INTERVIEW: James Vincent McMorrow

In the wake of the release of his debut album, Early in the Morning, the very talented James Vincent McMorrow performed an intimate acoustic gig upstairs in Dolan's last Wednesday, 3rd March. I have to admit, it's been quite a while since I was so mesmerized by a first performance. McMorrow has something hugely engaging about him. His songs are deeply moving and he delivers them in an efortless yet tender and emotional manner. He played a 10-song set, with both songs from Early in the Morning , including my personal favourites "This Old Dark Machine", "If I Had a Boat" and "If My Heart Should Somehow Stop", and a couple of covers, including Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" and "River", written by Mark Kozelek (of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters). It was a fantastic gig and McMorrow's performance made it difficult for anyone to peel their eyes away from the stage. Nobody spoke, people barely moved; everyone just sat and took in his gorgeous sound. I am, quite simply, hooked.

Early in the Morning is a very polished first release. Completely self-produced, the album was made during the first half of 2009 in an isolated house by the sea, recorded with just "one mic, a room full of beat up instruments, very little engineering knowledge, and a good amount of patience". McMorrow's music is something you will immediately be drawn into on first listen. It carries a quiet and intimate sound, but still has its big and powerful moments that will leave you speechless. I fell in love with McMorrow's music last year when I first visited his MySpace page, not only because McMorrow has an incredible voice, but because he is a great songwriter and his music fits well into that oh-so-hushed acoustic musical genre I adore. With well-played acoustic guitars, soft percussion, touches of banjo and electric piano, Early in the Morning is beautifully melodic; a stunning folk offering that signals that a very bright future lies ahead for this young singer-songwriter.

I had the pleasure of interviewing James Vincent McMorrow prior to his Dolan's gig. He was a genuinely nice guy who was immediately obliging when I told him I wanted to do a piece on him for this blog. Here's what he had to say...

For those that may not have heard your album yet, how would you describe your genre of music?

Harmony-driven pastoral folk-pop music, in a nutshell! 

How did you first become involved in music? When did music first reach out and grab you and make you realise that it was what you wanted to do? 

I don't know how profoundly it grabbed me; I started playing drums when I was 17 because I wanted to be in a band, and there weren't many drummers around. Over the years from there I discovered endless new music, took up a lot of instruments and learned to sing. I always just thought if you worked really hard, and had a deep love for something, you could just make it work. That's what I did; there was no profound moment where I thought 'I'm a musician now', I just put my head down and worked until I could understand melody and verse, and write songs I was proud of.

Who or what inspired you to become an artist? In what way did they/it inspire you?  

There were big inspirational moments for me, like the first time I heard Donny Hathaway. The first time I heard one of his records it made me want to sing. I used to sit at home wailing along really badly to his song 'I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know'; it's one of the most amazing songs ever written. In general, looking around at the way other musicians go about their work constantly inspires me, people like Bonnie Prince Billy, who relentlessy chase the vision they have in their heads. Those kinds of artists inspire me on a daily basis.

Your MySpace page says you began this journey 3 years ago. Can you tell me a bit about how this album came about?

I started thinking about the album when I moved over to London in 2008. I'd signed a publishing deal with EMI and went over there expecting to make a studio record with other musicians and a producer. I tried to make something with my friend Scott, who's an incredible engineer, but I just wasn't committed to the songs I had for it, and I found out that I don't do well in studio environments, with the clock ticking in the background. So in January 2009 I sat down and started thinking about the kind of record I wanted to make, not perhaps what others might want me to make. I looked at the musicians I love, what they do and how they do it, and I took myself off to a house up outside Drogheda on a beach with all the musicial equipment I owned. It wasn't a well thought out plan at all, I didn't know what I'd come up with there, I just thought if I was going to get anything done, it'd be somewhere like that, with no distractions. I stayed there for 5 months, slowly chipping away at the songs, and didn't play them for anybody. In June 2009 I finished it, sent it off thinking it would just be this odd little record that I'd put out on home-burned CDs and that would be that. But everyone I played it for seemed to react incredibly strongly, so we found someone amazing, a guy named Mike Cave, to come in and mix it with me. He just took what I'd done and spent months delicately shaping it so it sounded as big and beautiful as it possibly could. And that's what's out in the world now.

Your lyrics are emotional and very moving. You said on your MySpace blog that this first album is undeniably you and will remind you always of the journey that got you to this place in your life. Is it fair to say that you write from personal experience? Where do you find your inspiration for your music? 

I'm not really sure. My writing process is slightly skewed, as in I write lyrics at the very end, after the melody and structure has been set in stone. I tend to hear words and sounds in the melody, and I draw them out. I guess it gives what I do a less linear lyrical structure than a lot of writers. I like fables and deeply emotive stories with a lot of dense imagery. I'm not quite sure how much the songs are about me, and how much they aren't too be honest. I take inspiration from everywhere I can, I am writing words in notepads constantly- my house is filled with endless notepads!!

You also said on your blog, "[Early in the Morning] is an album with a lot of light and shade...This is my first opportunity to put something in the world, and I wanted it to have its big moments as well as its little ones. I think that's what I've ended up with anyways". What is so important for you to say with this album? If you could share the message of this album what would it be? 

I felt like this album had to be a really complete thing, something that, if i was coming upon it for the first time, it would hold my attention from start to finish. I know very few people knew who I was before this record, which is a great thing because you have the freedom to put out whatever kind of record you want to. But at the same time I know who I am, and I know what I love in a record, so my goal was to get as close to that as possible. I love albums that have intimately quiet moments, and ferociously huge moments. I would never want to just find a speed that worked for me, and stick with it. Comfort can be a dangerous thing I find as a writer.

What is your opinion of the music industry as it currently stands in Ireland? What are the obstacles facing new artists that want to get out there and share their music? What have been your personal struggles with this album, if any? 

The music industry in Ireland is a funny thing,  I mean there's an argument that not a lot of radio stations support Irish music, but to be honest most if not all of the great music that gets made in Ireland I do hear on the radio, and the music that doesn't probably isn't good enough. I know that sounds quite cold, but to a certain extent i think we've been a victim of our own success. With so many big bands and singer-songwriters about 5/10 years ago, what followed was a wave of musicians, a lot of whom might not have been very good, but because of MySpace and other outlets like that, perhaps thought they were. I really don't want to sound too cynical here, music is subjective and anyone with the courage to get up and play their songs gets major High 5 from me. But it is a great thing to see a new group of bands and musicians coming through, people like Lisa Hannigan, Villagers, Cathy Davey, Our Little Secrets, Mick Flannery; all incredibly talented, all different, and all with the ability to play on a stage beyond just Ireland.

What do you enjoy doing the most when you are not performing or working on your music? What is the best way to unwind after a show? 

After shows I usually have a deep sense of happiness, whether it was a good show or not. Mostly that comes down to the fact that I'm quite a nervous chap, and I don't relish playing live. At least I didn't in the past, but I'm getting my head around it now. When I'm not performing or writing I tend to watch a lot of movies, read a lot. I also run; it's one of the few things I've found that actually slows my brain down! I tend to think a lot!  

  

If you had to choose a favourite song, or a quote to describe what motivates you from day to day as an artist, what would it be?

That's a tough one, I don't know that I could think of any one thing that motivates me day to day. I think in general every single time I listen to a piece of music I love I feel an urge to go and create something myself, it's almost like a competitive thing. Some people I look up to I'll never get anywhere near as a writer, but the thought of getting even remotely close is enough motivation to last me a lifetime.

  

2009 /early 2010 have included some great moments for you- the production of your new album, touring, an appearance on Other Voices (due to be shown on 10th March). Can you tell me a bit about your experiences over the last number of months?

Everything has been amazing. The reaction to the record, getting back into playing live after almost a year of not playing at all. I'm fascinated by most aspects of the music business and I'm a complete music nerd, always on blogs, so seeing my own music start to reach those areas is a proper joy for me. The Other Voices taping was definitely a highlight; I'd never been to dingle before and it was the most amazing couple of days. The crew were great and we got to witness some incredible music from some of my favourite acts, like Richard Hawley and The xx. I'm being televised on the same episode as Richard and Villagers as well, so I definitely think I lucked out there.

2009 also saw you have your song "Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree" included on the recent Barnardos ad, and your song "We Don't Eat" played on the popular American TV show One Tree Hill. These are both massive accomplishments- how did these make you feel? 

Those kinds of things are great, because in one moment you have access to countless people that you might never get access to otherwise. Some people can be snobbish about those kinds of things, but as long as you're not writing the music with the express intention of getting it in ads and tv/film, then if someone should come along and ask to use their music, it's all good. 

  

I for one am very excited about what is to come from you, James. Can you tell us what we can expect from you in 2010?

I'm going to be playing a lot. I'm making a conscious effort to not force this record down anyones' throats. I want it to get out into the world slowly and organically, because I have faith in the thing that I've made. So I will happily play in front of every person I can and hopefully over the next year that will lead to bigger and bigger stages and more and more exciting things!! Hopefully...!

So there you have it folks. If you haven't gotten a chance to pick of a copy of his debut abum yet, then I cannot stress enough that you must. It is gorgeous and captivating, and if there is any justice in the music world, then James Vincent McMorrow will have a very successful career both here and abroad (having his music included on One Tree Hill is certainly a great start!) It is without a doubt one of the best  Irish albums I have heard in a long time. To read my earlier posts on McMorrow, please visit here. Also, for an excellent rundown of Early in the Morning get yourself over to Swear I'm Not Paul for a very well-put and bang-on review of the album. I couldn't agree with it more.

Here are some videos I took at the gig, which are included on my YouTube page. Apologies for the display mode on "If My Heart Should Somehow Stop"; I forgot for a moment that you can only shoot videos in landscape on my camera. Woops. Anyway, it's a great performance of the song so it really is worth tilting your head to the side for.