James Alynesโs โa song a dayโ project garnered interest from the Guinness Record Association, radio stations, and numerous reputable DJs and musicians in countries like Canada, France, Belgium, Germany, and others. Pistes (Toi et Moi), which heย wrote for hisย challenge of releasing a song every day for a year (371 songs), is widely regarded as Variety/Folk with Pop sounds while still existing in a Rap universe. Though there are numerous songs about love, this one, which is nostalgic in nature, celebrates the end of love. In a mature manner, not a pessimistic manner, like two people who discover years later that they fell in love too quickly. Check out Pistes (Toi et Moi) and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?
JAMES ALYNES: Hi. Glad to be doing this with you . Iโve travelled a lot and spent most of my time in Montreal and grew up there.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
JAMES ALYNES: Team self-taught, definetely. Iโd like to have some formal training at some point. Maybe.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โJAMES ALYNESโ?
JAMES ALYNES: Wow. Theyโre too many. I would have to name a few dozens of themโฆ. A lot of French Variety from the 70โs and 80โs. A lot of underground musicians too. Other than that, I tend to be more inspired by albums rather than artists specifically, as artists will often change styles and not always succeed in everything they try.
James Alynes is just a name, at first it didnโt mean anything, now it kind of became an identity of itself, since Iโve started actively using it as my name, even in real life.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
JAMES ALYNES: People resonate with my raw voice and instrumental choices, or so Iโve been told. Frankly, I used to have no idea what I was doing two years ago, musically. I just kept trying. Now Iโm here with you haha. I like to say Iโm experimental, but Iโm not Nicolas Jaar or Andy Stott yet. Give me time.
JAMES ALYNES:
Emulating is fine. Simulating can be tricky though. Itโs normal to emulate at first, when youโre still trying to find yourself. I feel like your goal as a ย new artist is to get out of that phase by working as hard as you can. With time, skills and luck youโll find your โcolourโ, then maybe people will emulate you, who knows.
For me it wasnโt always fun, as my influences were either old or particuliar for most people. Itโs hard to start from scratch in modern music when your references work Frank Oceanโs Endless, The Life of Pablo or Hugh Masekela.
But it turned out fine I think. I turned out fine.
6. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?
JAMES ALYNES:
The latter. Iโm interested in music as pure expression. Itโs a language. Now, that language can and will be used by other peopleโs interpretations, expectations, projections etc. Everything is politically inclined if you look at it with the right (or wrong) lense. While a musician isnโt inherently a parent, I feel like you have a responsability. Not to sugarcoat or change your words, but to find the right balance in that expression. Thatโs part of the art. Do what you want, but do it the right way.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
JAMES ALYNES:
Are we talking financially? Just kidding. Iโd say that it did and does give me back a lot. And of course Iโm expecting more. Iโll put so much more out there, so I expect that much satisfaction at least. When something stops being satisfying, either change it (if you can) or change your approach. If that doesnโt work, thatโs when you have to stop, for as long as itโll take to recharge, if ever. Fortunately Iโm not remotely close to stopping.
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
JAMES ALYNES:
You know, thereโs something I find really interesting today.
In todayโs music, more and more people use type beats (instrumentals modeled and named after a specific artist, song, album or genre).
With the rising popularity of type beats in hip-hop (when I make hip-hop), you only have to find the right combination of words and search. Thereโs probably some producer out there thinking just like you, but on the producing side.
Itโs also worth nothing that, technically, when using a type beat, which Iโve done a lot, you are by default behind a genre or a trend, since it had to already exist in order for you or the producer to make it.
The real artistic challenge here (aside from finding the right one, which is an art in and of itself), is create something new out of something โoldโ.
How do you make something for the future based on sounds from the past? Now thatโs the kind of challenge I like.
As for structure, Iโm always writting and recording myself, even (mostly) in public places. So sometimes the concept of a story comes first, sometimes itโs a melody stuck in my head, sometime itโs after hearing a good instrumental, a good album etc. I do collaborate with other artists. We started this music collective, Continental Records with other artists, some of them really young. They all have their own musical world, itโs really fun.
9. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
JAMES ALYNES: Short answer to compensate for the long oneย : Feeling that most people wonโt like it. As itโs fairly experimental, most people I think that most people wonโt like my work. Iโm learning to accept it.
The good side is, when people resonate with it, they resonate very deeply. Or so Iโve been told.
Also itโs a highly competitive industry. You have to be aware that it takes a lot of ressources to be recognized for your work in music, even if itโs cheaper than it used to be. That can be difficult and frustrating to accept too.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
JAMES ALYNES: Maybe itโs not supposed to be a good thing but I made people cry and Iโm kind of proud of it haha. For the moment Iโm mostly satisfied. Iโm in touch with a lot of musicians, I have a lot of project going onโฆ
Well, I did make an album of more than 360 songs, titled โQue Ma Joie Demeure!โ, that will be released in late October. Yep, thatโs a lot! Itโs actually 371 songs. I made a song a day every day for a year, January 1st (2020) to January 1st (2021).
Now Iโm working on the 2nd and 3rd albums. Itโs a lot of work, but itโs really exciting. Iโm doing what I wantโฆItโs a reward in and of itself!
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