James Smith chats new album ‘Golden Age’: grief, love, and longevity
James Smith chats to TOPNOTE about new album, ‘Golden Age’, out now. Image credit: Bethany Cordery
‘I dug a bit deeper on this record. And it opened so many doors for me because I didn't realise that you can do that with music, I didn't realise that it's not just like a fun hobby to do, it's an actual pulling of something.’
James Smith is here for the long haul. He’s not fussed about sudden chart domination or large corporate music strategies… and he’s certainly not interested in making viral TikTok songs.
On Friday, he dropped second studio album ‘Golden Age’, a concise and convincing collection of tracks showcasing an effortlessly soulful voice and universally relatable storytelling – with first single ‘Dancing With You’ already passing 10 million streams before the album’s release. For Smith, though, this is merely an amuse-bouche in the set menu of his career. Starting music at just 15, the 27-year-old is now fully independent, paving his tortoise-like way to increasing success with instinct and authenticity. And it’s working.
Fast-approaching 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Smith lets his music do most of the talking – although his charisma speaks in volume too. His grinning, effervescent energy is not quite the personality you’d expect from a songwriter whose catalogue to date leans more towards the self-described ‘soft boy’ styles of acoustic guitars and wistful vocals.
But that’s why we’re here. ‘Golden Age’ is a step left… out of ballad land and into the electric sphere; a 10-track record that Smith believes is a better showcase of his musicianship and genuine identity. Released on Friday via RINSE, it’s a round-up of previously released singles and pertinent new tracks, documenting a moment in time from a musician whose destiny is only pointing upwards.
At an Italian restaurant in South West London, we sat down for a chat about the new album.
James Smith ‘Golden Age’ album artwork. Image credit: James Smith
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Interviewer: Tell us as you open the wine, what you're doing, and why we're here?
James: I'm here because I've got an album coming out, May 22nd. And there's a song on the album called ‘Chianti’. And we’re gonna drink a little bottle today, how fun is that?!
My partner has a place in Italy and we go out there a couple times a year. There's a little winery at the bottom of the mountain, and we go try all the stuff. I really am not a wine connoisseur. I just love having a piss up. We were pretty wasted one afternoon and just decided to open a bottle of Chianti and write a song together. It was a really fun experience. It's about this bottle of Chianti we've got at home that we've saved for a big occasion, and it's been sat there forever. It's a sweet little end to the album, it's pretty different from the rest. But I really loved it and it means a lot… maybe when the album comes out is when we'll open it.
‘Electric Eyes’ is the opener. It has a really interesting bridge where you've got someone talking about social media, what was the inspiration behind that?
James: I'm really inspired by Paulo [Nutini]. I love him a lot and I sort of wanted an ‘Iron Sky’ moment. I thought about what the record is. A lot of it is about being young and naive and being a bit skint… it’s about my early to mid 20s. A big part of that is social media and the pressures of it. The song is about me meeting people that are more worried about how they look and present on there than they do in real life. [The bridge] is a mix of people, it’s some TED Talks and it's also my girlfriend speaking. I was like, can you record you saying ‘electric eyes’, and she went mental with it, it made me laugh so much.
She sounds quite instrumental in this album – she features on ‘Jesus Is A Woman’, ‘Chianti’, and ‘Electric Eyes’. Would you come to her with an idea? Would you develop an idea together?
James: Well essentially she's like my A&R because I don't have a record label and I don't really send my stuff to my team, it's sort of whatever I like goes. Which is great. They just let me crack on with the music. But I'll come home from the studio and I'm playing stuff all the time, if I get a bit of a reaction, then I know it's good.
The last unreleased song on the album is called ‘Blame It On The Moon’. Tell me about that one.
James: ‘Blame It On The Moon’ is about… how can I say this without sounding like a t***, (laughs). It's like, when someone of a certain gender is in a bit of a bad mood, and my advice to other blokes is just blame it on the moon. Don't get angry at your partners, because there's a lot that's going on that we don't know about, right? Which is a bit silly. It's tongue-in-cheek.
But yes, there are only three more [new] songs and that is a shame, but that is just the world we're in. But along with the album I've got a load of cool shows and press bits, which is why I've made it a big thing. Most of it's out already, but it is nice to just tie everything up.
“I think the goal really is to just push this music out to as many people as possible, and play big shows and be able to connect with the right people, understand who the fans are. Because I do think I’m gonna be doing this for the next 40 years at least.”
Do you have a favourite song?
James: I think ‘Chianti’ is one of my faves on the record because it means so much. My other favourite is probably ‘Golden Age’ because it really was just the most fun experience I've had making a song. I made this really rock-y demo that I don't usually do, as an experiment, basically. And then I took it to Konk Studios, which is like my favourite place in the world, and just played it with the band and it felt so good.
When I interviewed you last, you said ‘Golden Age’ represents the key themes of the album: money, being young, you also said spirituality – that’s especially prevalent in ‘My Angels’. Now that the whole album is put together, is that still true?
James: I think that's pretty spot on. ‘My Angels’ was a really special song. It's about my granddad; we had such a close bond, he was like a father figure. I think that feeling of mourning… a lot of love and deep emotion runs through every song. Same with ‘Electric Eyes’, there's a mourning of this person not showing up as themselves. I feel like I dug a bit deeper on this record. And it opened so many doors for me because I didn't realise that you can do that with music, I didn't realise that it's not just like a fun hobby to do, it's an actual pulling of something.
What do you want people to take from this album?
James: I've been at it now for 10 years. I'm definitely at a stage, I don't actually care about all the industry stuff… However, that is lovely when you get a nice little acknowledgement. But I think the goal really is to just push this music out to as many people as possible, and play big shows and be able to connect with the right people, understand who the fans are. Because I do think I'm gonna be doing this for the next 40 years at least. I’m gonna be an old man putting out music on Spotify. I would just like to grow a solid fan base. Maybe get to Wembley.
Arena or Stadium?
James: I mean, I’d take either. I'd love to have a solid year of crazy success and then just chill out. Do the odd Ally Pally show. That's the goal, where I'm at is so far from that now, But my eyes are on it. I'd like to do… 14 albums. So I'm not putting loads of pressure on each one.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about the album?
James: The artwork! This artwork, I’ve just kept at it from the beginning, I’ve held onto this picture for so long. It’s a picture of my great aunt and uncle in the 1940s I think, and it was their ‘golden age’. He was my grandad’s brother, he would have loved that I used that photograph. I also think it’s so sick, and iconic, it feels like it could go up in a museum – I really am obsessed with that photo. That woman looks like Marilyn Monroe… and that’s my auntie, it’s so cool. She was such a lovely woman.
James Smith in conversation with TOPNOTE. Image credit: Bethany Cordery
You can catch James Smith in London at The Garage on 22nd October or on tour across the UK and Europe, and listen to ‘Golden Age’ out now.