Interview: James Hunter (The James Hunter Six)
By: Rob Smittix
RRX: James Hunter, it looks like we’re in business. How are you today?
JH: Not bad, thanks. Just woke up.
RRX: I sleep in late myself. Usually, I get up about this time every day, so, I hear you.
(Both Laugh)
RRX: It’s that rock and roll lifestyle, you know?
JH: Yes, indeed.
RRX: You’ve been doing this a long time, how did it all begin for you?
JH: Well, I think it started when I used to go busking. I lived in Colchester about 50 miles outside London and I struck up a friendship with some musicians in London. Every Friday after work I would commute up to London and spend the weekend with them busking and playing in the street in North London. Things kicked off from there really. Eventually we got invited to play indoors, you know?
RRX: (Laughs) Right? I always felt musicians that did the busking thing have a whole different schooling that they received.
JH: Yes, that’s right. The thing with busking… sometimes you have to rely on passing trains, so sometimes you make a song last about 20 minutes with about 50 solos. Eventually you break yourself of that habit when you’ve got a stationary audience.
RRX: We’re excited to have you come to the Cohoes Music Hall Thursday. I’ll be there and man… it’s a really cool historical building. I don’t know if you’ve ever been there before…
JH: I don’t think I have.
RRX: It’s definitely haunted by Eva Tanguay, who was the queen of Vaudeville. She has her own balcony there, and I tell you this because you’re supposed to give her an offering before you go on stage in order to ensure things go smoothly.
JH: OK, well, I’m not gonna fly in the face of tradition and I don’t wanna upset the departed, so I’ll be making that observance for certain.
RRX: Yeah, it’s the 5th oldest music hall in the country but being from England, this is a young building in comparison. Our buildings don’t get as old as yours.
JH: It’s still relative, isn’t it? Yes, we’ve got our own traditions over there.
RRX: Have you ever looked at your own Wikipedia page?
JH: Oh, I think so, yeah.
RRX: I ask because they have your genre as a blue-eyed soul, but do you even have blue eyes?
JH: No I don’t. We’ll see what my wife will tell you. Jessie, what color are my eyes?
Jessie replies: Hazel.
JH: Hazel, she reckons there are a bunch of colors… I’ve never really gone for that label blue-eyed soul. It’s sort of… I don’t like to be put in a separate category from all the black artists that I’ve been stealing from all these years, you know?
(Both Laugh)
RRX: Right, that’s what I’m saying. I never heard the term before and I saw it and I’m like that’s weird.
JH: It always followed me around everywhere. I don’t wanna put people off by announcing I’m white in advance.
RRX: I mean, it’s obvious. It’s no secret that black artists have put their stamp on so many music genres.
JH: Absolutely, yes.
RRX: We love the music and we’re singing along too.
JH: Yeah, that’s right. I treat it respectfully to avoid any charges of cultural appropriation. There are people who do wear it like a fashion accessory, you know? But it’s a real breathing living thing, you know? That sounds a bit too reverent as well actually.
RRX: I just think that Wikipedia needs to take the blue-eyed soul thing off your page because you just got soul.
JH: Thanks, it’s about time somebody said that, I was hoping somebody would.
RRX: No, I feel it man and everything I’ve ever heard of yours, I love. The music makes you wanna move too, and that’s something I think is definitely important.
JH: Yeah, it’s the main thing in that style of music, rhythm and blues wasn’t called that for nothing.
RRX: Exactly. Now you’re doing the “Off The Fence” tour, right?
JH: That’s right. We named the album after the tour, it was either that or the other way around.
RRX: (Laughs) Well, what are fans to expect from this particular tour?
JH: Well, I mean… they’re gonna get a couple of old favorites, I hope. We’ll definitely be pushing the new album because I always get fairly proud of when I’ve written new stuff, so I like shoving it down people’s throats. So, they’ll be getting a lot of that and enough stuff to keep them dancing.
RRX: As a musician, you’ve got so much in your arsenal from all the previous years, but it does always feel nice to play something fresh, at least for you.
JH: Yeah, totally.
RRX: And I know… the audience sometimes is always waiting for that one song and it’s like… no I don’t even wanna play it myself.
JH: I was like that for a long time but I I did bow to that sort of pressure and started throwing in the ones that they’d request. I kind of do that now.
RRX: Yeah, I mean… you have to because you’re not in town every day and it’s the one and only chance to see you for a while.
JH: Of course, yes. They’re definitely looking forward to it.
RRX: So, it’s The James Hunter Six. Tell me about your band.
JH: I’ve had most of these guys since from about 2018. I changed lineups around then, using an American lineup. But occasionally some of the regular fellows can’t make it, so we’ve got a few fellows who are the semi-regular lineup. A lot have been working with me on and off for about 20 years now, some of them.
RRX: It’s like an extended family, you know? It is family.
JH: It’s sort of like cousins.
RRX: Exactly, so Thursday is the day, we’re gonna be there. We’re really pumped about it. Anything you wanna say to people to encourage and entice them to come on out and have a good time with us?
JH: Yeah, I could bribe them, couldn’t I?
RRX: Sure, why not?
JH: If I could afford it, I would. But, no, come and see us, you’ll have a great time! And we’ll keep you fueled up. And we’ll be signing albums, original artwork that I’ve done and Polaroids, we’ll be doing them too.
RRX: Oh, that’s sick! That’s what’s up! That’s somebody that’s really about the fans. Much better than those musicians who get off stage, hop in the bus and get the hell out of Dodge.
JH: That’s right, I like to hang around anyway.
RRX: Excellent. We’ll see you Thursday, James. I appreciate your time.
JH: Thanks very much, Rob. I’ll see you!
