"I like to keep my music relatable. I think of it as story telling rather than song writing. If you listen to all my music you can hear what I’ve been through. It’s like therapy, but free. It is comforting to write. Sometimes I don’t even know if I’m thinking about something until I start writing about it."
James Barnard
Watching aspiring youth find their footing within the music scene allows a visual depiction of creative evolution. Too many times we are presented with polished artists, pre-established ideas of who they are. It's so refreshing to see more authenticity from musicians. One indie artist in particular, is currently undergoing a transition toward veracity. This is done via a literal change in artist name and a shift in music production. Once Nori Jet, now James Barnard. I decided to delve beyond the superficial and explore what inspired James to commit to this progression.
Let's speak chronologically, what inspired the name Nori Jet in the first place?
I went to McDonald's and saw a happy meal toy, and it was called Nori. Then I went to the waterfront to eat said McDonalds and saw a boat named Jet. Immediately I just thought it would be a cool artist name, and that was before I even considered becoming an artist.
What inspired the change in your artist name? Is this indicative of a shift/progression in your music style?
The name represents a step towards authenticity, and my music is a lot different now.
My music is different in every way in terms of writing, authentictity/ honest, theyre all live recorded instruments now, I actualy produce my own stuff now and I have different influences. I think I have a better voice now too, my music is just very me. The old stuff, some of it was just writing shit for the sake of writing shit. My new stuff is moving to become more abstract and some is even optimistic now, see Blue Skies or Better Days. The whole shift in music is a reflection of my change in mindset. What I used to make is not what I make now, at all. It’s always what I’ve wanted to make, I just haven’t had the facilities. It’s also a lot more free because I am actually making it from scratch. Every last bit.
What life events have inspired your songs?
Definitely love. Love is a big one, but that’s very generic. Mental health struggles. Mental health struggles and love. It’s a bit of everything really. A song is never just about one thing. I also experienced a 4-year relationship. That break-up inspired music. It’s reflection. It helps me process everything that happened. Everything I felt and had on my mind.
There were also some light struggles with addiction. I wrote some songs when I was fucked up. ‘Tonight’ is a good example of that and ‘Falling Away’, an unreleased track.
“It’s getting harder to focus when I’m fucked up every day. I just want my life back, I won’t decay if you let me go back tonight”.
No one wants to be addicted to anything. I think the lyrics are quite direct. It’s relatable because everyone wants to get out of addiction but it’s a very hard cycle to break. I think my addiction stemmed from unresolved trauma from childhood. A need to feel disconnected from the world for reasons I cannot disclose, because I myself don’t even know. Looking back now at those songs from that time, I feel proud.
How would you describe your songwriting process?
My songwriting process is, first of all, I sit with my guitar. I don’t intend to write music, it just sort of comes. I’ll hear something or Ill think of a phrase, and it stays in my subconscious for a while. Then, I'll find a chord progression or a pattern of notes and it’ll remind me of the thought pattern I had. It's very spontaneous and sporadic. My songs are rarely planned and often surprise even me.
I just whip up FL studio, or I’ll go to a real studio and record it. Guitar first, vocals second and then any other textures afterwards. Thats basically the skeleton of the track.
What songs of your's do you think provide a comprehensive impression of you as an artist? What songs most embody what it is that you do?
(What should any readers go and check out? Yes this is an invitation for you reading.)
Where is it you go - ( floss's personal favourite )
Ambience and cigerettes
Dear you
From speaking with James, it is abundantly clear his passion for music. Headphones glued to his head and taping fingers somehow always mid-melody. The time and dedication he ebbs into his songs is inspirational. If you are a fan of Rex Orange County, The Beatles or King Krule, I highly recommend tuning in. Kent's rising sad-soft-boy. I can't wait to see where this journey takes him as he begins to gain more and more traction. James' take on soft indie melodies employs lots of guitar, carrying a honey-like voice uttering poetic lyrics. Building on a nucleic foundation of authenticity and emotion, James is moulding his artistic persona to be a reflection of many young people today. Check out Nori Jet on all streaming platforms now.
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