In the Chair is a regular feature on Eventalaide, highlighting artists from across Australia and occasionally overseas. Everyone gets basically the same questions. It is just meant to be a bit of fun so please treat it as such.
Questions by Geoff Jenke
A diehard lover of all thing’s music, st.james grew up surrounded by pop music videos and listening to the likes of David Bowie and Bob Dylan with her father along the way. Currently based on the Gold Coast after previously working and living in Melbourne for six years, and a stint in Byron Bay in 2021 filming the Netflix series Byron Baes, st.james has repeatedly enamored in 2022 with her optimistic, heartfelt tunes via tracks like Liars and Restless Life. And presenting a fun, mysterious, layered and darkly seductive outing fit for a futuristic kingdom on her new single Aquarius.
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Name: st.james
In
less than 50 words describe your music, your band (if applicable) and yourself.
I am
a pop songwriter and I make honest, dark, fun pop music. I’d lived a thousand
lives and write about what I’ve experienced, what I’ve seen and what I know. I
am a hopeless romantic and love love.
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What was the first record you bought with your own money and where from?
I bought the single ‘I love rock n’ roll’ by Britney Spears. It was $2.50 from Sanity and I was obsessed. It came with the official instrumental track so my poor Mum and sister had to endure me rehearsing it in the living room for months.
80’s
or 90’s Music:
That
is a tough one because so many of my influences, favourite artists and albums
come from the 80’s but 90’s music was where I first found my true passion for
music. So, I gotta go 90’s
What
music are you currently listening to?
A
mixed bag, actually. I have been listening to Doja Cat this week, but also
Simon and Garfunkel when I want to wind down.
The
Best live artist/band you’ve seen:
Elton
John was probably the most impressive. I saw him in Sydney in 2012 and was sat
up front. I just cried the whole time! His performance was so effortless.
Your
“In the mood for love” song:
There’s
actually a Julie London song I’m obsessed with right now called ‘I’m in the
Mood for Love’. It’s the first song on a Spotify playlist I created called ‘A
Lovey Mood’. How coincidental is that?! Or if I want something a little dirtier
it’s definitely gotta be L$D by A$AP ROCKY
Your
favourite Saturday night party record?
Miley
Cyrus – Plastic Hearts
Your
favourite Sunday morning chill out record?
I
have a playlist called essential classical piano and I listen to it when I want
to be calm and every time I go on a plane, especially long-haul flights. It
saved me when I flew to London last time.
Which
song do you wish you had written?
Hope
is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have, but I have it – Lana del Rey
Roger
Daltry once said “Rock N Roll has no future”. Do you agree with him?
Well,
he is right and he is wrong. The style of Rock N Roll music The Who produced
has no place in today’s charts, sounds evolve with the times. Modern RnR sounds
so different, and even so it has a niche audience. Occasionally it finds its
way onto the charts. So, it isn’t necessarily dead. I always find it amusing
when older generations throw shade on music now, without realising their
parents did the same thing when they were young. The music of their generation
sounds familiar and it’s natural to be protective of that. A lot of incredible
music came from the 20th century but I do not believe the best music made is
behind us.
Vinyl,
CD or Streaming?
I
would love to say I listen to vinyl but I don’t have a record player! I love
the sound when it’s played in the living room (my grandmother has one, they’re
the best) but for practical reasons, it’s streaming for me.
If
you could record or play live with any artist (dead or alive), who would it be?
100%
Bowie. I’d make a set list of a bunch of my favourite album tracks that would
probably not interest anyone but me
What
is the most useless talent you have?
I can
ask you for a Gummybear in German
Your
finest recorded moment?
Getting
to sing on Byron Baes. It was a surreal moment when the show dropped, to have
people all over the world message me saying how much they loved hearing me
sing.
Who
is your musical hero and what one question would you ask them?
Axl
Rose. And I would ask him to marry me.
Dying,
peacefully on your death bed, what song would you like to hear?
Gypsy
– Fleetwood Mac
Stuck
on a desert island for a year and can only take three albums. What would they
be?
David
Bowie – Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Lana
del Rey – Norman fucking Rockwell
Halsey
– If I can’t have love I want power
Favourite
all time movie:
Terminator
2
If
you drove an ice cream van, what music would you play?
I‘d
make a bubblegum pop playlist. It would start with Malibu by Kim Petras.
Best
show you have ever played in your career:
The
Espy, iconic venue in Melbourne. Before it was renovated. It was dark, dingy
and dirty. Oh, and freezing! But so much fun.
Any
backstage incident that makes you laugh?
It’s
not so interesting but in my old band, my manager, who knew I have an aversion
to sharing water bottles (mouth stuff gives me the icks) used to wind me up by
asking me for my water all the time. It sounds really silly, but we’d always
kind of raz on each other. We’d tell our drummer there were pretty girls in the
audience talking about him and watch him show off on stage, not knowing we were
making it up.
Neil
Young or Paul McCartney?
I
love Paul McCartney but I listen to Neil Young more. Harvest Moon is one of my
favourite songs ever.
Who
is the nicest person in Rock n Roll at the moment?
Paul
McCartney is a sweetheart. I’ll go with him.
What do you hope the next 12 months hold for you?
I can’t wait to share some more music with everyone. And then play some shows!
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A sultry, dark and immersive adventure lies in wait on Aquarius, aka the brand new single from luminous alt-pop artist st.james. Officially billowing out into the world today, Aquarius marks a stylistic shift for st.james from her earlier work; but it’s ultimately a stunning and welcome deviation, bustling with futuristic hues as well as a smattering of st.james’ more vintage trademark flair.
Aquarius crawls and undulates with glossy production and immersive layers, with st.james effortlessly sweeping and skipping vocally amongst hip hop, electronic and alt-pop undertones. Polished, poised and oozing with charisma, st.james emerges with the ultimate sonic glow-up via her new track, nodding to both the past and present simultaneously.
st james explains, “I listened to a lot of The Beatles when I was writing this, Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band! I think I also subconsciously got the intensity of the vocals from listening to Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power album as well. But I wanted it to feel futuristic, with a little hint of some vintage energy”.
Aquarius out now.
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