The James Hunter Six are the first British act to be signed to those purveyors of contemporary classic soul, Daptone Records and this Friday, February 2nd sees the release of their highly anticipated new album Whatever It Takes. A winningly faithful spin on the R&B of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, the LP showcases a band whose playing is as tight as ever, propelled by breezily affecting songwriting and one of the finest soul voices operating at the moment.
I had the great pleasure of catching up with Mr. Hunter to delve deeper into the roots of his career, his love for those embryonic years of R&B, and how he cultivates and cares for his soulful voice. It makes for an inspirational tale of never giving up on your dreams and being hardheaded enough to see them through to fruition.
Patrick Corcoran: Your music is immediately recognizable as inspired by the late 1950s and early 1960s iteration of rhythm and blues. Where did your love for that era come from? What part did your voice play in that process, as it is so well matched to singing soul music? And what came first—the love of the music or the discovery that you could sing it so well?
James Hunter: I would definitely say my affection for this style of music preceded my attempts to sing it. When I was at school, singing was something soft kids did. Music classes (which consisted largely of whacking out notes on a glockenspiel like nails in a coffin) seemed more like a punishment than a source of inspiration. Then I discovered the guitar at the age of fourteen and doodled on that for a few years until I heard Eddie Cochran and Muddy Waters and realised singers weren't a bunch of big girl's blouses after all.
PC: I hesitate to use the word “journey” given that it has been done to death by reality TV shows, but your journey is a fascinating story of oddly acquired openings and frustrated dead-ends. How does a guy from Colchester end up singing blues-driven soul music on the Daptone label?
JH: There have been a few ups and downs. It's tempting to dwell on the downs purely because that's where the funnier stories come from. One of the supposed low points was busking on the streets for a couple of years from 2002 to 2005. Actually it was an enormous step up from what I'd been doing prior to that, which was doing labouring jobs through an agency. The busking was much more money for shorter hours, even though it meant my landlord was getting his rent in bags of coins. I, along with many others, was treated pretty shabbily by the recruitment agency and after a mutually unaffectionate farewell, I repaid their kindness through their letterbox.
PC: As you reflect on the six or seven years spent in Colchester working on the signal boxes, did it ever seem in any way conceivable that you’d be here promoting your sixth album?
JH: I don't know how I lasted as long as I did on that job, as I was that unsuited to it. But I thought there might be a possibility of getting off the railway and doing something more in line with my abilities, as I was getting the odd local gig every so often with my trio, who had a fairly enthusiastic following. It just needed something to get onto that next step.
PC: When you were picked up by Van Morrison in the early ‘90s to sing with him, did you feel that you’d made it and that those signal box days were behind you for good? How difficult was it to maintain self-belief when you later found yourself without a record label in 2003?
JH: The thing that put the railway firmly behind me was forming a band with some Londoners in 1986 and accumulating a following there. That prompted me to relocate there from Colchester and I never looked back. Well I did, but just to make sure my creditors weren't following me.
That band folded about three years later and I started what was the basis for the present lineup. The Morrison connection came in 1990 and although it got us through to a few more people, it didn't necessarily indicate a permanent change of fortunes. Of course you'd have to have lived more than once to know what would have happened if you hadn't done what you did, so I dunno!
PC: How did the busking lead you to where you are now? How do you look back on those days of street singing and playing? Is there affection for that time or relief that it’s all over?
JH: I have more affection for the early busking days in Camden Lock in 1986. At that time it was just for the crack of it and with the bonus of money to spend on records. And it led to us being offered proper gigs. By 2002 it had become a bit of a desperate necessity and fraught with the unwelcome attentions of aggressive beggars who thought we were encroaching on their territory. I had to wield my Les Paul at one of them. He said "Are you gonna hit me with that?" I said "I sincerely hope not.”
PC: You are the first UK singer to appear on the Daptone Records roster—how did that come about and how much did you know about Gabe Roth, the label and other artists signed to it? Is this kind of milestone important to you? Does it feel like home to someone as steeped in R&B as you are?
JH: Our contract with our previous record company had expired and it was time to move on. Daptone seemed the most likely candidate for us as their output was more similar to what we wanted to do than anyone else we could think of. We'd already had an introduction as our last album had been produced by Gabe Roth. So presuming on our relatively short acquaintance, we camped on their doorstep and harangued them until they agreed to sign us. And yes it does feel like a good fit.
PC: And speaking of the new album Whatever It Takes, how would you characterize it in relation to previous albums? It seems plainly indebted to your new wife. Is that fair?
JH: You could say it's slightly extended the range of the last album. Some of the material is a bit more sophisticated and some of it's rougher. Just by way of keeping a consistent contrast.
Jessie and me were courting during the last record and I was keeping her up to speed with the recording process. This time around we were married and as she was physically present at these sessions, she was pouring water down my throat to keep my voice oiled up and getting on my case to write the remaining quota of songs required when we had run short. The title track was written to cheer her up after we had a few setbacks during her application to live in the UK with me.
PC: Your voice has such a winning combination of strength and vulnerability. What lengths do you go to ensure its condition? Is it honey and lemon inhalations or whisky and cigarettes?
JH: Thanks for that! I suppose I apply my voice to suit the mood of whatever song I'm doing. Pretty much like acting. So if I could do on record what Edward G Robinson does on film, all the better. I smoke loads of ciggies to keep the character and drink loads of water to offset the effects of the fags.
PC: Given that your music is so heavily influenced by a past era, what music do you listen to yourself these days? Is it revisiting artists from the past or is there room in your life for a more current sound? How do you feel about hearing young whippersnappers like Leon Bridges make music similar in style to yours?
JH: I listen mostly to old stuff like Lou Johnson, Allen Toussaint and the Five Royales, but every now and then I hear one of these young shavers who knock me for a loop. In New Orleans, we found ourselves on the same bill as Durand Jones, who together with drummer and vocalist Aaron Frazer, blew us away.
PC: Finally, here at Albumism, we are all about love for albums and we always ask artists to name their FIVE favorite albums of all time. Which albums make it on to your list?
JH: Van Morrison’s Contractual Obligations, Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum’s In Glorious Times, The Very Best of Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, Wayne Newton’s Live at Elmstead Market British Legion, and Elvis’ Elvis is Back!.
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