Hamilton, Ontario-based singer/songwriter James Favron examines love gone wrong on his heartfelt alt-pop/folk single, “Lovers.” Written in the aftermath of the dissolution of his marriage, but without the outright bitterness that can often dominate the discourse of such changes, James insists the song is simply an examination of what led to the life-changing circumstances.
First off tell us a bit about your musical background.
Musically, I’m self-taught all around. Drums, guitar, singing, producing … everything has been a matter of desire. I was born dancing and moving to every sound I heard so it’s really just in me. I was introduced to hip-hop and pop by a family friend when I was a very young kid and those two genres have stayed with me as my musical loves.
I started drumming (and breakdancing, but more on that later) at six years old in a traveling kids church group and haven’t stopped doing music since. In my teens, I played drums in a pop/punk band called Planet4 which ended up getting our song and music video placement in an HBO movie called Hidden Crimes. In my early twenties, I decided I wanted to sing so I bought a guitar and started the journey of becoming a singer and songwriter. After a little bit of time away from music to deal with my personal life and ride out the first wave of a global pandemic I made my way back to my first loves; pop and hip-hop.
How would you describe your music in three words?
I would describe my music as catchy, thoughtful, and surprising!
We totally loved the song “Lovers” on first listen. What inspired this song?
I’m glad you liked Lovers! Thanks for sharing that!
I wrote the song in 2019, in a complicated space where my ex and I had ended our relationship but were still living in the house we owned together as we began the process of getting divorced with young kids involved. Originally some of the lyrics were much more specific to my personal situation but as I got into recording I made some changes to tell a story that more people who had gone through any kind of breakup could relate to. I’m not really into bitter ‘I hate you’ break up songs, or self-loathing ‘I miss you so much but I know this is the right thing’ break up songs. I wanted to write something that was a little bit more matter-of-fact and self-reflective. We didn’t work, and we both had a part to play in that. Now we’re over and moving on to new lovers. It’s a very common experience and I think it should be ok to be ok with that.
Why did you write it?
I honestly think I wrote it because I had to, in some like, spiritual way, if that makes sense. Lovers has come to represent not just the end of a relationship and a chapter of my personal life, but of my journey as an artist as well. In many ways, it’s been the end of things that were meant to die and the beginning of new life.
When you first started did you have a sense of which type of music you wanted to make, or did it take a while to land on a sound?
Pop and hip-hop have always been the music that I’ve loved the most. I think I always wanted to make urban pop/hip-hop but in a weird way I don’t think I was ready for it. There were things I needed to go through in life to make me the person I am today, and I think that I needed to be who I am right now to be able to appreciate and cherish the incredible opportunity I have, which is to make art that I love.
Is there a moment or memory in your life as a musician that you always want to hold onto? Or a moment that has taught you a lot?
I just recently experienced something as a musician that I will never forget. I played my first show in about four years and it was a full house. I had my three sons with me that night (ages eight, six, and four) I have a very fun song coming out later this year called Let me in. It’s got a bit of an upbeat island vibe to it and there’s a musical tag that absolutely calls for a dance party. I will never forget having all three of them jump up on stage with me and having a dance party, me and my sons, with a concert hall full of people laughing and dancing along with us.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
Music is magic. I don’t know how else to say it. It can make you feel things you can’t describe. It can inspire you to get up and move, or let yourself cry when you normally hold feelings in. It can make you feel less alone in your experiences and sometimes it can surround you and make the whole world around you go completely dark as though only you and your feelings and the sound are alive in that space. Learning how to partner with that magic, maybe even master it someday. That’s what I’m passionate about. I want to be a master of creating spaces with no divisions, just humans being humans and feeling together.
What is the biggest struggle for you as a musician at the moment?
The biggest struggle for me as a musician right now is time. I’m raising three young kids and I want to be present for them. But being a musician and performing artist is an all-consuming lifestyle and sometimes it can be difficult to find a balance between my work and my personal life.
Describe your favourite and least favourite part about being a musician.
My least favourite part about being a musician is the ever-present unknown. There’s no guarantee that a project is going to land with your audience the way you hope it will, or that you’ll be accepted for an opportunity or a grant or whatever that you put hours of your time into applying for. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster sometimes and while I’ve proven to myself that I can keep pushing and stay motivated to keep pursuing this career no matter what I face, it’s definitely not an easy road some days.
My favourite part of being a musician on the other hand is the sense of success and fulfillment I feel when someone shares with me the impact something I’ve done has had on them. When I try something a little different at a show and someone tells me afterward that they were moved by it. Or when a song helps someone feel something they didn’t know they needed to feel. Or watching someone in the crowd feel safe and free to dance and connect with their body to the music I created. There’s nothing like that!
Any fun facts or hidden talents you would like to share?
My fun fact jumps back to a comment I made earlier in this interview. A lot of people don’t know that growing up I used to break dance, and I even won a little dance competition at a Later tag event back when I was about twelve years old. When I was younger my parents used to call me ‘jell-o in a zip lock bag’ because I just couldn’t help but wiggle and dance and show off my ‘moves’ whenever there was music on!
Any final thoughts or comments?
Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to answer your questions and share a bit about myself! There are so many incredible artists out there creating great art and it means a lot to me to be recognized for what I do, so thanks for inspiring me to keep working! I’m really excited about the new music I have coming out this year and I hope you’ll come along for the ride! And if you’re on social media make sure to connect with me @jamesfavron
