mean. So I'm writing as it's taking off. You know what I mean. So I'm working as I'm, as I'm recording the songs, which to me and that helps with time as well, because I've only got half an hour to work on, you know, I just need to just get on with it, crack on. Sorry, I keep knocking on my phone, can't get out of it, and yeah, I like that technique, though, Jamesames that you you always have a little bake of kind of started songs that, yeah, you're not inspired or something's coming to you.
Speaker 3:I'll just go I'll go work on them and that's kind of what this album was.
Speaker 2:Yeah because I wasn't in a good, it wasn't right as block, I was just was in a really bad place and healthy place. So, yeah, it was like, oh, I've got those songs, I'll, that'll give me a distraction. It was looking for a distraction, really, and that's what those songs gave me. So it wasn't you know. And then that led into being, I guess the more you write and the more you record, the kind of easier that it gets, I suppose. And I've been doing this a long time and I've been working in this way where you know I've got half an hour right, I'll put a vocal track down. I've been doing that for pretty much the last 15 years, so I've got quite good at just, you know, just working on stuff really quickly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I've got to, you know I wanted to ask you a gearhead question what's what setup Like? What are your go-tos when you're so? You said you put stuff on your phone just to kind of capture the essence. What's your setup when you're ready to actually kind of put it down on tape? What do you use?
Speaker 2:Well, generally it's just a, I've got it behind me. The, the. Generally it's just a, and it's just a, I've got it behind me. It's just a real crap.
Speaker 2:Little um spanish guitar that I got from a local charity shop, um, that I tend to do a lot of the writing on because I just enjoy playing, that got a couple of guitars and stuff. I'm not a massive gear head at all myself. I like old casio keyboards. I've got a few around me now, um, and then, yeah, just I've got like a universal audio interface. That um has got some like seventies compressors on or emulations of seventies compressors, so I use that. But, um, and I've got a drum kit in the garage, begged, steeled and borrowed a drum kit, so it's all a bit old and knackered.
Speaker 2:That tends to be the uh, the, the extent of my gear really that it's all sort of second hand and or hand-me-downs that know. You know that people don't want and stuff, but I'm not, um, I think again that's the kind of you know lo-fi, you know vibe that I love in music and that using older instruments or crappier shit just means that you get that vibe. You know you don't get the high fidelity of a big. You know, working generally work in this little room that I've got here. I've got some monitors and um, but you know, again, just um, just to sort of pat. You know, I've stripped down quite a bit of it because I'm working in, um, not a proper studio, but my friend paul's got a little studio, um, so I've been going down there because, again, that's part of these songs that I've been writing recently. I want them to.
Speaker 2:Well, I didn't want them to be like my songs at home, um, because you know, again, it's I've not that I've struggled with collaboration, but I don't like the. I've never really thought, enjoyed the thought of sitting down and staring, playing something in front of somebody, and them staring at me and and then judging whether they're going to want to work on it or not. But um, so that's again pushing myself to get myself out of my comfort zone and go, and paul's been really supportive and um, and really lovely about it and he's really helping me take these tunes in a no, no, not a radical way, but just, he's just really, he's really almost forensic and he'll, he's really helping me to actually, you know, think about that. Automatic writing is one side, but he's almost saying well, what are you saying here? And how can we support that? And how does the instrument? And I would never think about that sort of stuff. It's just like, yeah, that sounds good, don't you know? And he's then going well, are we done? Because actually could we, why don't we try? So I'm thinking, actually you know, so it's we're playing off each other.
Speaker 2:I think I've helped him we were talking about this the other day like I've, I've helped him relax a little. We're kind of meeting in the middle. So he's very forensic, very, um, he's a brilliant musician, knows, he knows all the chords you know, knows all the technical terms. I know no chords. I know what. I don't know any notes. I can't tell you if it's a gd or e. So he's sort of like you know we're meeting in the middle and I think it's a really nice.
Speaker 2:Um, we've got a really nice thing going because we can we bounce off each other and I'll go. No, that's fine.
Speaker 1:And he'll be like are you sure, and I'll be like no, that's fine, or I'll be like well, what do you mean, you know?
Speaker 2:so we're taking these songs into a really nice place, I think, which is um, which is really cool, so I'm looking forward to finishing them and seeing where they go. Really what?
Speaker 1:what songs are the like? Did you go in your back catalog and kind of pull out some songs that you wanted to re envision and then you brought them to paul and and you're kind of like doing a is it a bigger production? You're stripping things down like how will they sound different than than their originals?
Speaker 2:so one of the songs is forever scars, which is the main song on this album, but I just felt like I'd not. That song meant covers so much ground of the last sort of 12 months to me personally and I just didn't think, looking back at and it's easy to say in retrospect and hindsight, but I don't think I did that song justice on this record and I wanted to redo it in a way that felt like it did the song justice. There's another song that goes back a while ago called Flowers Bloom, which was on oh God, I don't even know what album it was on, but it goes back a while and that again, just the way that song kind of sums up what we went through with Poppy. So it talks about you. You know flowers bloom in the waiting room and and you know we it was just so. That was something again that wanted to go back to and rework that because it helped hold us. It holds a special place in my heart. But it was also again that prophecy side of things. I mean it was written years and years ago but you know it could have been written the day after Poppy died, really. So I felt like those, those two were the two that were reworking, and then there's like seven or eight new songs that I've written in the last few months. But I feel that's a really I don't think I don't. It's the first time I've ever done that and again, you know, pushing myself to do things a bit differently, think outside the box or whatever, get out of my comfort zone.
Speaker 2:I think in the past I'd have probably gone off re-recording something I've done a long time ago, I'm not sure about, but you know, again, it's about it's. You know there's no reason. And other artists do it. You know I was sayingnie prince billy does it a lot and will hold them where he'll take. You know he re-records because to me and you know I've heard him say this sort of stuff that you know, song, a song is never finished. And and why? Why you've written it, so why can't you go back? You know it's like redecorating your house. You know you you're just always on it, aren't you? And and why can't songs be different to that? So, and you know, reflecting on that, it's like, well, yeah, you're right, actually, and it's my song and I'll, if I want to re-record it, I'll re-record it. Thank you very much, you know, I mean.
Speaker 1:And yeah, and hopefully you improve it so um, yeah, but in terms of yeah, go ahead. I was just gonna say, I just wanted to ask you about the forever scars like the, the firstars, the latest record version, the one that you guys have been collaborating on. What are the biggest differences that you notice?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the production is, I wouldn't say more scale back, it's more just me and in terms of the core elements. So it's an acoustic guitar and just my vocal, with some harmonies there's no, I mean, there are multi-layered vocals, but it's not as wild as some of the stuff I've done in the past. And then it's just been really, really complimentary to the, the, the meaning of the song, and this is what Paul's bringing to it. I would, like I said earlier, just throw paint at the wall and whatever sticks, but he's been really and I can't think of the word I'm trying to say but really, um, thoughtful about.
Speaker 2:Well, if we put in base on this song, well, what should the bass sound like, and and how, where's it going? You know, where does it support the melody, where does it support the? And you've got this line here that seems to be quite central in the song. So what can we do in the instrumentation to support that? Um, rather than just playing the same thing over the top, let's think about how we give that space, and that's I guess that's kind of what he's bringing to the table is like let's, let's let the songs breathe and let's find space in them. Um, and some of that is I'll. So I've been doing, I'll do like the acoustic guitar here and vocals here and then take it down to the studio and then we'll he'll, we'll listen to it and we'll kind of just peel some of those layers away and then, you know, then start embellishing it. So it's working really nicely. But yeah, fundamentally it's about what, being sort of scientific about it and thinking like what does?
Speaker 2:the song need for it to, and that's a different way for me to to work. I'm very much like say, just done, it Sounds all right, yeah, don't move on, but this is about actually really thinking, yeah.
Speaker 1:Next, Sounds like he is a very thoughtful, asking the right questions so that you're reflecting a bit more, as well as to Because I guess that can be speedy when you're producing so much and so much is coming out to slow it, and just ask key questions about what were you meaning inside this question like why did you add that you know so that you can start to see like, oh yeah, um, I mean, I'm sure that this will pay dividends on your next record in the next I think it will is just way reflective quality to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, the way we talk about writing and he's got his own thoughts about lyrics and you know, um, and yeah he's, he's a genius really, but he is a genius. He's not a genius really, he's a genius and such a nice guy about it. And yeah, he put, you know, we, he pushes, which I kind of have never in a nice way, though not in a, not in a nobbed way. So it's really nice. It's working really really well. So we'll see, hopefully the songs will, um well, I'm super excited.
Speaker 1:That record that you're gonna put out soonish, like what? What's the eta for that? For that record, is it still?
Speaker 2:no rush, no rush, just keep. Yeah, it's very much so.
Speaker 2:We both were taking your time and making it so it feels right for the both of you and yeah, and, and we, we can only sort of go down certain times during the week, so it's very much. You know, we're hoping to have all the tracking done by the end of the month, and then there'll be a bit of mixing and stuff, but, um, yeah, there's no rush, probably it'll be done by the end of the year, hopefully, and then, yeah, see what happens next year. So, um, yeah, we are, we're fortunately expecting another baby in february. So, um, we will that it all needs to be kind of done and dusted by then. And then, yeah, we'll see, we'll see. So it'd be 2025 at some point. I, I would imagine, yeah, probably late, 25. I would imagine.
Speaker 1:Cool. Well, I'll post it on the blog for sure. That's a guarantee. Thank you, mate. Well, james, this has been like really amazing. Again we're going to have to do this again because there's just so much more to talk about. Yeah, but I wish you all the best. I wish you and your family all the best and again my condolences, but also my congratulations on the next. I wish you all the best, your wife all the best over this pregnancy and these phases that you're going through. It's a real, real pleasure to talk with you. Um, you're a real kindred spirit and um, I just love what you do. So I will never stop following and you never stop writing oh, thank you, chris, I really appreciate that.
Speaker 2:And yeah, um, no, the same definite kindred spirits. And, um, yeah, anytime you want to talk to me, I'm, I'm more than more than happy to, so thank you so much. And thank you so much for your support, not just of my stuff, but you know the foxwood records label stuff that we've put out over the years as well. Um, it's amazing and that's, you know, the connections that music makes across oceans and around the world. Is, is, um, is amazing.
Speaker 1:So, you know, long may it continue absolutely well, kind of bringing us back to where we started, is. That's why you're doing this stuff, right for those connections, and absolutely definitely doing it because, look, look at us yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah, thank you so much all right. Well, you take care, brother, and we'll talk soon you too take care, see you later.
Speaker 2:Bye cheers ¶¶ ¶.
Speaker 3:Fall down again. Words carry sin Coping again. Open again, open the skin. It makes me love. It makes me love Throughout the show. Is that what you start to let? Is that what you start to let? Is everything sky clear? Is everything sky clear? Water is hot, jump and it's gone, comes again. It makes it worse. It makes it worse. Feel like the scars that we've missed out on. Forever strong, forever strong, forever strong, forever strong, forever strong, forever strong. It makes the world. It makes the world Forget the stars you.
