Unearthed James Blake Interview from 2013
In an epic twist of fate, today we unearthed the legendary lost archives of AltSounds, back when it was a cutting-edge music blog with a global team of writers diving deep into the world’s best talent. We grabbed the SQL database, loaded MYSQL up and started to dig into this treasure trove that includes this stellar 2013 James Blake interview, conducted by the phenomenal Margaux Knecht. RIOT collaborated directly with Margaux when she worked as a producer at our good friends Coach — she has since skyrocketed to success as an entrepreneur. Get hyped, because we’re about to drop a year’s worth of mind-blowing interviews and rare gems from the RIOT Vault. Stay tuned as we unleash the ultimate throwback, bringing the AltSounds legacy back to life!
James Blake Interview: A Deep Dive into Overgrown and More, May 2013.
It’s almost impossible to categorize the British singer-songwriter James Blake, much less describe his body of work to someone who is not familiar with his sound. His music has evolved so much over the past few years though, that it really would be a disservice to try do so anyways.
With classical piano training, beautiful vocals, evolving sonic textures, and beats that just grab you, James Blake is a growing talent to watch out for and is currently making his mark in the US with his sophomore full-length album Overgrown.
James Blake seems to want his music to just speak for itself, but I was able to steal a few minutes to pick his brain a bit and get some much needed answers.
AltSounds: Thanks so much for taking the time this afternoon to talk with me. You’re currently on a US tour to promote your new release Overgrown, which I have to say I have been really enjoying. How did you feel going into this tour and are you in a different headspace than you were the last go round?
James Blake: I feel so much better actually. I have some new material and I feel like I’m singing better. I feel like I’ve improved a few things and we’re better set up to deliver a really good show this time around.
WATCH | James Blake – Overgrown
AltSounds: That’s great! I know you have 2 shows scheduled for NYC next week and a night in Boston sandwiched in between. How do you keep the momentum going and feeling fresh for both yourself and the audience as you play night after night after night?
James Blake: We do switch up the set. I’m introducing new tunes quite a lot, but I think mostly it’s just the crowd being different. There are certain tunes that work in different places, you know? It’s not always the same… “Retrograde” and “Wilhelm Scream” – the kind of more hip-hop tempo ones (even though I know they’re not hip-hop), that kind of beat or tempo really translates in certain places and in certain places they go for the more fancy, beat-driven tracks. Sometimes they just want to hear piano and vocal. Each time that happens it’s really special for each reason.
WATCH | James Blake – The Wilhelm Scream [Live on KEXP]
AltSounds: I went from seeing you play in a church in Austin, TX for SXSW to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. Those performances stand out as my favorites for so many different reasons. What performances stand out for you?
James Blake: One of my favorite shows ever has been at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. That was pretty amazing. I love it when a crowd is vocal. Some people complained about that in their reviews of the show. Some people don’t like it when the crowd is really interactive because they want people to be quite and respectful….a lot of the time I have the best show when people are really vocal, cause I’m not too vocal on stage. I do talk or whatever, but I like to, if you can excuse the cliché, let the music say what I have to say. So it’s nice for me when the crowd is interactive.
The first time we ever played “Retrograde” in America was that night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. I remember it just sounding massive because the crowd were joining in, singing and clapping, and to me that feeling is akin to my favorite gospel records, where people are all in a room clapping, singing and shouting. That’s the best!
AltSounds: I’ve read here and there that Overgrown was influenced by the fact that you are now in love for the first time, but there’s still a sound of sadness to me on most of the tracks. Is there actually a love song on the album?
James Blake: Almost all of the songs on there are love songs, except for “Overgrown” and “To the Last.” You could say that “To the Last” was a love song in the sense that it’s loving, but its not towards who you might think it is. It’s more of a family love.
“Music comes from every part of you, doesn’t it? Especially when you are making it.”
AltSounds: Interesting. Well, I probably should be, but I’m not too shy to say that these songs have been key to any of what I sometimes call sexy-time playlists.
James Blake: Oh really, that’s amazing. That’s a huge compliment.
AltSounds: (Blush). Yes, so I can at least say from a female perspective, your music can get the mood going — your tender voice; the underlying pulse and rhythm of your beats, which can literally vibrate through your body with the deep, deep bass for anyone lucky enough to hear you play one of the smaller venues; even your sway and swagger on stage evokes sexuality. Would you say that’s intentional in your music or does it just happen naturally?
James Blake: Totally. Well, in some ways it’s intentional and in some ways it’s not. Music comes from every part of you, doesn’t it? Especially when you are making it. You are filtering out every sexual feeling and your emotional feelings and even intellectual feelings or ponderings. They’re all coming out in one go, in the best songs I think. It really comes from a primal place, especially when I’m at my best.
I feel like “Retrograde” really came from a place with all the things we’re talking about.
WATCH | James Blake – Retrograde (Live at Heaven, London)
AltSounds: While we’re on topics that might make me blush again — you and Justin Vernon in a room together is a musical wet dream of almost every girl I know. Tell me about the collaboration on Fall Creek Boys Choir.
James Blake: He sent me this vocal and it was actually over the Internet, which is probably the least sexy thing I could tell you. It was beautiful and I decided to mess around with it. It turned into this real slow jam thing and I can’t tell what he’s singing. I don’t think anyone can. In fact, I don’t think he remembers what he sang on that. But there’s feeling. That tune has virtually no understandable lyrics, but it’s really visceral. It’s just got feel. I really like it.
AltSounds: Absolutely. So did he give you any direction or was it just like do what you want with it?
James Blake: He pretty much said do what you want. Although I don’t think he expected me to do it so quickly. I pretty much did it in a day. Actually during the night. Sent it straight back to him and we released it.
LISTEN | James Blake & Bon Iver – Fall Creek Boys Choir
AltSounds: Was it a similar process with the collaboration with RZA on “Take A Fall For Me” on this new album?
James Blake: Kinda similar ya. It’s an occasion of taking someone else’s vocal and making music around it. I didn’t write with him in mind, but once I had written it I just had to get in touch with him and see if he’d do it.
AltSounds: Is this a sign we might be seeing you producing hip-hop beats sometime soon?
James Blake: I find I work with that kind of music quite well. It’s music I grew up with. It really does something for me that not a lot of other music does. Hip-hop and R&B are the big influences for me. I think I hear it in a way I can work with. So maybe, we’ll see what happens.
AltSounds: Well we are certainly excited to see and hear what happens for you during and after this tour!
