A Q&A with James Houlahan

Folk-Americana singer-songwriter with a rustic, open-hearted sound…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
The new album is called On a Wing. I gave it that title due to the many birds and other winged creatures that populate the songs. We’ve got hummingbirds, cuckoo birds, mockingbirds, angels and a moth. Hopefully these songs take flight!

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
It’s been a bit of a challenge to balance the work of releasing music with other things that have been going on in my life over the past year or so. Some of those things have been awful, like the devastating fires in L.A. last year, where we had to evacuate our home for eleven days. I could also mention the anxieties and uncertainties that come with living in a country as it transitions into authoritarianism. That said, other things have been truly joyful, like the birth of a child. My wife and I welcomed a son last September! So all in all, there’s a lot going on besides music. But the weird thing is that it all merely strengthens my resolve to do the best work I can and get it out there.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it? If you produced it yourselves what do you enjoy most about producing your own material?
This album was produced with Fernando Perdomo at Forward Motion Studios in Los Angeles. It’s the fourth album we have produced together! And it’s truly a joy to work with him. He’s always trying to make the music the best that it can be. Fernando is a great collaborator when it comes to helping me bring my vision for the songs to life. He is also a singer-songwriter himself, so that helps a lot.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
I hope that every listener can find something in each song that they relate to, personally. Some kind of association or feeling that then becomes a doorway to letting the rest of the song in. It seems like it’s harder than it’s ever been to communicate with others these days, for so many reasons. Music is still one of those things that can bring people together!

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
In the studio we usually cut a reference track of me on guitar and vocal. And then we bring in the drums and build from there. This time we had the good fortune to live track the drums and bass together, at the same time. The wonderful Danny Frankel on drums and the amazing Greg Cohen on bass! They are old friends and the chemistry between them was downright electric. It gave the whole album this beautiful, organic ground from which all the other sounds could grow.

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
One of the big influences on the sound of this album was the music of The Incredible String Band. Their second and third albums, specifically. I love the diversity of instrumentation in the production and how it all holds together as an organic whole of sorts. There is this loose, liberating vibe in their music. I wanted to try and channel a bit of that. That said, my songs are very different from their songs! But I was hoping to steal just a little bit of their magic.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
I’d love to play in the UK. Ireland too! I have toured previously a couple of times in Germany and it was a great experience. Overall I think my music would go down very well elsewhere in the EU and UK. It would be a dream to play house shows all over Europe!

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
From the new album I would offer up ‘That Bird & I’. It’s a tune that gets to the heart of why I write and sing songs. Why anyone would want to keep on keepin’ on this tricky path of music despite everything else that is happening in the world. It’s like some kind of mission statement.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
I want to continue to do the best work that I can do. And to meet each and every opportunity that comes my way with an open mind and an enthusiastic heart. I know how powerful music can be and I want to take it as far as I can.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Thank you for keeping the music alive. And thank you for listening!

Find out more about James Houlahan at jameshoulahan.com