Meet Astro James | Singer / Songwriter / Guitarist / Band Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Astro James and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Astro, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
To have any success as a musician, the first thing you have to do is write good music. I’ve always felt as if the music I create is an extension of myself, I always want to be creating music that I actually want to listen to. A lot of that is combining different elements you love about music. The goal for my sound is to combine the looseness of jazz, vibey grooves from neo soul and hip hop, gritty blues-esque vocals and improvisational and psychedelic guitar approach. Combining such different musical components in every song creates something really unique. I think being unique helps you stand out more than anything, the only way to be truly unique is to be yourself. Make the music you’d want to listen to, there’s always a fan base for something new and quirky. If you aren’t 100% bought into what you’re creating, I’d say keep searching. It took me years before I ever created anything I was proud of. One of my best friends Jamie Vahala, an amazing songwriter, always says something along the lines of the best music is the writers own vision and work. He’s so right, I think those are the songwriters who touch the most people.

I think another successful factor of what I’ve been doing thus far would be creating an aesthetic. Working as a graphic designer & going to UNT for it as well I learned how to craft brands. Using colors / fonts to create something recognizable that stands out. I tapped into my personality, and made my personality the entire ‘Astro James aesthetic’. Trying to create a fake persona as an artist just to fit in or ‘make it’ doesn’t necessarily make any sense to me. A friend and musician I look up to greatly Cleon Edwards recently told me: we are given the platform of the stage to show who we are, not to become somebody we are not. That has stuck with me a lot.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love that I can go to any bar with live music in Dallas and run into a few friends. I think spreading positive vibes and love to all you meet is really important. Getting where I am today, although I have a long way to go, has already had its ups and downs. Making any money at all doing what you’re passionate about can seem nearly impossible. I think it’s really just about continuing to make the best music you can, have fun doing it, spread good vibes & enjoy the magical moments creating your art along the way. The thing that can ruin a great artist is ego, never think you’re the best at anything. Always be open to learning from your peers or those more experienced than you. I constantly listen back to live shows I’ve played wanting to improve so many aspects about them. There is always something that could be better next time in my eyes. When you’re passionate about what you are creating, why wouldn’t you want it to be done the absolute best that you can?

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I typically spend all my time at bars. Thursday nights I like to catch the Bishop Ave Hot 6 at Revelers Hall from 7-11 and afterwards the Mississippi Bastard Project at the Free Man until 2. On Tuesdays my friend Jamie Vahala hosts the songwriters open mic at the Free Man and the amazing Randy McGill & Eclectic perform Tuesday evenings at the Free Man as well. I absolutely love Deep Ellum Art Co. The venue has so much personality, everyone there is so kind and great at what they do. You can check the band calendar on their website, I have a few upcoming dates there as well. I love coffee too, my regular spot is Wayward on Davis St.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wrote my first couple of songs with my friend Savion Perry. I lived in Denton in fall of 2019, during that time we were writing so many songs. That was what inspired me to begin writing so many songs of my own and begin recording and performing them for others.

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Website: https://www.astrojames.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrojamesmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AstroJamesMusician

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6ThWRc33-jcxTM4QbyylwQ

Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8N_rFB_JbQ&t=110s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMTJOk5jKzE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJbXI5E0sU4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9x_7H8GFxY&t=1s

Image Credits
Andrew Sherman & Chloe Gonzalez