Interview with Singer , Songwriter & Bulldog Breeder – James Craise

Screen shot 2013-01-01 at 16.49.31Just for everyone who is going to be reading, who
is James Craise and how long have you been on the scene?

Im a singer / songwriter / bulldog breeder. Left school at 14 and got taught the saxophone by a homeless man and played music and wrote songs ever since. But been perfoming my solo material for the last year

Tell us a little bit about where do you perdorm/ed?
Ive performed at orgasmatron, a night run by guy chambers at floripa , the “luxe” in spitalfields for “iam music tv” , London olympics 2012 and a couple events by a great group of people “off-beat”

Every band has their influences, and a lot of the time they differ from band member to band member. What are some of your biggest musical influences?

Elvis, Johnny cash, chet baker, howlin wolf, james brown, the fugees, eminem, bad religion, rancid. A piece of all of them come out in me from time to time.

Do you have any plans to write/release your own songs ? ( Maybe you did already.. )
I released a track called “song for tomorrow” on a compilation album called emerging icons in the park after I played at the olympics

What have you found to be the hardest part of the industry?
Earning any money

You mentioned Bulldog breeding, how did you come up with that? Is it you hobby or this is what you do for living? How many bulldogs you have at home?
Yeah it’s a hobby / living I got one pup for sale at the moment and I have 1 full grown bitch and 1 male pup at the moment so I have 3 bulldogs at home at the moment

148567_10150093750275692_5359814_nWhat advice would you give to a new artist that wants to make an album?Should they self-produce it or try to go with a record label instead?
At the moment I want to self produce my first album and create the record I want to make and be proud of without any interferance from marketing and A&R execs who are terrified that they will loose their job if they don’t make a record like bruno “fucking” mars. I think the industry has changed for good where artists have the power and all the resources now to record and put out a record very cheaply themselves
How do you keep your energy up high, I’ve seen you play, and your energy is incredible. How do you do that ?

Thanks very much! Being on stage singing is probably the place I feel most comfortable and honest

171235_10150095167488233_428846_oWhat is your connection to Shoreditch? Do you play, hang out, live here?
I used to live in whitechapel in an old strip club behind the royal London hospital when I was in a band and I loved it! when I left I missed it and i just kept coming back. Shoreditch has a real community feel to it…

Where our readers can hear you next?
On youtube or Made in Shoreditch magazine  2nd issue launch @Modern jago 15th of Feb

One last question, Let’s say the world does end today. What is that one song you want to listen to before the world ends?
England – the national

https://www.facebook.com/iamjamescraise