Today, Bristol based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist JAMES HUMPHRYS celebrates two months of his new EP, ‘Memory Palace’ with the release of the brand new video for ‘All The Same’.
Speaking about the video, James said; “The directors Em Turner, Ruben Neviazsky and I wanted a video that was playful and fun but that also tapped into the strange current circumstances we find ourselves in. The idea of a flirtatious, social distanced dance with a stranger (Jacinda Vuorinen) from across the street. I’ve always loved music videos that incorporate dance as it’s an natural, organic response when we hear music and we were greatly influenced by the band Jungle and their one take choreographed music videos. A big concern during the filming was that I might give off Troy Bolton Golf Course vibes (If you know, you know). Thankfully we avoided high school musical remakes and untied shoelaces (though we won’t mention the lamp post incident).”
Consisting of four tracks written and created off the coast of Alaska while working on a cruise ship, ‘Memory Palace’ includes recent singles, ‘Colour and ‘All The Same‘, and pays testament to James’s ability to create multi-layered, genre-bending indie anthems brimming with optimism and energy.
Speaking about his time at sea, James explains, “It was a surreal experience. The ocean and the scenery which we experienced every day for the best part of a year was expansive and freeing but the monotony and regimental tendencies of ship life would conflict with this; you could very easily feel confined and trapped at times.”
The result of said experiences is a richly textured, infectious and uplifting offering loaded with everything from funk fuelled rhythms to jazz inspired horn sections and trumpet solos; lyrically exploring James’s positive and optimistic outlook on life and the struggles and anxieties of modern life.
In ‘All The Same’ Humphrys provides a reminder that it’s okay to feel good about things; a call to us all to believe in something when it feels right and not to always look for reasons why it might be wrong; while on ‘Better Now’ he seeks comfort whilst feeling out of his own depth.
He explains, “It’s a song about the importance of friendship and the fact that although you may often feel that things are out of control, even people who seem like they’ve got it together have the same sort of days when they’re just trying to keep their heads above water. Remembering that you’re not alone in your feelings can help make even the worst day better.”
