SPOTLIGHT: THE MOONS OF JUPITER BAND: JAMES HARRIS VOCALIST

D.G. Torrens

1 hour ago

7 min read

BIO:

JAMES HARRIS:

Birmingham based band The Moons of Jupiter formed in 2023 by the exceptionally talented duo: James Harris and Nicky Rowe who quickly carved out a distinct place in England’s electronic darkwave scene with their synth wave sound. The cinematic synth work draws on the electropop traditions of Depeche Mode, The Human League, Savage Garden and The Sisters of Mercy. Since their formation, the duo’s self-titled debut has sparked notable international press coverage and radio rotation, marking them as one of the genre’s most compelling new arrivals.

Q&As

DG Q: Who were the pivotal figures or moments that sparked your creative journey during your formative years and what influences have most profoundly shaped your artistic direction.

JH: When I was 8 years old, I remember being at a friends' house and he asked "Have you heard it yet!?" With eager interest, I replied "No!?" not knowing what was to come but with a sense this was gonna be special. He then played me the Stand & Deliver by Adam & The Ants! It blew me away and I've been a massive fan from that moment on. I guess that's when I first thought it would be the ultimate dream to be a singer in a band!

DG Q: Could you share other

bands or collaborative ventures

that have impacted your musical journey?

JH: Artists like Kate Bush, Queen, Blondie, The Beatles, Depeche Mode, Slade along with Adam & the Ants all influenced me, not so much my music directly. I don't think we sound like any of them, but I was inspired to be myself and express what I had to say in the way that my musical heroes all dared to be themselves and not follow convention.

DG Q: How did your short film: FALLEN ANGEL come about? It carries a striking poetic depth. I’m interested in understanding the creative mindset that guided you through the making of this multifaceted film.

https://youtu.be/TE94Ni5BBLg?si=QBVBgUeHdhzLsGKc

JH: It was very unconventional how that film came about. The footage was actually shot for a different project "Paradise Lost: History in the Unmaking" a feature length documentary written and directed by my friend Andy Howlett, about the now demolished brutalist old central library of Birmingham. The angel footage was shot for it but in the eventual edit only about 5 seconds of it was used. After a screening of his documentary, Andy suggested he might make a stand-a-lone short from the unused angel footage. Some time after that, I was going through a difficult time personally and wrote the poem "Fallen Angel" with the unused footage in mind as a way of binding it together and making sense of it by giving it a narrative.

I sent Andy the poem hoping he might like to use it and edit the film together around it. He liked the poem but said he didn't have time to work on it himself and suggested I do it. He sent me all the raw footage and I set to work. Recorded my voice-over and spent a long time editing and honing the film. When it was close to completion, I decided it needed music to be added and immediately thought of asking Nicky. He had been composing instrumental tracks and releasing them for years, so I tried a few out and they fitted perfectly. And when I asked him, he was very happy for me to use his music and got quite involved in reviewing the final edits with me. We enjoyed working together on the film and when it finally came to an end, I suggested that perhaps we should continue working together on The Moons Of Jupiter and Nicky said he was thinking the same thing.

And funnily enough, some of the tracks I selected to use in the film ended up being on our "Angel" EP. Instrumentals that evolved into the songs "Beautiful Life" and "Sanctuary".

DG Q: What is the origin story of the band,

the early forces that shaped its formation?

https://youtu.be/xtpqN8JRPQI?si=PAah0_RSJ5WhAfKR

JH: The reason why, in 2023, we already had The Moons Of Jupiter as a project ready and waiting for the right time for us to work on it was because, the original concept started in 2007. Nicky posted an instrumental track entitled "Ghosts" on his MySpace page. I immediately connected with it and the lyrics for the song just came to me. I recorded a very rough demo with me singing to music from my PC speakers and sent it to him. He really liked it and the idea was born that we could write a few more songs and record an EP.

I then also came up with the name The Moons Of Jupiter which just seemed to suit the music.

I tried writing a few more songs using Nicky's music at the time, but those were forced and no good. And we both felt that it wasn't the right time but planned to one day work on the band. And when we did, some 16 years later, we found that with all of Nicky's compositions from over the last 16 years, I had a wealth of music to listen to and find which ones I could add vocals to, so rather than just an EP we soon found we had an album's worth of songs.

DG Q: You and Nick Rowe are a great duo, how long have you known one another?

JH: We've actually known each other since primary school. So from around about the time I first heard that Adam & the Ants song. We also grew up living on the same street (Fatherless Barn Crescent).

DG Q: The Moons of Jupiter released a fabulous EP

cover of ‘Planet Earth’ and it is brilliant.

How did that come about and why?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPnvY6E26jE

JH: We decided it would be good to work on a few covers to add to our live sets and "Planet Earth" was the second one we recorded. We also put them out on YouTube, in the hope that more people might find our music that way. And because of copyright law we couldn't sell the EP, so we decided to just put all of our covers on a free EP that we give away to those on our emailing list. We keep adding tracks to this EP and it will eventually evolve into an album. A Tears for Fears song is the next one we're gonna work on.

DG Q: The ‘Beautiful Life’ Song from your album

is a favourite of yours, why is this?

https://youtu.be/HFJhE8Z_7gs?si=3-mZPAv5bt5BwxMr

JH: It was a favorite early on, but that has evolved, and I would select other tracks if asked now, but the reason I like it is because its such a positive and empowering song. Seemed the perfect note to end album one on.

DG Q: The HMV live gig received an incredible reception.

How did you find the experience?

https://youtu.be/26QsCUWGHeg?si=ynNwMKSs57R4hZIL

JH: We've actually done a few HMV gigs, two at Merry Hill, one at Cheltenham and one at the Vault in Birmingham. We really enjoyed all of them and plan to do more next year when our second album is released.

DG Q: The Moons of Jupiter is a great band name. What inspired it?

JH: Thank you! As mentioned above, it just came to me back in 2007 and seemed to fit the duo Nicky and I had just started work on. If it means anything, perhaps its about having a more universal perspective on the cosmos and our place in it. Also, with NASA's current mission to Europa, The Moons Of Jupiter could well be the first place mankind officially discovers proof of alien life. But I guess I just thought it was a cool sounding name and suited our music.

DG Q: What does the future look like for Moons

of Jupiter and what can your fans expect

over the next 12 months?

JH: Our main focus now and over the coming months is to finish recording our second album. We've already recorded and released two singles that will feature on the album "Queen Of The Night" and "Day One". And we're aiming to have "Jupiter II" ready for release around summer 2027.

DG Q: If you could collaborate with any musician who would it be?

JH: We have already collaborated with one of my musical heroes, and hopefully he'll be on our second album too. There are a couple of other artists we’re also hoping might guest on ‘Jupiter 11’ but I won’t mention any names. But one person we'd love to work with is Debbie Harry and there's a song scheduled for our third album that would really suit her voice. We'd also love to write songs for other artists and have a couple that could really suit Kylie Minogue.

DG Q: Is there one dream or ambition that remains

just out of reach: something you're still striving toward?

JH: We feel we're only just getting started, so yes there's lots of things. But the main goal is to get our music out to as many people as possible. And to record and release all of our best material. We currently have a stockpile of unreleased songs, so just to record and release them will be a great for us.

DG Q: Looking back on your journey

through your creative career what

stands out as the most valuable lesson

you've learned along the way?

JH: Just to be true to yourself and believe in your own creative instincts.

DG Q: If you could offer one brutally, raw

and unfiltered, honest piece of advice to

emerging artists walking the same path, what would it be?

JH: Don't worry about what anyone else thinks, just make music that you like, and be yourself.

DG Q: Stepping away from your projects

and creative side for a moment, what's

the one thing you genuinely love d

oing in your personal time?

JH: I love to travel and love driving. In fact, that's where I write most of my vocals while driving and listening to Nicky's music in the car. That's the best way for me to tune into the music and kind of download the vocal.

DG Q: Is there a lesser-known facet of

your life or personality that you’d be

willing to reveal, something fans

might be surprised to learn?

JH: I love playing badminton and pickleball.

DG Q: And lastly, how has music changed your life?

JH: I’ve met a lot of friends through music, and it kind of helps shape your identity. And with our own music, I’d never have thought back when we first wrote ‘Ghosts’ that this project would become such a big part of my life. It’s my main focus now. We have at least 4 albums already written, so there’s a lot more music to come from The Moons of Jupiter.

The Moons of Jupiter live at the Vault HMV Birmingham 2024

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/c2dHkuuqB0A

More videos: The Moons of Jupiter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gMERsChG1I