James the Seventh is an independent artist from Philadelphia who began making music after suffering an injury that prevented him from continuing his career as a ballet dancer. He teaches himself how to produce music using Logic and is inspired by artists like Lana Del Rey, MARINA, and Jorja Smith. While he enjoys the creative freedom of being independent, he finds promotion and getting his music heard to be challenging. For now, he is focused on independently releasing more singles, but would consider signing with a label if the right opportunity arose.

1. James the Seventh Interview
1. Where do you come from, and how did you get into music?
I am from the Philadelphia area, and I used to be a full-time ballet dancer, but in 2020 I had
an injury during ballet class and had to get surgery, resulting in me having to stop dancing.
During lockdown in 2020, my dad bought me a guitar in hopes that it would help me find a
new hobby. And that’s when I fell in love with singing and song-writing, and eventually went
on to teach myself how to produce.
2. What inspires you as an artist?
Everything really; life experiences, music, art, movies, etc. Some artists that inspire me a lot
are Lana del Ray, MARINA, Jorja Smith and the Marias. I love their creative visions,
production, and lyricism.
3. Is ‘James the Seventh’ a stage name? If so, where does it originate from?
Yes it is! My dad is the sixth in a line of James in our family, and I would have been the
seventh.
4. Who are your main musical influences?
I am always inspired by music, but some of my main influences are Lana del Ray, MARINA
and BANKS.
5. What do you enjoy most about being an independent artist?
I love having creative freedom and being able to release things at any point in time. Since I
make my music all by myself, it gives me the opportunity to really push my boundaries and
prove myself wrong when I think I can’t do something. Being able to create music and put it
out independently is such a great thing about making music in this day and age, because
anyone can do it!
6. What are disadvantages to being independent?
I think a disadvantage is just the challenges of promoting yourself. Many musicians, myself
included, feel like promoting themselves and trying to get their music heard by a broader
audience is a bit out of their comfort zone. Not just trying to get people to listen but having
the confidence to shamelessly promote yourself. It can be scary to put yourself out there
while being scared of judgement from your peers. Nevertheless, I am so grateful for the
internet because it makes it easier than ever for independent artists to get their music out
there!
7. As you grow in your career, would you prefer to remain independent or be signed to
a label?

2. I would love to sign with a label in the future, and if the opportunity one day presents itself,
I would definitely take it into high consideration. It all comes down to contracts and finding
the right fit.
8. Do you make all your music from scratch? When did you learn that, and what is your
favourite aspect of making music?
Yes, I make all my own music from start to finish (except my first song ‘You Don’t Know Me’
which I co-produced with my friend Gabriel Gaffney Smith). I began producing my own
music in December 2020. I downloaded a free trial of Logic and just started messing around
in it, and that’s basically how I learned. My favourite part of making music is producing it.
Even though it can be the most difficult at times since making music without an extra pair of
ears can be challenging, I really find it to be the most rewarding part of the process. Getting
to hear your finished work is incredibly satisfying.
9. What was your favourite song to make in your discography and why?
My favourite song to make was ‘When the Night Begins to Fall’. I wrote it and produced it in
one day, which is the fastest I have ever made a song, but I think it's because the entire
process felt so ‘right’. It felt like I wasn’t trying hard with this one, and everything just came
out naturally in the song. I think this is the first song I’ve made where the process felt really
natural the entire time.
10. Finally, is there any new music or projects in the near future that you can tell us
about?
I am always working on things, but there is nothing I can officially disclose yet! I definitely
will be releasing more singles in the near future.