Project Description

Interview with
SHEMAIAH JAMES

(September 2020)

Interviewer – Dave Bruce

.

.

Like a resilient mountain that bows to no wind, nothing seems to break the spirit of Brisbane-based artist Shemaiah James in the midst of this pandemic, as he drops his newest single ‘Dough’, now available on all streaming platforms.

This gritty motivational track written by Shemaiah himself—with production by UK producer Hozeiiii, mixing and mastering by Brookfield athlete-musician .Ron—is a modest flex of the hustle this emerging artist has done to break through onto the hip hop scene. This groove-filled track tells the story of how Shemaiah endures the daily grind to “shape his own future”, until the rewarding precipice of his hard work is reached. ‘Dough’ may just be the newest anthem for all the hustlers out there, reminding them to keep on going!

“Make your dreams a reality, don’t be passive and go out and make something happen. Keep moving forward. Turn every loss into a lesson learned.”—Shemaiah James

Shemaiah already started writing songs as early as eight years old. Since then, he has been making music that “adds value to someone’s life”. Like the subtle nudge and cheer that ‘Dough’ gives off to its listeners, Shemaiah makes it a point to create music that will motivate others.

Among others, he is influenced by the nuanced storytelling style that American rapper J.Cole incorporates in his music, as well as the versatility of Canadian rapper Drake throughout his career. Sonically, Shemaiah takes great inspiration from the sound of Joyner Lucas.

In 2017, Shemaiah performed as a support act for Brisbane Hip Hop Artist IIIConic at WOOLLY Mammoth, while his music was previewed in a 4ZZZ interview. Since then, he has been building up his sound so he can connect more to his growing fanbase.

Shemaiah will be performing at the Flamin Galah on November 15th, as a support act for Brisbane Hip Hop Artist Amity. He is definitely up to the challenge of chasing one glory to another, so make sure to follow his socials down below for more updates on his upcoming releases and shows!

.

.

Have you always wanted to be a musician? When did you get the songwriting bug?
Yes I have been wanting to make music and tell my stories since the age of 8. Back then my stories weren’t as detailed or deep but they were still stories. I love pushing the boundaries with my stories and I really aim to make the people listening feel something whatever that may be.

How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
I would say my music is very versatile where I am constantly learning and adapting to new styles, genres and vibes. I have a very creative process and a lot of stories to tell which depending on the type of track, I can channel a story to suit the vibe of the track. My music consists of stories and motivational tracks which aim to make the listener uplifted.
Easy to remember with a key take home message for you as the audience to interpret. I have introspective stories that I share which will make you think. While also making very catchy music and others that are great to vibe with.

Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today? 
J Cole, Drake, Michael Jackson are my big 3. Drake for his versatility, J Cole for being able to connect with every bit of music he puts out and MJ is just the king and i’ve loved him since I was a kid. All of these artists I couldn’t name a song that I didn’t like from them.

Your new single has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution. 
I’ve learnt to just start feeling out the music now when creating it. I had a producer send me the beat. I played in my car over and over again and started humming a melody which turned out to be the format of the hook. Then it was finding the words to put into that melody which one time through I just said, “i just want to get my dough” and it all kind of evolved from there.

.

.

Is there an EP or Album on the drawing board?
Yes it will be titled ‘MEHS’ and this will dabble into more stories and creative style songs that will no doubt make the audience have to really think when listening.

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I am doing a gig as a support act for an artist named AMITY at the flamin galah in Brisbane on Nov 15th. I am working with organisers to line up more shows so stay tuned on my socials and website for more details.

If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
Drake, J Cole, Chance the rapper, Chris brown, Jhene Aiko, kanye west. I just think all of these artists would be amazing to work with, the whole process would be fun and having the music out there would be amazing to see who and how they’d reach people. They all have a very unique style, so i very much would like to adapt and learn their vibes.

Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist? 
I just want to make great music that inspires people at the end of the day, I am still learning how to do that. But know one day I will be that guy that will be able to make a change through his music. 

.

.

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
Seeing the crowd’s reaction and the energy they give back to you. I would love to constantly perform because it’s an amazing feeling when people are there for you and are trying to support you while you do something that you love

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – Born Sinner
Artist – J Cole
Movie – Hitch
Place to visit – Croatia
Venue to play – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Food –  Fried and Tasty- Melbourne
Drink – Aloe Vera
Person in History –  Will Smith
Tattoo – I want this Jamaican flag tattoo across my left pec that looks as if it breaking through my skin and I am essentially bleeding the jamaican colours/ flag (If you don’t have one, what would you get?)

.

.

Check out SHEMAIAH JAMES below
Facebook – Instagram

.

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB