Following on from his recent offerings 'Radars' and 'Bathe' earlier this year, Brighton-based singer-songwriter Jimmy Herrity is back on the grind once again to deliver his wondrous new single 'Lost Boys'.
Capturing a wonderfully rich and woozy aesthetic for his newest effort, 'Lost Boys' makes for a beautifully warm and alluring return for him. With his heartfelt vocals layered across a shimmering acoustic-led production throughout, he continues to shine as one of the more exciting names on the rise right now.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I had a pink bass when I was around 12 or 13. I didn’t know anything about brands, but Mark Hoppus from blink 182 played a pink bass. It wasn’t a MH signature fender jazz, but it was mine and I loved it.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
When I was younger I loved anything emotive. I was right in the thick of the emo boom and my favourite bands were Blink & My Chemical Romance. But, at the same time my Dad was introducing me to Damien Rice & Leonard Cohen, and my brother got me high and played me Kid A (Radiohead). So there were a few sides but I guess the common link is that it was all very emotional.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Take off your pants and jacket by blink 182. I wouldn’t have understood this fully at the time, but it transported me to another world. I grew up in and around Portsmouth in the 00’s, where everything was football. This record introduced me to skateboarding and counterculture. Three guys from Southern California, all from broken homes with no money, became these huge rock stars by writing and playing simple funny trashy songs, kind of badly haha. It took me away, made me feel like I could do something with my life too.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I don’t often get hung up on wishing pieces were mine because for me, the greatest songs are written through a personal lens. Like, the 00’s version of both sides now by Joni Mitchell is one of the best things I’ve ever heard, but I don’t wish I wrote it because it wouldn’t make sense if I wrote it. So, I’m going to have to say an unreleased song called ‘next one’ by Thomas Willow, which he wrote shortly after my brother died and I listened to it on repeat. The reason I pick that is because, no matter how many songs I write about my brother, none of them satisfy me as a fan like Thomas’s did at that time.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I just have to be in the right mood. I can work on an existing song in any mood, but the idea has to come when I’m feeling moved. I know lots of people who write cool music and then apply the lyrics and meaning afterwards, I can’t do it like that. The feeling and meaning has to come first otherwise I just never end up connecting with it, no matter how rad the music is.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
In terms of what is directly inspiring me as I work on LP1, Beck, The National, Big Thief, Fog Lake, Sparklehorse, Nick Drake, Ezra Furman. Lots of sad lyricism and natural-sounding stuff.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
The National. I love the fanbase, I’m part of a group on Facebook called ‘Sorrowposters’ and it’s honestly just the list of wholesome community of music fans. I would love to play to that audience. Whenever I go to a show the crowd are so passionate yet so friendly and has such a diverse age range.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Playing shows. There’s nothing quite like it. It’s fun, it’s cathartic, and can be the biggest high. I feel I’ve found a connection with particular live audiences that I’ve not been able to replicate in a studio setting until more recently.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Success measurement and comparison culture. Also studio/recording. I used to find it incredibly frustrating and unsatisfactory. But since I’ve been recording and mixing myself I find I can get the recording to capture a little bit of the vibe I get in a live setting. It’s not just about going for a natural approach with minimal processing, it’s about using space and dynamics as tools to serve emotional beats in the story.
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Jimmy Herrity's new single 'Lost Boys' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.