James William is set to become the next pop sensation with his self-penned, catchy, upbeat take on pop music. Already performing across the UK and Europe, with some of the biggest names in music to thousands of people, his infectious personality and ability to get a crowd going have earned him a continually growing fan-base. Now ready to take things to the next level with the launch of his debut album, there has never been a more exciting time in the world of James William.
We caught up with James and chatted about Hear Say (the band), Stock Aitken & Waterman and his debut album, here's how we got on.....
Please introduce yourself and your music in one sentence....
Hi, I’m James, Im a 25 year old singer/songwriter currently on tour based in Brighton.
First song you learned?
I think it was Rock Around The Clock – Bill Hayley and the comets, Used to run around the house and perform it to whoever was around at about 3 years old.
Tell me a fascinating fact about you?
I was once on Britains Got Talent in 2012.
What are your Saturday Night and Sunday Morning records?
Saturday Night has to be some of the top 40 tunes, and Sunday morning at the moment is either Sam Smith or Emeli Sande.
Tell me what it was like supporting Peter Andre and Jason Donovan?
Awesome, I got to perform on both of their opening nights at Minehead, Butlins resort in front of 5000 guests, The buzz and atmosphere was incredible.
Name three people (alive, dead or fictional) that you would like as dinner party guests?
Ohhhh, Definitely Jessie J, Olly Murs and urm…. Cheryl Cole.
What does music mean to you?
It is my life, It makes me so happy, and even if im not, I stick on a song and it changes my mood straight away.
Which bands/artists are YOU currently listening to?
On my playlist at the moment I have, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Ella Henderson.
If push came to shove, what is the BEST album/record ever released?
I have to say Jessie J’s album was incredible.
How did it make you feel to reach the final 250 contestants from the 250,000 that had entered ‘Britains Got Talent’ in 2012?
WOW what an experience, loved it from the start of the show until the end, Even though I didn’t make it through to the live shows I had such a great time meeting people, and performing in front of Simon Cowell, Something money cant buy I guess, And I can remember that for the rest of my life.
Favourite book you have read?
I don’t really read as I'm always too busy listening to music LOL!
What classic song would you have liked to have recorded and why?
I'd love to bring a Stock, Aitken and Waterman song up to date, everyone would love to hear It as it was so popular back then in the 80’s.
First gig you ever went to?
I used to go to a lot of tribute shows when I was younger as that was as close as I'd ever get to the real thing, First proper gig would be Hear’Say back in the 00’s LOL!
You hoped to release your debut album by Summer 2014, how is this coming along?
It's finished, Took quite a while to get everything in place, but it will be ready this week on iTunes for Pre-Release and officially released 6th October. I have had such a great time recording this over in the Netherlands, with my producer Roeland. He's such a great guy to work with and the buzz that’s created between us is electric.
There are many good bands and musicians out there, who would you ask the readers of musicmuso to check out?
Sam Smith and especially Ella Henderson is one to watch, I'm not biased as she's from my original home town of Grimsby.
Who would you like to know has your music on their iPod, MP3 or cassette walkman?
Urm… Olly Murs, I can see him liking some of the songs, especially as hes been a big inspiration for the album, and perhaps One Direction!
Do you think we can ever live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without having its motives questioned?
Of course, everyone is starting to think of themselves a lot more these days haha.
What are your plans for the remainder of 2014?
I'm going to push the album as much as possible, and fingers crossed that after the release of my Bounce Music Video, I can fit another one in before the end of the year. I also have my Christmas song which ill be dusting off from last year!
Before James had the chance to dig around for his Christmas track, we threw in a few quick fire questions....
Coffee or Tea?
Coffee
Coke or Pepsi?
Coke (Diet)
Drum machine or the real deal?
Real Deal
Mac or PC?
Mac
Fry up or Sunday Roast?
Sunday Roast
Jason Donovan or Peter Andre?
Peter Andre
CD or Vinyl?
CD
Car or Motorbike?
Car
Acoustic or electric?
Acoustic
Solange or Beyonce?
Queen B
Shower or Bath?
Shower
Tattoos or Piercings?
Piercings
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino?
De Niro
God or Google?
SOCIAL MEDIA
We'd like to thank James for taking his time to answer our questions and we wish him every success with his debut album.
Interview by Steve Muscutt