London-born artist Robin James may be yet another addition to the singer-songwriter field of the music industry which has recently become as crowded as a Central line tube during rush hour, but unlike the recent wave of solo artists breaking into the mainstream, you'll never catch him playing with synths.
His debut album, Saint Jude, is released later this month and was recorded in less than one day at the Toe Rag Studios in London. The album sounds exactly as it was recorded and you can hear fellow Music Fixer Olivia's views on the album here.
For anyone who had their appetites whetted with the album review, Robin James had a brief chat with The Music Fix to let us know what makes him tick.
What's your earliest musical memory?
Watching the Sound of Music.
If you could hold a recording session with any five artists, who would you choose?
Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Animal from the Muppets, Tombliboo Eee and Jimmy Page.
You want to describe your music to a stranger on the street, who do you compare yourself to?
A choir boy caught inside a cocker spaniel.
You are going to live on a desert island for a year, which three albums do you take with you?
Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
Paul Simon - Graceland
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
Everyone has a defining music moment, one that lives on in the memory, what is yours?
Singing Elgar aged 11 in a room where Hitler had plotted various nasty things.
What is the best gig you've ever been to and why?
Simon and Garfunkel at Hyde Park. I had really low expectations, as I thought they would just play their songs and take the money and run, but it was magical. They properly inhabited every song in front of an amazing crowd and sunset.
If we were to look at your MP3 player, what is the most embarrassing track or album that we'd find?
I don't have an MP3 player.
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
In a vicarage in North Yorkshire.
How would you describe your debut album,Saint Jude, to us?
A piece of artistic genius! I wanted the process of recording to reflect the album. The songs are about brokenness, uncertainty and letting go, which are reflected, in the raw, limited and exposed approach. The temptations to edit and manipulate the songs are taken away when recording onto tape, which is both liberating and slightly frightening. But as Leonard Cohen sings – ‘forget your perfect offering; there is a crack, a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in’.
What's next for Robin James?
I've written another album - I would like to record it (may be take two or three days instead of half a day).
Saint Jude is released on November 30th via Pocket Sized Records. To hear more about Robin James, visit his My Space.
His debut album, Saint Jude, is released later this month and was recorded in less than one day at the Toe Rag Studios in London. The album sounds exactly as it was recorded and you can hear fellow Music Fixer Olivia's views on the album here.
For anyone who had their appetites whetted with the album review, Robin James had a brief chat with The Music Fix to let us know what makes him tick.
What's your earliest musical memory?
Watching the Sound of Music.
If you could hold a recording session with any five artists, who would you choose?
Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Animal from the Muppets, Tombliboo Eee and Jimmy Page.
You want to describe your music to a stranger on the street, who do you compare yourself to?
A choir boy caught inside a cocker spaniel.
You are going to live on a desert island for a year, which three albums do you take with you?
Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
Paul Simon - Graceland
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
Everyone has a defining music moment, one that lives on in the memory, what is yours?
Singing Elgar aged 11 in a room where Hitler had plotted various nasty things.
What is the best gig you've ever been to and why?
Simon and Garfunkel at Hyde Park. I had really low expectations, as I thought they would just play their songs and take the money and run, but it was magical. They properly inhabited every song in front of an amazing crowd and sunset.
If we were to look at your MP3 player, what is the most embarrassing track or album that we'd find?
I don't have an MP3 player.
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
In a vicarage in North Yorkshire.
How would you describe your debut album,Saint Jude, to us?
A piece of artistic genius! I wanted the process of recording to reflect the album. The songs are about brokenness, uncertainty and letting go, which are reflected, in the raw, limited and exposed approach. The temptations to edit and manipulate the songs are taken away when recording onto tape, which is both liberating and slightly frightening. But as Leonard Cohen sings – ‘forget your perfect offering; there is a crack, a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in’.
What's next for Robin James?
I've written another album - I would like to record it (may be take two or three days instead of half a day).
Saint Jude is released on November 30th via Pocket Sized Records. To hear more about Robin James, visit his My Space.
