Name: James McNew
Occupation: Bassist, singer, songwriter
Nationality: American
Current release: James McNew is one of the collaborators included on Connie Lovatt's debut solo album Coconut Mirror, out via Enchanté (US). Other artists on the record include Jim White (Dirty Three), Rebecca Cole (Pavement / The Minders), Phoebe Gittins, Max Tepper (The Natural History), Che Chen (75 Dollar Bill), Lucy LaForge (Lucy & La Mer), Bill Callahan (Smog), James Baluyut (Versus, Plus/Minus), and Hartley Nandan (Connie's kid).
Recommendations: Angry Samoans, “Lights Out”; EPMD, “Crossover”

[Read our Connie Locatt interview]
[Read our Bill Callahan interview]
[Read our Jim White of Xylouris White interview]

If you enjoyed this James McNew interview and would like to know more about his music, visit him on Instagram, and twitter. For deeper information about Yo la tengo, we recommend their official homepage.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

I do not know. Because it’s fun? It is fun, and satisfying.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

I don’t think I have ever had a visualization of a finished work. That’d be helpful.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

I think the “research” is just getting up every day.

When I draw, I create early versions, mostly so I don’t forget an idea. In making music, sometimes the first version turns out to be the finished version.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

Light is good and I like coffee.

What do you start with? And, to quote a question by the great Bruce Duffie: When you come up with a musical idea, have you created the idea or have you discovered the idea?

You think you’ve created it. But The Turtles actually did it in 1968.

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

Lyrics enter the picture at the very last moment, if at all. I like the music to inform the words.

Sometimes a title happens early.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

The lyric writer with a sense of humor about him/ her/ themself goes a long way with me.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

I like both free playing and structured songwriting; finding a space somewhere in between can be fun.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Sure, mistakes and accidents can be great. Sometimes better than what you intended.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

I don’t find that in the creative stage. But I can find it through repetition in playing.

When you're in the studio to record a piece, how important is the actual performance and the moment of performing the song still in an age where so much can be “done and fixed in post?“

It’s best to get the performance as right as possible.

That said, obliterating a recorded piece is fun, too.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

I like to be done. I don’t want to outgrow it.

Even recording a solo song is usually a collaborative process. Tell me about the importance of trust between the participants, personal relationships between musicians and engineers and the freedom to perform and try things – rather than gear, technique or “chops” - for creating a great song.

Recording engineers are legit scientists and wizards. They can help you make the thing in your head come to life, if that’s what you want.

Working with an engineer can be amazing, but it can also bring pressure to perform, watch the clock, etc.  There’s also a lot to be said for doing it yourself, not in a studio, taking your time and trying anything, even if you don’t know how to do it “properly.”

Technical decisions are extremely creative, at any level.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (performance)?

I’m a fan. But I’m also a fan of zero production. As long as the energy comes through.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

When you’re ready, you’re ready. Forcing it will feel worse than that emptiness.

Music is a language, but like any language, it can lead to misunderstandings. In which way has your own work – or perhaps the work of artists you like or admire - been misunderstood? How do you deal with this?

All art is open to interpretation. That’s the deal.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

The cup of coffee is gone forever in a few minutes, and becomes legend. But the piece of music can last.

I’m not sure which is better.