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IN CONVERSATION|SIMON PURCHASE JAMES
JTC: When did you start writing songs and singing?
SJ: I've been singing ever since I can remember. When I was very young, my family used to sing together a lot. I started singing professionally with The American Boychoir when I was 10 years old. The first song I felt like I had really written to completion is a song called Strong Enough for Two which is on my soundcloud page. I wrote it in November of 2012 while living in the Cloud Forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica. I started writing songs using the guitar as accompaniment about a year and a half ago now.
https://soundcloud.com/simonpurchasejames
SJ: I've been singing ever since I can remember. When I was very young, my family used to sing together a lot. I started singing professionally with The American Boychoir when I was 10 years old. The first song I felt like I had really written to completion is a song called Strong Enough for Two which is on my soundcloud page. I wrote it in November of 2012 while living in the Cloud Forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica. I started writing songs using the guitar as accompaniment about a year and a half ago now.
https://soundcloud.com/simonpurchasejames
Who are some of the musicians you are inspired by?
There are many. To name a few: Iron & Wine, The Tallest Man on Earth, Sixto Rodriguez, Bob Dylan, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Amos Lee and Simon & Garfunkel. All of these musicians are brilliant musically and their lyrics are heartfelt and engaging. I love when you can feel the emotion of a song. I am also inspired by my friends Lucas Hamren who has been playing here in the city, Jacob Folk, Beau Gordon, Sam Popkin, and Dana Falsetti who make up Colorado Youth a great band out of Philadelphia. They inspired me all through high school before I started writing and continue to inspire me to this day.
You are a songwriter, what are your songs mostly about?
The way I write most of my songs is almost stream of consciousness so they are about whatever I am feeling deeply in that moment, whether it is love, remorse, heartache, yearning, or ecstatic joy.
You are performing a 45 minute set this coming weekend at The Iguana, your New York debut. What can the audience expect to hear?
The audience can expect to hear about my life of travel and adventure over the past year and a half. The places I've lived and the people I have shared fond memories with. There will be a few beautiful love songs and lullabies. There is also a song about my family. Maybe a cover or two of songs that have been very important to me in the past year. It will just be me and my acoustic guitar so the audience should expect an intimate experience.
I'm excited! I love sharing my music and seeing how it effects those listening. My music really is a glimpse of who I am and how I felt during both the trying times and the best times of my life. I am always happy to have new feedback and the chance to share a part myself with those around me.
Photographed byJOHN TAN
Special thanks to REQUEST MODELS