After recently returning to deliver his stunning single 'Champagne People', Bath-based artist Jamie Beale has now unveiled the captivating live acoustic session of his latest release.
Capturing all of the warm and heartfelt emotion of the original, this new stripped-back rendition of 'Champagne People' makes for an incredible sweet and tender listen. Using little more than a humbly-played piano and his own soaring voice at the helm, he is certainly looking to lure us in with this atmospheric new ode.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Guitar, it was an obsession from the age of three. I remember my dad buying this white rockwood strat, I guess a rip off Jimi Hendrix strat… I just remember him trying to figure out the riff to smoke on the water and I just thought it was the coolest thing ever, I don’t think he realised at the time just how much that moment would influence my entire life, just imagine if I walked in on him learning how to do accounting instead, I’d be living off of avocados by now.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Jimi Hendrix and Red Hot Chili Peppers were two big ones for me… I had a massive Guns N Roses era too actually. Pop was always on too, I didn’t like it much at the time but I think the simplicity of melody and hooks sunk into my DNA and never left. I the first ever gig I went to was James Brown supporting the Chilis, explains a lot!
What was the first album you remember owning?
The Greatest hits of Nirvana, the one with ‘You Know Your right’ on the track listing. I think my dad bought me The Eminem Show too, I was in Primary school haha!
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
This is the toughest question to answer, because to refine it to one song is almost impossible! God Only Knows by the Beach Boys is my favourite song in the world, but who doesn’t wish they wrote Yesterday? You don’t even need to mention the band name and everyone knows what I’m talking about! I think Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel is killer too, that was a big influence on my doing my own thing as a solo artist.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I’ve tried everything, meditation, psychedelics, weed, whiskey, running, green tea, mushroom tea, you name it! But I don’t think art comes from ritual, at-least not for me, I find that music comes to me naturally, when it’s ready, I just have to try to hold on to it and see where it takes me, but I’ve learnt not to try so hard to force it.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Anderson .Paak, The Beatles, Alabama Shakes, Kruangbin, Andy Shauf, James Brown, Funkadelic and Parliament, War On Drugs, Sharon Van Etten.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
The Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen, how fucking cool would that be?
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
There’s nothing more rewarding than enjoying what you are writing, who gives a shit if critics or hipsters like it! But if you can write something that you dig, then I think that is worth more than any accolade.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Probably the state of the music industry itself, it’s obviously such a big business, but these days I feel that industry people don’t take enough chances, everything is statistic based, but all of the best records and artists in history came from some industry fat cat taking a chance on something a little different, I think there is still massive talent in the music scene today, but everyone is met with the same question “how many followers do you have on tiktok?” It’s like, dude, how many songs are those influencer guys writing? Oh, they need to do writing sessions with 9 other songwriters who usually go under pseudo names like “T Man” and “Kid Kadillac”, it’s hilarious!
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Post more on tiktok! Nah.. probably less is more, As a producer, it’s so simple to layer up a million different parts, but you only need a couple, the keyboard player only has two hands after all!
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Jamie Beale's new single 'Champagne People' is available to stream now. Watch the acoustic live session for it in the player below.