You’ve got a reputation for responding to your fans.
Yeah, I enjoy the feedback. And the feedback hurts sometimes as well. I’m very vulnerable when it comes to feedback. “Don’t read the Internet” is one great piece of advice that I didn’t heed. Actually, you know what? I wouldn’t give that advice to somebody. Because if I had not read the opinions of people on the Internet, I wouldn’t know that a kid in his bedroom thinks that this poem I did is the best thing he’s ever heard. And that’s very valuable information, because it can justify some things that you actually want to do, and feel natural doing, but don’t have the balls to do. GQ: There’s something that feels deeply spiritual when I listen to your music. Do you feel that way when you’re making it?James Blake: I think there’s a connection with yourself that you can make—I personally believe some people can misread it as a divine signal. For me, that moment of clarity, feeling in touch with my core being, happens when I’m making music. I’m not going to say that I have a religious experience. I don’t think that’s the case. I really forget the rest of the world. I think that moment in itself is what most people chase. To be able to just access it whenever I want is a privilege.What compels you to make your art?This bedroom beatmaker has become a spiritual leader to twentysomethings the world over, thanks to spooky and devotional songs like “Retrograde,” which you may know from HBOs The Leftovers. Next up: an anticipated new album rumored to feature Kanye
If the meek end up inheriting the earth, James Blake will sing the victory anthem. His tender voice, weaving in and out of Auto-Tune, wields an unlikely soulfulness that gives headphoned bedroom dwellers something to hold on to. But for all his resonance among the lonely-hearted, and in spite of his British modesty, Blake has big ambitions. Whose legacy does he admire? “Stevie Wonder,” he says without flinching. “It’s one of the only examples I can give. Almost every other career feels flawed in some way.”
Blake made his name officiating the marriage between dubstep (some say post-dubstep, whatever that means) and singer-songwriter. His accomplishments: a BBC Radio 1 residency and a huge world tour in the bag. Two albums out and a highly anticipated third dropping soon. Rumors of heavy-hitting collaborators (Kanye). And now a photo in GQ. Welcome, James, to the big time.
GQ: There’s something that feels deeply spiritual when I listen to your music. Do you feel that way when you’re making it?
James Blake: I think there’s a connection with yourself that you can make—I personally believe some people can misread it as a divine signal. For me, that moment of clarity, feeling in touch with my core being, happens when I’m making music. I’m not going to say that I have a religious experience. I don’t think that’s the case. I really forget the rest of the world. I think that moment in itself is what most people chase. To be able to just access it whenever I want is a privilege.
What compels you to make your art?
I think in lyrical terms, and I think in poetical terms. When I look around, I’m in a hotel in Miami, and I’ve got a good view here, and this kind of view makes me think of lyrics. It makes me think of ways to document what I’m seeing in a way that would be meaningful for me. I guess that’s how I look at the world around me and try to process it. That is pretty much what you could say about virtually every other musician on the planet. You know: Why do I make music? Well, the same fucking reason everyone else does. [laughs]
You’ve got a reputation for responding to your fans.
Yeah, I enjoy the feedback. And the feedback hurts sometimes as well. I’m very vulnerable when it comes to feedback. “Don’t read the Internet” is one great piece of advice that I didn’t heed. Actually, you know what? I wouldn’t give that advice to somebody. Because if I had not read the opinions of people on the Internet, I wouldn’t know that a kid in his bedroom thinks that this poem I did is the best thing he’s ever heard. And that’s very valuable information, because it can justify some things that you actually want to do, and feel natural doing, but don’t have the balls to do.
So does the theme of loneliness return in your new album?
Not really. Because I haven’t been lonely. I haven’t felt lonely since I met my first girlfriend. I’m so happy I can say that. I’m not in that relationship anymore. I have been single for quite a long time now. I’ve learned a lot about myself by becoming single—suddenly you’re being spat out, single at 26 and on tour, you know….
Doesn’t sound too bad.
Well, it’s great, actually.
spat out? “single at 26 and on tour, you know….” does that mean he’s tarting about?! Egads.
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