Peter Twomey
Last week I met with Jamie Lawson, a recently famed, long standing musician of the talented singer-songwriter ilk and we discussed everything from his new album and song, to illegal downloading, to our beloved (and mystic?) Trinity.
So to begin, the most obvious question is a simple one, how did you get started in music?
Well I started playing guitar when I was 8 and I got lessons at primary school, then I gave up for a bit and started again at about 14 and that kind of got me hooked. It was natural progression to get where I am now. You start writing the songs, and what do you do with those songs? Well you play them for people. It was very in that sense. The school always put on something and I was always the mug that stepped forward. I just remember thinking that it was the easiest thing in the world to do.
Was it always your goal to make a career out of music?
Not really, no. I thought that it was something I could do. It was strange, I did and then I didn’t stop, it was that sense. Then once you’ve got a few songs, well that’s enough for an album, therefore I could make an album. I didn’t really at first, I made an EP or too, and then there was talk of an album and we managed to make it and put it out ourselves back in 2005. One step leads to another, you get signed up, I guess that’s why I’m here.
A man of simple virtues
What kind of music inspired you when growing up?
I was a big Smiths fan, REM, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, American Music Club, that kind of thing really. The lyrics was what drew me in, as well as the melody. Any thing that would hook you in and move you emotionally, that can be melodically wise and if there are lyrics on top that can be really good, that’s the best thing really.
So how would you describe your own lyrical output?
Well to be honest, they come out of everywhere. I’ve written songs after watching an episode of Home and Away, that would have nothing to do with the show but, for whatever reason, I have started something, a chord structure maybe, while watching it, some song about love and loss and it seems to go that way.
You’re a British artist who has, in many ways, discovered a more devout fanbase across the Irish sea. Was the move from Cornwall to Ireland a difficult one?
I came here initially because a friend of mine said you should come over to Ireland to play, they’ll like you. This was back in 2004 and then I moved here in 2005, so that was the reason really and playing gigs here seemed to make a lot of sense in comparison to Cornwall. The music scene just isn’t the same, it’s all very pub gigs and cover gigs. It was important to go somewhere where people wanted to listen to songs that I had written, I didn’t want to be a pub singer. I mean, people can do that but I don’t know what it is about me, I can’t confine myself to that.
Quite a controversial question for you now, which do you prefer: England or Ireland?
They’re different places. I now live in South London and it seems ok but I’ve not been there very much because I’m always over here. I love Dublin, I always come back and go into Tower records, where I used to work, my first port of call.
To take the topic of conversation in a different direction, what is your take on the illegal download debate?
Quite simply, it can’t be healthy. Purely on a personal basis, if you don’t buy my song then I don’t eat, it’s that simple. If you really love my song and you download it illegally well that means that I can’t carry on, therefore neither of us get anything out of it. If you start downloading Radiohead or Coldplay, those guys that we know have enough money, the money that goes into that band also goes into lower down bands, which is your next Coldplay that you haven’t discovered yet because there wasn’t enough money to actually make them work. If you love something then buy it, I have illegally downloaded myself, but I buy a lot of music. Music shouldn’t be free, it’s a beautiful thing and someone has worked hard to do it, the same with anything in life, and it costs. Support the thing you love.
You have a new album out, Wasn’t Expecting That, released with Universal. Perhaps you could talk me through it?
It’s an interesting one actually, it’s a re-release of my last album that didn’t come out here. It didn’t get great sales in the UK, although it got really good reviews. The album was ready to go when the song [‘Wasn’t Expecting That’] came out and we put two and two together, renamed it and repackaged it. It looks great actually, I’m really chuffed with it. I hope people like it, there are some really great songs on it, I’m really proud of the album so I hope people take to it like they have the song.
Speaking of ‘the song’, you have become one of many ‘Youtube Sensations’ with ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ gaining nearly 300,000 views so far. What’s your view on that?
Well, it has basically changed everything that I’ve been doing because everything is now on a bigger scale, I’m selling out shows now just off the back of that song which is pretty mad of you think about it. In saying that though, it’s not in comparison to the Justin Biebers of the world or anything like that.
How about The Late, Late Show, what kind of an experience was that?
I was a bit nervous the day before, spinning out about it, and yet on the afternoon of the show I somehow got it together and it was… fun! I was so relaxed, I couldn’t believe it. I was just hanging out with friends back stage and Bob Geldof was there, I shook his hand and made small talk, it was so easy. Then when he said I was on I just walked up, stood in place, did the song, walked off, that’s really just how simple it was, the biggest moment of my career. I did really well, I got it, I was really chuffed with myself, I didn’t bugger off anything, which was the obvious fear that I would forget things. Hopefully you sing things enough times that it becomes second nature, but when you let that happen your mind can shut off and you forget about stuff.
His acclaimed live living room
You have your biggest headlining gig to date coming up soon, Vicar St on May 5th. Are you ready for it?
No! I’m gong to have to expand my set and I’m not going to do it solo, I’m getting in a few friends to make it bigger sounding. It’s a massive venue. Bob Dylan has played there, Neil Young, I saw Anthony and the Johnsons here which was incredible. The thing is, what I’m going to have to learn is that what I do is quite intimate. As a gig, it’s an intimate one, it’s just me and I’m quite open with people and I have a little living room set that I take around. We have an old chair, lamps, a picture and it just feels like you’re in my living room. For Vicar St I’ll be needing more furniture though. I’m going to see The Frames, just to check out the venue. I’ve played there before [supporting The Frames coincidentally] but I just want to see what I can do with the space.
This is a Trinity publication, do you have any TCD related anecdotes to share?
Not really to be honest. I walk into it because I think it’s a beautiful place. I remember once being there and I think it was my birthday, I can’t remember how old I was, 21 perhaps, as you go in that archway, there was a huge rainbow and the strange thing was that it hadn’t been raining. So I just thought ‘Jesus what does that mean?! It must be some kind of sign.’ I always wondered if that meant anything. I thought maybe I should come study here, maybe I should do some kind of English Lit course, that would have been my thing but I never studied… and here I am now!
Jamie Lawson’s new album ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ is out now with Universal. Jamie Lawson plays Vicar St on May 5th, tickets are available from usual outlets.
