Meet James Varnish, whom I had the pleasure of getting to know, and working with to create his fifth EP album to be released on the 9th of September. He is incredibly stylish with a wardrobe filled with Rick Owen’s clothing, sneakers and a cap collection to die for (What impressed me the most is that he has a special hat bag to carry his caps in)! He’s also very charming, spiritual and a very well established Melbourne electropop muso who’s been doing music, like forever. So without a do, let me introduce to you…
James, what are 5 things we should know about you?
- I’m an extremely passionate man with everything I do. I’m also an all or nothing man.
- My father is Greek, my mother is Australian.
- I am sooo not a morning person, I’m definitely a night time man and ideally I need 10 hours sleep!
- I used to have a sunglasses fetish but I’m totally into caps at the moment.
- I loooove Instagram!
Describe your fashion style?
My fashion style is me. It’s eclectic, I like to mix it up. I’m going through a bit of a street influenced phase right now but I like to incorporate designer elements. I’ll put on a Billionare Boys Club cap and wear it with a local designer tee, a Rick Owens pant and some cool Undercover by Jun Takahashi boots. Kris Van Assche, Lanvin and Dior are also some of my favourites. I’m not a label snob though, I’ll buy something if it’s cool, it makes me feel good and it inspires me.
What was it like working with Karen Woo on your latest photoshoot?
Karen is sooooo enthusiastic and energised. It was a really fun shoot. She also makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. Karen was very prepared and followed the direction that I had set. She created a mood board and referenced the images I’d put together in the brief. She worked tirelessly the whole time and was really patient and open to ideas. The shoot I did with Karen ended up being used to promote the release of my new EP.
Yay, glad to know that you loved working with me. So tell us about your music and your latest EP cover?
To categorise my music, I would say it’s electro-pop. I’ve created my own sound really, the music is synthesizer based but I put a warm sincere vocal over the top. My new EP ‘V’ has five songs on it that are all a bit different. I worked with Stephen Hague on the record who’s produced artists like New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams and Blur. We worked hard to create something that’s authentically me. It’s a bit sexy, a bit upfront, it references a few of my influences and it’s not like any other stuff on the radio at the moment. The cover for the EP is type based and is clean and minimal which is an aesthetic that I really like. I studied Graphic Design at Uni and I’ve always had an appreciation for good covers. The designer who did the art for my EP has also worked on sleeves for George Michael, Madonna and Suede.
When is your the big release date?
‘V’ is released on 9th of September but it’s available for pre-order on itunes now here!
How long have you been doing music?
Forever. When I say that, music has been in my blood since I was a little dot. Music is a part of my life every single day. As a 5 year old kid, I used to walk around the supermarket with Mum singing songs to myself while we went down each of the aisles. I was introverted, I was kinda in my own world, I wasn’t one of those annoying in your face ‘look at me’ kind of kids but apparently there was one checkout operator that we saw regularly and she used to ask me to sing for her and I did. As a teenager I started flirting with the idea of writing music but it was after high school that I got more serious about it and experimented.
Can you give any advice to those who are thinking of a musical career?
Stay true to yourself and the music that makes your heart sing and don’t let anyone sway you in a certain direction. There’s enough stuff out there that sounds the same … everyone has influences but put those together in a way that represents you, with your stamp on it. In fact, don’t even worry about what anyone else is doing, just make music that comes from within you. Be resilient and be prepared to work hard and just keep going.
James, you’ve been wonderful to know and work with you. Thank you so much for putting your faith and trust in my creative direction to create your EP cover. You are incredibly talented and I wish you much love and success with your music endeavours xx
