5 Questions with Kuya James
Kuya James is a Darwin-based ARIA-nominated producer, touring musician, songwriter, DJ and now solo artist.His single ‘Trust’ featuring Emily Wurramara is out now through Settle Down Records (NT).
Kuya James by Jett Street
No.1
You’re an established producer, musician, songwriter, actor in In Between Two and DJ who works for Skinnyfish Music and Settle Down Records in Darwin, NT. How have all of these past and current lives amalgamated to create Kuya James?
I think they all contribute in different ways. Kuya James (translated from Tagalog meaning ‘Older Brother James’) is my first solo adventure, one in which I get to be the main person driving the spaceship, but even on an artistic level I started to really think of what it genuinely means to be an older brother amongst a community. I am the oldest of 3 brothers and growing up here in Australia they would only sometimes call me ‘Kuya.’ I remember going back to The Philippines when I was about 12 and every single younger cousin calling me ‘Kuya’. I think this was the one of the most important parts of creating what has now gone out into the world as Kuya James.
No.2
You said in another interview last year, ‘As I got older my Pinoy pride started to come through and I started to identify that this is who I am and I need to embrace it, not try to fight against it and that it’s ok to live between two cultures.’ How do you think your mixed Dutch and Filipino heritage feeds into the music you create as Kuya James?
I love this question because my parents weren’t really hardcore music lovers. My father owned one cassette called “40 organ favourites” and my mother had a few ABBA and John Denver records. I think the part that really fed into my music was that on my Dutch side I had an Uncle who loved seventies rock and actually loved talking about music non-stop. I was brought up in a church with lots of other Filipino musicians around. We never played anything that you would classify as traditional music though, we were mainly playing bad eighties and nineties christian songs. Finding hip hop and realising that it’s such a powerful voice was a big moment for me. Learning from my father about what he experienced growing up in The Philippines and the very sad history which is not dissimilar to many around the world... this perspective has shaped a lot of the music I create.
No.3
‘Trust’ ft. Emily Wurramara is the second single off your upcoming album ‘EST 1987’. What can we expect from the album and how do you select your collaborators?
I’ve always believed in building relationships with people before collaboration, it hasn’t always worked like that but on this album I look at the list and all of them are people I’ve been fortunate enough to spend quality time with and know. We share a similar passion and vision for creating. So much of this record was written with and around my little sis Serina Pech so you can expect a large dose of her amazing songwriting and melodies over the album but there’s also some new territories I’ve explored sonically that I’m looking forward to people hearing.
No.4
You’re also developing a touring live show for Kuya James by working closely with your collaborators: from Settle Down Records artists to local Filipino chefs in Darwin. Can you describe what we might see at a Kuya James show?
Because I haven’t done the first show yet, this small picture I’m about to paint might change a lot over the next few months, but currently I have a vision to create a bit of a Street party vibe on stage with myself controlling the beats, joined by fellow Filipino / Australian (and Darwin musical legend) Brian Manning on keys, percussion and trumpet. Serina Pech will be singing live and adding extra melodies and ideas that she often just comes up with on the spot. I’m very excited about the amount of dancers I’ve gotten to know over the years so I hope that a Kuya James show always showcases this as I love working alongside that energy. Another thing I’m hoping to express is my love of Filipino languages, particularly my father’s language “Cebuano” and also the more commonly spoken “Tagalog” which often gets blended with English and Spanish words too. Both through samples and live on the microphone I can’t wait to hear voices through a huge PA with absolutely stomping beats…oh, and if all goes to plan a sample of the finest Filipino deserts in all the land.
No.5
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve gained from your time in music?
Creating is the best part of it, so look after yourself so you can enjoy that process. Part of that is blocking out all of the other industry stuff. Sure, be smart and plan etc but getting lost in the creation of it is the part I love and I feel it’s given me the passion to do this for the rest of my life and not let a lot of the bitterness and disappointment creep in, which often comes hand in hand with being an artist in the world. So, I guess the piece of advice is to first and foremost create because you know it’s a part of you surviving this hectic world, and by striving to achieve great things you can inspire and represent your community, hopefully on platforms otherwise not afforded to them.
