Huw James

TIWN Media caught up with Welsh folk artist Huw James to speak about his new album Challenges.

There's an astonishing amount of musicians that have taken part in the creation of your new album 'Challenges'. How did you come about working with these musicians, and how did you choose them to play on the album?

Most of them I’ve met through music and have all become close friends. Some I’ve known for much longer. For example Sam (Andrews) and Jon (Roden) from Snake Mountain Studio I’ve known since they were very young children with their parents being personal friends. As for Mike (Trigg) and Pete (O’Brien), I played in bands (Flashback and 3MPH) with for about 30 years. In fact, with Mike we first played together in our late teens. Mason (Bradley) who mastered the album was doing work experience at Snake Mountain from Cross Keys College and is now studying sound engineering at Manchester University and was really impressive with his skills and knowledge for one so young. Others, Glen (Dee), Leila (Dee) and Terry (Payne) I’ve seen in various bands over the years and they have always (as with everyone on the album) impressed me with their musicianship so you know what it’s like, I tapped them up for a spot on the album and thankfully they agreed.

I was very surprised by the collection of songs especially knowing that you're a folk artist I was expecting a lot of stripped back, melodic folk songs. However, there's such a beautiful blues tone that runs through the album. How did that happen? Was it deliberate?

Was it deliberate? Good question! My previous releases with 3MPH (Life In The Slow Lane) and solo EP (Never Too Late) are much more folk orientated, but under the guise of Flashback we recorded 5 of my songs in a much more Rocky genre on a not really publicly released EP  (No One Else To Blame)

But back to your question, bluesy, rocky stuff has always been high on my favourites list with bands such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Wishbone Ash, The Faces, Crosby Stills Nash and Young and too many more to mention, have given me a broad spectrum of influences to call from, so maybe it’s a bit like going back to my roots.

My favourite track on the album has to be What's The Chances. It's simple in the best way possible. Have you got a favourite track yourself?

Firstly, a bit about What’s The Chances. I’m a member of an online songwriting group called Talent Is Timeless and all the tracks except one were written in response to monthly challenges on the website. What’s the Chances was written in response to a challenge of appropriately ‘Chances’. However, I misread that at first as ‘Changes’ and was writing the lyric along those lines. It was only toward the entry time that someone pointed out they had done exactly the same. So in a fit of pique I rewrote the lyrics and used the word chances in almost every line of the song. So your favourite is due to me having a bit of a sulk.

As for my own favourite, at the moment, it’s a toss-up between 2 – Start Again and When Everything Is Said And Done, although I have to say I’m really happy with how they’ve all turned out.

I can hear Allman Brothers, Eagles, that sort of 70's soft rock, dotted throughout the album, which was a wonderful surprise. Were there any particular inspirations while writing and recording the album?

I suppose this overlaps a bit with the bands I loved growing up. Certain tracks are definitely inspired by my teenage heroes:

Think I’ll Have To Let You Go – Eagles

Falling – Neil Young

Raise Your Glasses – Led Zeppelin (Volume III)

Inside My Wall – Bob Dylan

What’s The Chances – sort of a mash-up between Ronnie Lane and Paul Weller (Style Council Era)

We all write and record differently, which is why every album is such a unique piece of art. What was the writing and recording process like for you?

My writing style varies. As I said earlier, most of these songs are written in response to challenges on the Talent Is Timeless website, so a lot of them originated with lyrics first (to make an interpretation of the challenge) then adding the tune. However, Start Again, for example, was written the other way around. The challenge for this one was to write a song containing certain chords i.e. as well as the normal I, IV, V trick, an Augmented or Diminished 5th, a Dominant 7th (I had to look that one up) of the key and a Suspended 4th.  When I’d put the tune together I had no idea what to write about, so after deliberating for a couple of days, I decided to write the song about not knowing what to write about - a bit of writers block.

As for recording, I had a rough idea of how I thought the songs should sound, but took in some fantastic advise from the guys in the studio who helped make them come alive by tweaking my basic ideas.

Have you got any plans on playing these great songs with a full live band any time soon?

I’ve not really thought about it if I’m honest. Most of the guys who played with me on the album are pretty busy with their own projects or unable for other reasons. So, at the moment, and if I was to go down the band route, then they would have to be my ‘go-to’ guys.

What are your hopes and aspirations for this album?

Ha ha, either breaking even financially or to become a multi-platinum seller would be a good starting point. Sorry, joking aside, getting a bit of radio airplay, selling a few copies either CD or download and having people enjoy listening to the album would be great. It would be nice to get a few gigs as a result as well.

‘Challenges’ is available to stream/download worldwide on all major digital platforms. Limited physical copies are available direct from Huw James.