Indie darling Graeme James brings his Long Way Home tour to Blue Smoke on May 18. He has some advice for Cityscape readers nursing their own dreams of musical success, and is promising “a high chance of rowdiness” at his Christchurch gig.
Any advice for budding musicians inspired by your story? 1. Do something! Most artistic endeavours remain thoughts that never take on a reality outside of the mind. Take a risk, make a plan and take tangible steps towards creating something. There’s always a first step (or a next step). 2. Don’t invest your whole identity or self-worth in your art. If you only see yourself as an “Artist” there’s a good chance you’ll never create anything for fear that people not only reject your art but your whole being.
Busking or streaming – which one helped the most to establish you as an artist? Both have been a huge deal for me. Busking was a massive proving ground for me and really allowed me to hone my craft as a performer. The immediate feedback you get from playing on the street allowed for a lot of tinkering and experimentation which may never have happened if I had gone down a more traditional music industry pathway. The success on the streaming side of things was a genuine surprise. After playing upwards of 500 shows I was fairly confident that I could connect with people through my live performances but I could never be sure that my recorded music would stand on its own two feet outside of that context. It was a real confidence boost and a mind-blowing situation when record labels started sending me emails after I put out my first original album in 2016. All that being said, I’d say that busking probably comes out on top. It allowed me to jump straight into being a professional musician and build momentum as well as allowing me to connect with people in ways that are still meaningful to this day.
What would be your dream artistic collab? I’ve always rated David Gray as a songwriter and he was a real childhood inspiration so that would be kinda neat.
What’s been your weirdest fan moment? I’ve somehow managed to avoid any super weird moments, which I’m super grateful for! I’m a reasonably chilled and down to earth person so maybe that has resulted in having reasonably chilled and down to earth fans. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the generosity and commitment people have shown from my early busking days till now.
What’s high-rotation on your current playlist? Fruit Bats, Wilco, Chris Staples, Iron & Wine, Josh Garrels, Andrew Bird, Mipso, River Whyless.
What’s your favourite way to spend a Sunday afternoon? If the waves are good my No. 1 option would be to head out for a surf. I find it to be one of the best ways to disconnect from technology and really tune in to what’s going on internally.
Any tips for surviving the rigours of touring? There is no substitute for being organised, and as part of that you need to plan in actual downtime. The old analogy of cutting wood helps me a fair bit – you have to take time out to sharpen the axe or all your hard work will yield diminishing results!
What can your fans expect at your Christchurch gig? A good time with a fairly high chance of rowdiness.