‘Relatability is so big in music’ ; August James on connecting to and writing new EP

August James is a 20-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer whose confident demeanor and “dance-cry” production are ready to take on the world of pop music. In anticipation of his debut EP, Off The Record had the opportunity to chat with him over Zoom about community, musical processes, and of course, Lorde, in order to get to know his personal and artistic style a little bit better. 

Off The Record: Before getting into more personal questions, I thought it would be important to start with some basics– what kind of music did you listen to growing up? 

August: My dad played a lot of the Avett Brothers when I was a kid, and he was in a band so I went to his gigs a lot growing up. He made this folky, bluegrass music… stuff with banjo which is funny because the music I make is really nothing like it. But growing up in a musical household definitely influenced me a lot. 

OTR: How long have you been writing and producing? 

August: I wrote my first song when I was around 6…I started intentionally making music and experimenting with making beats on GarageBand in 8th grade, which naturally transitioned into writing songs and lyrics. Late middle and high school is when it truly became a natural outlet for me, and since then it has been nonstop cool, constant writing. 

OTR: Who are some of your biggest musical influences? 

August: I feel like everybody says this but definitely Jack Antonoff. His production is legendary…what I make is pop music and he has mastered the modern pop formula. Also, Caroline Polacheck because she has such an interesting sound that inspires me to try new things. 

OTR: How do you think the different communities you found growing up in Minnesota and then moving out to LA have influenced you as an artist, and as a human being? 

August: I’ve lived in LA for almost two years because I go to college there; school was really the perfect excuse to be out in that city. Living there has really opened my worldview to different cultures, people, and experiences…and opening your eyes to this definitely inspires the music. I also love Minnesota so much, it's a little bubble. The community was small and musical, a little close-minded but also artsy. It’s a good environment where I didn’t feel threatened yet by this place where everybody else is also making music. When I’m making music I’m really in the thick of it so It’s so important too, on a practical level, to feel supported and to have people to bounce ideas off of. Releasing it is pretty vulnerable so you need to have that safety net.

OTR: Do you think being a young artist has helped you connect to audiences more? How does your age become a factor in navigating this industry? 

August: Making music from such a young age, I feel I have a pretty good footing. But feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome are very real things. I think I’m a very earnest person and music becomes a great outlet for that because there aren’t many opportunities in day-to-day life to be so open. Art is such a powerful way to process those negative emotions … that it ultimately becomes a positive thing. Being young definitely helps because I’m mostly marketing my music to people my own age. I understand what we are all going through because I’m going through it too…relatability is so big in music. 

OTR: What does your personal songwriting process look like? How do you build that drive and momentum that is so crucial to a lot of pop songs? 

August: For me, it’s a very independent process and I kind of write in reverse. I always start with a fully produced instrumental…there are probably about 5 instrumentals for every song that I write. It feels fitting to do it this way because I initially even started making music just by producing. When it starts to feel like an “August James” instrumental I start on the chorus. Pop music has always been what I am connected to and the hook is what I really value in music: if I hear a song one time and I can sing back the chorus, I’m really drawn to that. Working on top of a song that already has a structure really informs my writing: how do I write lyrics that match the build? This usually means looking for a specific word as a central theme or concept to write the rest of the song around. Sometimes that even means using random word generators until I find something that fits, and then building everything around that word and exploring everything that it can mean. 

OTR: What inspired you to write these new songs through the lens of a summer day? 

August: I think I was subconsciously influenced by the music I listened to. For example, “Melodrama” by Lorde uses summer as a metaphor for good…and I’ve always just been so inspired by summer. Earlier this year I would be having fun, hanging out with friends and I would just say “this is so summer”! It really became more of a feeling than a time. 

OTR: What about this new EP, “Warm Air”, is different compared to your previous work? 

August: At first I wasn’t even sure I was writing an EP but it sounded like it fit together. I just want to make all kinds of music so some of my singles really don’t sound alike…this project has a more unified sound than anything I released in the past. I feel like it’s definitely easier to connect to an artist when their catalog has a unified sound. 

OTR: What are you most nervous about in releasing your debut EP? Excited for?

August: I love thinking about [releasing] it, but it’s also all that I’ve been thinking about for months. I’m nervous that people just won’t react at all because they rarely will just upfront tell you that it’s bad. Especially people in my personal life, I can tell when they don’t like something because they don’t react in the same way. On the other hand, it's so cool to hear people’s thoughts and get these messages about how they’re connecting to my music…it feeds the ego just enough. 

OTR: Where do you want your music to take people? What emotions do you want to provoke? 

August: The whole process of making and releasing music is a very individualized experience, so I try to make it honest to my experiences but also vague enough that people can apply it to their own lives. I’m mostly inspired by things that make me sad…but also really love the fun elements of pop music like a really good bassline and kick drums. I like to describe it as “dance-cry”... which isn’t really something people actually do, but if the music can showcase that dual feeling I’m satisfied. 

Keep an eye out for August James’ debut EP “Warm Air”, available to pop fans and new music enthusiasts alike on July 20th.