Name: John J. Presley
Nationality: British
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current Release: John J. Presley's Chaos & Calypso is out via God Unknown. He is also about to embark on a European tour. Get tickets here.
Recommendations: Hammershoi and Europe, JG Ballard-Cocaine Nights, Daniel Lanois-Belladonna

If you enjoyed this John J. Presley interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit him on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.  



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you?

For me it's a curiosity, a form of risk taking, my way of making sense of the world.

My friend recently described it as ‘the fuss’  

What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

It comes from absolutely everything around me, from the mundane to the sublime.

The song ‘delicate thread (blue eyes)' is a testament to that. I took a few risks, not that it always pays off. But I tore that song apart and put it some place else.  



‘Gold’ was from a dream



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 sometimes have a very clear idea of how a song should be. They have appeared very complete to me, sometimes even in dreams.

Others have taken shape from the smallest idea that I may have even written off but somehow it develops into something quite unexpected.

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'?

For this album the bulk of the ideas were written very close to each other in time. I recorded them very primitively at home and eventually took them to the studio with Ian Davenport, but some of those takes did make the final mixes.

I love the initial burst when you get an idea, that's the best time to record it. It feels risky and exciting, you don't quite know what you're doing. But to me, that's the appeal. Improvisation.  

‘Into the fire’ was all one take, at home. Everything was set up. I walked in from a walk by the sea, sat at my pedalsteel and hit record.   



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?

Coffee is certainly a ritual.

I do feel creative and free at the start of the day. The conscious hasn't quite caught up with the subconscious.  

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?

Yes, it certainly feels like that. Who's chasing who?

It can be such a simple seed that grows into the tree, I really don't know where it starts sometimes? It Just happens, the more you exercise that part of yourself the more it happens. But you have to work at it.  

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?

More often than not the music comes first, sometimes the lyrics are written and the music is worked around them. I often leave the lyrics until the final moment, I make a few sketches, a few pointers, But I like to apply a little pressure to the situation.

Commit, Fall on my sword.  

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

I like it when there is a sense of humour or fragility, a human aspect, Nothing too polished.

‘Delicate thread’ has a humorous aspect to it, believe it or not.   

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 definitely believe that once you have set things in motion it's with gods.

It can sometimes feel that you're not steering the ship, a mere passenger. Certainly no strict control

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?

Alternative roads often present themselves, again it somehow feels that it's not always me at the helm.

I tend to go with it, ride the storm. Sometimes it's just awful, other times quite beautiful. Take a risk or seven.


John J Presley Interview Image (c) the artist

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?

Yes there is an aspect of spirituality to it.

I don't think you can go to a creative place and not question your own spirituality.

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?“

I really enjoy being in the studio and to me it's very important to get the performance down - not necessarily looking for perfection by any means, but the right feel.

It's way too easy to obsess about things in post, I like to keep things minimal, not too much gear. Get it down in the first instance, commit.

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?

Letting it lie is a mistake, record it, get it out if you can.

I say that because six months down the line or so I tend to want to change everything!

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.

It's important you feel comfortable with the people you're working with, an element of trust in their opinions. Not to be afraid to fall on your face a few times.

A producer should be a friend who guides you through the process. Ian was great like that. Dan too.

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)?  

Production is all to taste, it can make and break everything.

That said, a great song is a great song.  

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?

Absolutely, I can relate to this. My coping mechanism is to pretend it's not happening.

Don’t go on social media and keep on writing. Don't read the reviews, Good or bad!!!

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?

It certainly is a way of communicating, I think once your songs are out there, they are open to other people's interpretations.

But as a whole it's quite wonderful to see people react to my music. Forever grateful in fact.  

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?

I'd like to think it's different from the mundane. Although I try to take things from the mundane.

Everyday life can be very unappealing sometimes and I try to make it interesting. Music has always provided a beautiful escape from the mundane.