James J. Clarke
James J. Clarke is a songwriter from County Meath. As a former member of The Ambience Affair and Divan, he has been releasing critically-acclaimed records and touring extensively for over a decade. He has played alongside many wonderful artists, such as Lisa Hannigan, Bell X1, and Villagers, and his songs have been featured on numerous television shows, including CSI:NY and Ringer.
His debut solo record, the forthcoming Hard Work, is a deeply personal meditation on family, grief, and change. Written and recorded at home, while living alone during the pandemic and dealing with the loss of a parent, Hard Work is Clarke's most intimate and mature artistic statement to date, a stunning collection of songs that are by turns immediate and layered, passionate and elegiac.
Bob Dylan - Pretty Saro
I remember trying to learn this to cover it and that's when I realised his genius and importance. He's playing the same chords and singing the same notes as everyone else but in a way I can't understand so I just listen, in complete awe.
I can only hope that the music and melodies he writes gets inside my subconscious and inspires my work because he's streets ahead of everyone else.
Journey in Satchidananda -Alice Coltraine
A whirling, fizzing, fever dream of a piece, this. I hadn't listened to much jazz growing up so when I stumbled upon this in my mid twenties, it was a real eye opener for me. It seems to exist in a place where the rules of space and time can be bent in order to create this free-flowing odyssey. Any time I'm in a funk I'll put this album on and it'll leave me in a clearer head space.
Here, There And Everywhere - The Beatles
It's one of the greatest love songs ever written and it says everything in the first line. 'To lead a better life, I need my love to be here.'
Just songwriting perfection. Sometimes, because they're such an intrinsic part of our lives, you might take them for granted. I know I do. This is 2:24 of a journey that always makes me feel thankful they existed after I listen to it. It goes and takes so many turns down beautiful streets that I find myself revisiting that place in my mind frequently.
Remorse Code - Richard Hawley
He's got so many great albums it's hard to pick just one song but this one always hits me. The electric guitar line, the sweeping vocals. the fact that it's nearly ten minutes long yet somehow doesn't feel long enough. I'd love to be able to write like this, he's a true inspiration. This was on a lot during the making of the record and it taught me a lot about intention and what kind of energy I'd like to put into the delivery of the songs.
I Can't Let It Happen To You - The Walker Brothers
Just stuck it on there again as I'm typing this and what a song it is. It's shaped me in ways I've yet to fully understand. 'You've lost your heart, drifting apart from love you seek' is a line that stays with you long after you hear it and the song itself has this restrained, laid back yet euphoric nature that I think is so so cool.That trumpet solo! Gah. Bliss.
Undiscovered First - Feist
The record 'Metals' in its entirety is so interesting. How they got the sounds they did, I'll probably never know but it feels alive and raw and this song is the perfect example of this. It blew me away when I heard it and was a constant frame of reference when making the percussion on the record. She has a way of making something that is bigger than the sum of its parts and this to me is the real hallmark of a true genius.
Casimir Pulaski Day - Sufjan Stevens
Listen to the chords! So simple. All the most beautiful things are I think. I'm convinced that he wakes up with the sound of angels in his head every day and has to write the melodies he hears in order to silence them. Another one with a trumpet solo! I'm sensing a theme here. Maybe there'll be one on my next record. I owe his music a lot, not least for humbling me and making me feel inferior.
Ask Me No Questions - Bridget St. John
Subtle, understated brilliance. Her voice just destroys me. There's so much depth and history in it; it feels like it's lived many lives. It's the soundtrack to every pretty drive I've been on and I enjoy being its passenger when I listen to it.
The song itself just sails off into the distance and leaves you sitting in a pretty field near a church. It's a nice place to be. Then, it sails back to serenade you all over again.
You Win Again - Hank Williams
My producer Ian Maleney introduced me to the Country Music Documentary by Ken Burns and it changed my life completely. Hank was the original heartbreaker, the Hillbilly Shakespeare and appreciating his genius has defined my thirties. His songs just bleed with pure emotion and the melodies just tear me down. He is the gatekeeper that led me to so many other brillant country artists.
Katie Kim - Radio
For my money, Katie is one of the finest songwriters Ireland has ever produced and 'Radio' is just one of dozens of examples I could have chosen. It wraps itself under your skin and won't leave you until it has cast you under its spell. It's helped me through some really difficult moments in my life and I owe it a great deal. Pure magic.
