Interview – James Thompson

By Kelly Meacock

Kelly. When did you first begin your music career?
JMT. It wasn’t until early 2004 that I started getting back into music after playing throughout high school in a heavy metal band. This was in Perth, mainly in the Fremantle area, where I did some open mic type gigs and then started getting some humble pay. I hassled a guy called Lloyd Spiegel for a support gig when he was on tour here in Perth late 2004, and that really stepped up my attitude toward making music more seriously.

Kelly. You’ve been described as a true bluesman. Who were the major music influences in your life?
JMT. Listening to Blind Willie Johnson changed everything for me. I had grown up listening to my dad’s record collection which was mostly made up of Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins. I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to grow up on that stuff, but blues — particularly Blind Willie — changed everything. There were no choruses or bridges, just guitar and vocals, so it became more about conveying emotion or feeling. Since then I’ve really enjoyed some of the later blues of Howlin’ Wolf, RL Burnside and Muddy Waters, but Cash, Robbins and Johnson are still the main guys.

Kelly. What are some of your major music achievements?
JMT. All the material I’ve put to disc is something I’m proud of. Live shows are great to be a part of too. I’ve been a finalist for the WAM Song of the Year which was cool, but the best achievement is when a music festival contacts me for a gig and I don’t have to hassle them.

Kelly. What festivals have you played at in the past?
JMT. I’ve been given some great opportunities such as the East and West Coast Blues and Roots Festivals, as well as Bridgetown Blues and the Australian Blues Festival. I also got a shot at Fairbridge Folk Festival this year, which was something different again.

Kelly. Tell us about the instruments you play with. Didn’t you make an 8 string guitar?
JMT. The 8-string guitar is certainly a beast. It was created by Andrew Ellis (Ellis Guitars) with a bit of help from me in the design and manufacturing stages… but he’s the one who had to make it work. He had built a 7-string guitar previously and we wanted to go a bit further. The videos of the guitar have done really well on YouTube and elsewhere so it seems other people find it cool too. That was when I was still largely playing solo, but these days with the band I’ve gone back to electric guitar and it’s been a great experience to go back to square one. I’m using a Gibson 335, which is a versatile instrument. I just use the guitar and a Fender Blues Junior amp — a little howler — and a few pedals. The band takes care of everything else. I’ve also got an Ellis acoustic which I use for solo shows, which have become a lot of fun lately too.

Kelly. What instrument do you enjoy playing the most?
JMT. I’m really liking the electric guitar at the moment. There’s something about having an electric through a low-watt valve amp that I really like. I haven’t been into lap slide for a while but recently I’ve enjoyed playing lap slide with other musicians to get a real country sound. The acoustic has also been great fun. I love them all!

Kelly. What song/s do you enjoy playing the most? Why?
JMT. Favourite songs change all the time. I’ll get right into a song and play it over and over, then get sick of it and drop it from the set list. Slowly it starts to pop back up again and we go through it all again. It’s going to be exciting with the new album because I’ll have enough original material to construct a solid hour and a half set, where the songs can be chosen for their intensity, speed or aggression — like ingredients that can be mixed depending on the crowd. Favourites at the moment include Between the Eyes, In My Time of Dying, and Poor Danny. I’ll also put a bit of Cash in for good measure.

Kelly. What do you think has been the turning point in your music career so far?
JMT. Two things. Meeting Lloyd Spiegel and picking his brain on how the industry works in 2004 really made me think about taking music seriously. Also, getting on board with Rella Music in early 2005 was a big step — initially for CD manufacturing but later for album projects, DVDs, and further development. The most recent project has been completely focused on music without distractions, and I don’t think it could have turned out better. That’s thanks to the work Rella has put into my music.

Kelly. What was it like recording your second album? Did you enjoy the process – and was it different to the first album recording process?
JMT. The second album has been a very rewarding process. It was different in terms of the timeline. The Good News Blues was largely recorded in a single day — from 8am to 11pm. It’s a bit of a blur looking back. We touched up a few things later and that was it. We were well prepared and just nailed all the songs. This time around it was much more collaborative. Half of the album came from songs Wade (Saunders) and I had been playing for two years on the road, and they flowed easily. Then we added bass, blues harp, Hammond organ — it all came together beautifully. Some acoustic hymns were done quickly with James (Newhouse), Thom (Bull) and me. Others started as skeletons and evolved with James and Gav (Kerr), becoming much more than the original demos. It was hard letting go of creative control, but seeing where the songs were headed made it easier to trust. Rella gave us space and no pressure, which ironically helped us move faster and more effectively.

Kelly. Did you already have a certain feel in mind for your album or did it just happen?
JMT. One thing I had in mind before this album was hooks. Blues doesn’t often have hooks like pop music does. I didn’t want it to be cheesy, so I focused on riffs — if it was a good riff, I made it the centrepiece of the song. So in a way, the riff became the hook. The songs are more to the point, with simple verses and bridges, and repeating musical parts instead of traditional choruses.

Kelly. Where did the recording take place?
JMT. We tracked everything in a studio in Leederville. Not sure of the name, but it had two isolated rooms, a control room and a kitchen. It worked perfectly for us. Drums, guitar and vocals were laid down to analogue tape in one take, and any overdubs were added afterwards.

Kelly. Who did you record the album with?
JMT. James Newhouse was the chief producer and engineer — he also worked on my first album. My first-ever recording was with James when he was finishing at SAE, and we’ve worked together since. He brought great ideas and experience. Gav Kerr also co-produced later. He’s a top drummer and an exceptional arranger and producer. On bass was Gary Benesse. Thom Bull played Hammond organ and piano, and added vocals on Man of Sorrows. Phil Cilli played blues harp and some keys. Everyone involved was a one-take wonder. Gav and Wade Saunders handled drums — Wade had to leave for Europe halfway through. Jonathan Brain (my brother-in-law) played guitar and sang on Long Hard Road — totally energised the track. We even pulled together a vocal group including Gav, Phil, James, Thom, MJ, Del (McGuiness from Rella Music) and others for No One Gets Out Alive. It was incredible.

Kelly. What sort of technique do you use for song writing?
JMT. I like how my songwriting has progressed over the past 4–5 years. It’s become more mature and focused. Songs now come together musically and lyrically at the same time. A riff will often suggest a vocal line, and that sets the direction. It’s always a mix of a theme I want to explore and the music that fits. Iniquitous is a great example where the guitar and vocals mirror each other.

Kelly. What’s the next step in your music career?
JMT. The next step is to get this album out to as many people as possible. I’m confident in the songs and the overall project — everyone who’s heard early versions thinks we’ve got something special. Hopefully this will lead to more high-profile shows, locally and nationally.

Kelly. What is your ultimate goal with your music career, where do you hope to be in the near future?
JMT. If the album does well, the short-term success would be to play bigger shows and build a wider following. Long-term, the goal is to earn a full-time income from music. It’s a mixed blessing — sometimes it’s easier to have a day job and keep the creative pressure off — but ultimately, creating music that I’m proud of and supporting my family through that would be the dream.