With a queue already forming outside the award-winning Green Note in Camden Town, we prepare to dive into the multifaceted world of James Riley, an artist whose music defies easy categorization.
Our goal tonight? To uncover the driving forces behind his unique sound, the inspirations from his transatlantic life, and his creative processes that blend diverse genres from folk to grime.
James Riley, a consummate folk-voiced poet and London-based musician with deep roots in California, has captured the imaginations of fans worldwide with his heartfelt storytelling and innovative musical fusion. His latest endeavors, including the release of new music and the formation of the Rooftop Assembly, highlight his talent for bridging cultural gaps and creating a universal language through music.
Known for seamlessly blending various genres, Riley has earned praise from both critics and fans for his intricate harmonies and emotionally charged performances. However, his genre-defying approach has also sparked debates about his place in the music industry.
We aim to understand the personal experiences and artistic vision that shape Riley’s music, his reflections on his creative journey, and the lessons he’s learned from collaborating across genres and cultures.
We live in Tottenham, the Hollywood for Grime."
1st 3 Magazine: “Who are you? Where is home for you?”
James Riley: Home is London, South London. My dad is British and my mum is from California, so I’ve always had the Californian element in my life. My dad’s family is tiny, but my mum’s is bigger, and they’re pretty much all in the States, the Bay area, and New York. I’ve spent a lot of time there with various relatives, and my grandparents are real New Yorkers.
You’ve recorded in NY, haven’t you? And made a video there? What was the motivation behind being on the roof with all the pigeons?
I remember being in Brooklyn as a child and seeing these enormous flocks of pigeons; shadows on the sidewalk. I’d look up and see thousands of pigeons, and it was really beautiful. That was my inspiration for the song “Transatlantica” – the aspirations and beauty of that place. New York is such an edgy place, and it’s uncanny because, no matter where you’re from, you’ve grown up with images from NY. When you go there, you get a sense of deja vu; a dream-like atmosphere where everyone is chasing their own dream. It kind of doesn’t make much sense until you’re there.
I think I was going through quite a lot at that age (around 8), with my parents splitting up, and I needed a way to process it. Part of that for me was becoming a kind of cowboy figure with a guitar who could withstand anything."
So where did it all start for you – the music?
My parents divorced when I was about eight, and mum took us (me, my sisters, my uncle, and his partner) on this massive road trip, from Minnesota down to Vegas. I remember looking out at this wild landscape – the Badlands, camping, bugs on the windshield, stopping off at rodeos, and picking up tapes of Country artists at these old gas stations like The Mavericks, Patti Loveless, George Strait.
I think I was going through quite a lot at that age, with my parents splitting up, and I needed a way to process it. Part of that for me was becoming a kind of cowboy figure with a guitar who could withstand anything. It was about expression, writing songs, and personal transformation at a young age.
All your songs are quite different. How would you classify your style? Who have your influences been? Whose music do you love?
I have struggled with classification. One of the projects I’ve been working on lately is the fusion of Grime with a string quartet. You can’t hear grime on my records, but I have really broad elements to my songwriting – folk, soul, jazz, blues, country, and poetry. Poetry is a big part of it for me – American poets as well as British have influenced my writing. I love John Martin; he was a big influence.
Tell us about your orchestration – the instrumentation you use on your recorded songs as well as what we will hear live. The harmonies are really intricate and beautiful – what do you play?
Guitar, vocals, and a bit of piano. I was really lucky – I lived in Nashville for two years and started recording songs, but they were mostly moot attempts and had to be thrown out! Finally, I met this guy Matt Odmark who had a studio down in Fairground and a band who are a kind of crew – a really wonderful network. We worked together to create those orchestrations. Because a lot of what I’m doing is with voice and guitar, a lot of the process for me was learning the vocabulary to communicate what I wanted.
Do the musicians play by ear, improvisation, or do they write the music down?
Most of the time, I play the song and they make the charts (score) – they play the notes written. After about 2-3 takes, you get something that feels really good. Normally, for me, it takes about 4-5 takes to get it right.
So it’s a really creative process then? You don’t just give them the dots and say, ‘Here’s your music, play this’?
Yeah, it’s a huge process of collaboration and feedback. That’s why the studio is such a special place. For me, it’s all about the vibe. If you can create the vibe where everyone feels appreciated and listened to, and everyone is involved in making something and is excited about it in an almost childish way, you can create something really special. A lot of stuff like the strings were added afterward, and I worked with this guy called Avery Bright in the States to craft those string arrangements.
So what comes first? The music or the lyrics? And do you write both?
I don’t really know. I write both, but it depends on the original song. I keep a diary, a notebook, and most of the time I find what works for me to write songs is to completely absent myself.
You’ve recently been on a writing retreat, haven’t you?
Yes, for a month.
Do you feel the pressure – the days, the time ticking away?
Yes, at the start, for the first few days. But then the first song always comes along. Even if you just produce this one song, that’s okay – you’ve relieved yourself of the pressure. Sometimes, it’s a cool, janky little riff you’ve just produced on guitar and you think, cool! I’ll just go away with this.
It’s a bit like dating. You meet an idea, and you’ve got to be a bit respectful of the idea; not go in too quickly, not be “Oh, this is amazing, maybe we’ll get married, have kids.” Sometimes, the idea can back off if you get too obsessed with it. You have to come back a few weeks later and say, “Look, I’m sorry, I got a bit carried away – can we just try again? Maybe we don’t have anything, but can we try to find out?” It’s about apprehending the idea with respect and a bit of service – you articulate the idea but also have to give yourself space.
We’ve noticed that there have been some quite long gaps between record releases.
Yeah, it takes me ages! I’m actually trying to find ways to speed up, to get in touch with something, some way that works for me. I know I need to give myself space. That always works.
Tell us about the new music that’s coming out.
Yeah, it’ll mainly be new stuff tonight, and there’ll be new stuff coming out this year or next. I’m very much crossing my fingers!
Tell us about the Rooftop Assembly – how did that come about?
I’d been in the States for two years. I’d written “Transatlantica” and was just about to release it at the beginning of 2020 and thought, great! This is perfect timing. Then Covid happened.
So I started playing gigs on my rooftop in Tottenham, then I live-streamed them, and then this Foodbank charity got involved. The second time we live-streamed, we got loads of press coverage – we got a lot of love from the BBC.
"'The Rooftop Band.’ It was mind-blowing!
What made you go on the rooftop? Is there a rooftop theme in your life, with the NY video also being on the roofs of Brooklyn?
It looked cooler than the street! But also, I’ve always had an affinity with being up there – it felt good up there on the roof. After that, we got funding from the Arts Council, and a local artist was commissioned to make a mural of us. My neighbors were keen to have it, and everyone got involved creating it – ‘The Rooftop Band.’ It was mind-blowing! Then came an opportunity for connection – we live in Tottenham, the Hollywood for Grime, and there we were up there on the rooftop doing country, band, and choir gigs! Which was lovely, of course, but there are also loads of Grime MCs living over the other side of the park, and I thought, there’s an opportunity here. I had the only gig in town for 20 weeks, and the suggestion came – what about doing something where we create an encounter between parts of the neighborhood that might not normally have anything to do with each other?
So we reached out through the BBC, and 2 people – it was extraordinary – said, yeah, let’s do it. They were so up for it in a way that some folk artists might not be if you asked them to collaborate with a grime artist… that’s my hunch anyway! We did the first year, then the second with an added string quartet, and then promoters were asking us to perform at various festivals. The plan was never to make it a band, but we got lots of gigs, so named the collaboration ‘The Rooftop Assembly.’
If you could continue the collaboration idea, who would your dream person be? And whose music are you excited about at the moment?
I’d love to do something with Brandi Carlisle – she’s an amazingly generous collaborator. I’m loving The Weather Station, Janelle Monae, Antonio Forcione – he’s an amazing guitarist! I love listening to the type of music I make but also stuff that’s not like that at all. This trio tonight is a resurgence of something I’ve done before – upright bass (Tim) and violin (Kit) with a new vibe.
And what will the new vibe be?
You’ll have to wait and see what you think tonight! I’m so happy and glad for all that’s gone before – but it’s such a beautiful feeling to be doing my own stuff again. The joy of it makes me feel quite emotional actually.
Taking our seats with a plate of some of the best vegetarian snacks in London, the evening’s music begins with Little Lore, aka Trisha, an Indie-Americana singer/storyteller who charms us with her gentle finger-picking on guitar and her clear, soft voice with its light vibrato. Her pianissimo is sweet, losing none of its tone despite its quietness. Her dynamic range perfectly frames her compelling, thoughtful lyrics, which meander poignantly on love, nature, and existence.
Three is a perfect number for the tiny stage at Green Note, and the trio that is James Riley and his band for tonight—Tim on the upright bass and Kit on violin and vocals—make music that is surely greater than the sum of its parts. The musicianship on this smallest of platforms is vast and awe-inspiring, the talent of these three heart-racingly huge. James starts tonight’s musically flawless performance by singing unaccompanied before the violin echoes his vocal line. Then Tim’s easy-as-breathing bass playing, pizzicato and arco, completes the sound. Communication between the three is tight and smooth, and we know we are in for something special.
The beginnings and endings of songs are flawless in their timing, circling notes clashing and rebounding only to come together in perfect cadences."
“Lay Me Down,” that gorgeous, memorable song with its folky counterpoint and harmonies, sweetly legato violin melody, and the insistent, rhythmic plucking of guitar and bass, is a star in this constellation of brightness and light. The beginnings and endings of songs are flawless in their timing, circling notes clashing and rebounding only to come together in perfect cadences. These instruments are played in every way possible—the violin turned on its side at one point and finger-picked like a guitar, all three string instruments played percussively to mesmeric effect. To be so close to this playing is a privilege—we can see the musicians smile in pleasure at the crunchy chords they make, the syncopation a whole body experience, the improvised riffing incredible to see and hear.
Halfway through the set, James talks about his future. “I’m just kinda letting the story write itself,” he says as he sings “Sweet Surrender” with his clear, authentically sincere, and secure voice emphatically framing the rich chords, closely textured harmonies, and tender, magical lyrics.
Yes, it’s true to say that James Riley created an atmosphere that could surely have been cut into by Pullman’s ‘subtle knife’—during “Gabriel,” there was a sense of otherworldliness here tonight, a feeling that multifarious worlds and possibilities were near. Before the finale of “New York Minute,” James tells us, “This has been wild—I’ve loved it.” As we listen to the last of this dazzling evening’s harmonies, we can feel the connection between every one of us in the Green Note tonight—James, we have loved it too.
James Riley played the Green Note on May 17th 2024 – Support from Little Lore
