Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James Vincent McMorrow chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his new song “Paradise” and his upcoming album “Grapefruit Season.”
He just released “Paradise” on May 18, and his highly-anticipated album “Grapefruit Season” will be released on July 16 via Sony Music UK/RCA Records.
On his new song “Paradise,” he said, “I started it in Los Angeles two years ago with my friend, and we just started writing songs. It was a really slow process.”
He listed the tune “Paradise” as his personal favorite on the upcoming album. “It’s the best version of a song that I’ve always been trying to write,” he admitted.
“I just keep working from start to finish until I feel like I’m done and I’ve said what I wanted to say,” he said about the song selection process for the new album.
On being an artist in the digital age, he said, “My whole career started in the digital age. When I was a kid, I was on MySpace, and then, everything since then has been streaming or digital sales of albums. I heavily sold digitally. Fundamentally, I like it since it suits the way that I make music.”
He shared that he would love to someday do a dream duet with Fiona Apple. “Fiona is my favorite musician on the planet,” he said. “She has been my favorite since I’ve started making music. She has only gotten better with age, and I think that’s amazing. Her music has gotten more adventurous.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Grapefruit Season.” “The reason the album is called that is because I have been in this chapter for the last five or six years, that’s where the album came from the notion of existing in a stage that I will probably be in for the rest of my life. Being a grown-up, being responsible for a lot of people but also being a bit of an irresponsible human and quite chaotic,” he said.
He defined the word success as “balance.” “Success for me is meeting in the middle,” he said.
McMorrow has amassed one billion streams worldwide across all platforms over his music career, beginning with his breakthrough studio album “Early in the Morning” in 2011. Five albums later and his sixth on the way this July, the Irish musician has seen success in both his projects and covers of songs such as “Higher Love” and “Wicked Game.”
He plays guitar and piano, but it’s his signature vocals, which blend indie-folk with traces of pop and R&B/Soul, that captivate people and take center stage in his music.
“Paradise” is available on digital service providers by clicking here. “I want this song to be the soundtrack as people start getting freer again,” he said.
To learn more about Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow, check out his official website and his Facebook page.
