Just listed for BBC Sound 2012, as far as I’m concerned, Jamie N Commons is one of the most interesting personalities in the music industry right now.
You actually don’t expect from a 22-year old guy, born, as he says, on the stroke of midnight October 22, swaying between Libra and Scorpio, a deep blues sound and compelling lyrics.
When I first listened to his EP “Baron” I was taken by hand and virtually discovered multi-coloured microcosmos: faith, religion, love, passion, death. The Preacher, his first single, deals with a man who chopped his wife, just to start with. The 5-track creation continues with biting sounds echoing Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Bruce Springsteen.
I’m sure you’ll be listening to him a lot next year. For now, let’s get to know him a bit.
I know you were born in England and then moved to the US. What’s the difference, if any, between the two countries, music speaking?
I think the main difference between the U.S. and England is the space between everything…It affects everything not just music… separate communities and towns with completely different ideals and tastes still exist out there.. I think Englands a lot less polarised…
Even if I know you’re young, not even one wringle on your eyes (I suppose) and your music mirrors the 1930’s atmosphere. What is the receipe to sound like that?
Well it’s like the phrase “you are what you eat” … I listen to mainly old records.. be it blues, swamp rock or even the old Tin Pan Alley songwriter stuff…. they make more sense to me… so I guess when I’m sitting down to play guitar that influence comes out.
This is your first EP. Was were your inspirations to write it?
Well you gotta start somewhere, the songs were chosen from a whole bunch I had at the moment… I felt those songs kinda sat together and fit a certain vibe
You sing about religion in a very dark way, what is your relationship with it?
Well within my extended family we got a few people who work in the church and complete non-belivers, so I kind of fell in the middle you know?
Jamie N Commons – The Preacher
Always talking about your sound which goes back in the 30’s, yet at the same time contemporary. What is your relationship with the contemporany world?
I like some modern stuff like Fleet Foxes, James Blake, Josh T Pearson, Anna Calvi… but yeah I’m not sitting round with candles going round in a horse and cart or anything ha
You’re touring right now..how is it going and have you got some funny episode to tell Polkadot readers?
Yeah the shows are going down really well, really good to get out there and start playing the songs to people. Hopefully we can come to Italy soon!
Funny episode…. hmmm … in Hamburg we stayed in a brothel owned by a bodybuilder with a pirate eye patch, the guys in my band told him it was my birthday and this muscle pirate made me drink this home brewed vodka stuff… don’t know what it was called but I can’t really remember the two days after i had it.
What are you up to at the moment ?
Right now I’m just about to head out and mix the new single… should be out in March!
Jamie N Commons Luvluvluv Records
