Introducing The UK’s Next R&B Talent James Vickery
South London based singer James Vickery is an emerging talent that’s taking the R&B world by storm. The rising artist first made massive waves with his live rendition of his single ‘Until Morning,” – which has amassed over 17 million views on YouTube. Since his debut, he has gained the attention of music lovers across the globe. When it comes to his music, the rising star blends the styles of ’90s and modern R&B – similar to artists like Nick Hakim, Daniel Caesar, and Mahalia. With a busy 2020 ahead, including the release of his new EP ‘Overture’s, James Vickery is guaranteed to be an artist that will be on everyone’s radar.
We got to chat with the singer-songwriter about his brand new single ‘Spanish Rose.’, his upcoming EP Overture, one thing he can’t live without and more…
Does your upbringing in South London have any influence on your music today? If so, how and in what way?
I think so yes, especially in recent years, not so much when I was younger though. When I was just starting out to make music, there was a multitude of artists coming through that definitely inspired me, (Tom Misch, Loyle Carner, Ray Blk, Stormzy). In my teens, it seemed everyone was obsessed with the rise of Electronic music and Dubstep and rightly so, but this wave of London Jazz/R&B was just starting to make a presence, and I got completely hooked on that from early.
Do you have a secret talent?
I like to think I’m quite good at accents and impersonating, but not THAT good, in actual fact, I’m not sure why I’ve said that because I’m not very good at all, next question, please.
What is one thing you couldn’t live without?
I’ve had this notebook that I’ve written every song from day one up until now, I often read it and laugh how bad the first few pages were, but it’s great to appreciate the journey from then to now. It’s a miracle I haven’t lost it, but I’m about to finish the book which is sad. Gonna upgrade to a Moleskine soon, we out here.
What would you be doing right now if it wasn’t for your music career?
Hmm. I got an offer to work as an Estate Agent locally when I was working in retail a few years ago, so I guess that? I was a distinctly average student at everything growing up, so I couldn’t tell you.
What was your main source of inspiration for your new single ‘Spanish Rose’ and for your new EP ‘Overture’ as a whole?
I went through a phase of listening to everything The Neptunes produced and became infatuated with Justified, I’d be lying if Senorita wasn’t a huge inspiration behind Spanish Rose, so much so that we used the same technique Pharrell used in Like I Love You where he hits a different snare in the verses, I said to Maths (the producer) that I wanted to do something similar, and we did that in the verses of Spanish Rose, The lyrics came about because I was so besotted with a Spanish girl I was with at the time, her body was CRAZY, I had to write a song about it. I decided to call the EP Overture, because it means, ‘an introduction to something more substantial’, I wanted to hint to people that this is just a taste and that an album is very much on the way, sooner than you think.
What have you learned through being such an experimental artist?
I look up to people like Nao, who has stuck with her sound from day one and has crafted her own lane. I’m definitely trying to do that myself as a UK male R&B singer. I want to cover all bases of R&B and experiment with all the subforms with it, keep people guessing what they can expect from me next- the thing that ties it all together is the vocal.
Describe your vibe in three words.
Soulful, Passionate, Goosebumps
What is something you want people to know about you?
I am a professional singer, but I’m completely deaf in my left ear, I don’t let it hold me back, ever. 🙂
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next 5-10 years?
Happy
Make sure to check out Jame’s brand new EP ‘Overture’ below…
