James Pants: Hot Licks

When James Pants’ new album Welcome dropped into the office, we were well impressed by his take on mixed-up funk. We asked around, and it turned out Alex Burden was already on the case

Feature by Alex Burden | 11 Apr 2008

Before we get down to the nitty gritty, James Pants - real name, pseudonym... does it have a story behind it? "Unfortunately, it is a pseudonym, although my first name really is James. I used to eat a lot of goat cheese and the like, and my girlfriend (who is now my wife) always called me 'fancy pants'. I ended up just adding the Pants to the end of my name because I thought it didn't sound like anything really. The name doesn't really sound like a particular genre, like 'James Beatz' or something else would. Later, I remembered James Chance and the Contortions, whose stuff I like. I guess the name is pretty similar, but it wasn't based on his."

The story of James Pants is like a budding electronic artists' wet dream (but without the guilt). On his senior year prom night in Austin, Texas, Pants took his date to see Peanut Butter Wolf at a rave. The musicians met - Pants offered to take Wolf record shopping – and this led to an internship that in turn led to Pants being signed to Stones Throw Records, home of Madlib, MF Doom, and Georgia Anna Muldrow.

So, Mr P, when you approached Peanut Butter on that night, did you have what you were going to say to your hero planned out? "I didn't have anything planned,” he says. “I don't really remember what I said, but it was probably something clumsy. I get horrible social anxiety.”

And how impressed was your prom date with this unusual detour? “I don't think she was impressed. She wasn't familiar with his music or label, and probably couldn't get over the name. I think the night in general was pretty awkward - I was too nervous to even kiss my date."

Pants’ forays into music take in funk, boogie, 80s, filthy lounge, with a bit of rap, rnb and soul thrown in for good measure. It's a heady and dizzy blend that is hard to pin down in words, especially since no two tracks on the album are similar. The lazy and blaring synths of Crystal Lite sit happily alongside his soulful vocals, all falling into a k-hole of manipulated time perception, while the discordant electronics of I Choose You and the amateur DIY punk of My Girl suggest several minds are at work, or at least a scatterbrain.

"I'm a big fan of amateur records, if you will. I have a really backwards recording setup that is quite outdated and uncool, but I like the sound that comes out for some reason. I basically just use a drumset, some drum machines, a couple synths, one microphone, and a dinosaur computer with that ACID program. I'm getting a little worried about my dinosaur computer though. It has started making strange sounds and smells. I'm thinking I might have to get a new one some time, but I don't really want to learn any other programs."

He now lives in Spokane, Washington after moving there to complete university and ending up staying on because of its affordability: "Spokane is a big influence on me musically, because there is really no scene up here. It's kind of a good place to be original. Just hole up in your flat and make strange noises. However, you have to watch out for who you're being strange around - there's a lot of pickup trucks and guns."

I ask him if, with songs so diverse, there was a well-planned theme at work to hold the album together, or if he produced as the mood took him." There wasn't really a whole lot of planning for this album. I basically just make songs when I feel like it, with no plans on what I want to do. I get in spiritual moods, psychedelic moods, 80s boogie moods... Kind of like all humans I guess. I record a lot, so after a while I have all these songs on my hands. For this album, I turned in 100 songs or so to Peanut Butter Wolf and just told him to put together the songs he likes. I have a hard time picking out what's good or not with my own material. I'm really happy with the order he picked for the album."

So how would you like others to describe your music? "I think whatever people want to call it works for me, as I'm not really sure myself. Amateur soul. Hot Licks. The Sound of Spokane. Dogs Barking. Any of these will do."

You also play a lot of the instrumentation on the tracks yourself - given this, what format will live shows take? "I'm still trying to work that one out. For all my shows so far, I've just been DJing, which I like just as much as making original music. I don't think I look that cool when I'm DJing though. My face gets all red. I will have a live band for a lot of shows this summer, though. I'm definitely looking forward to that… I'll probably just play the tambourine and slide whistle this time."

Speaking of shows, after Welcome
's release in May, what are your plans for hitting Europe and the UK to further support the release? "I'm hoping to go back shortly after the release of the record. I met a lot of great people and have the itch to go back. The last time I was over with Wolf, we just went to record stores and hotels. I'm hoping I can catch a quick meeting with the Queen or something this next time."

From a prom night meeting to a championed Stones Throw artist garnering international fans, Mr Pants must be pretty pleased with the progress made in seven short years. "It's definitely a dream for me. I'm very content with what I've been able to do so far. Anything else that happens is just icing on the cake. I'm still working in a cubicle-job though, so getting out of that would be quite lovely. Maybe I'll open a burrito stand."

 

Buy online at Amazon

Before James goes opening a burrito stand anytime soon, we suggest you get your hands on Welcome, released through Stones Throw on 26 May. We're tearing at the walls and jamming fists in our mouths so as not to say 'it'll make you swing your pants.' But the fact is, it will.