If you are a fan of NBC’s The Voice, then you already know who James Wolpert is. He was a contestant on Adam Levine’s team during Season 5 . His covers of “Love Interruption” by The White Stripes and “A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell captured not only the hearts of the coaches, but America as well. I was able to chat with James over the phone earlier and find out everything that he’s been up to since his time on The Voice.
Let’s start right from the beginning (and because fellow PopWrapped Staff Writer Jonathan Frahm had a juicy question to ask). I asked James at what age he realized he wanted to be a singer/songwriter and how. “Well I am a procrastinator”, James replied with a laugh. “Even in college I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, or how everything was going to pan out.” At the time James was studying art in college and playing music on the side. His deciding moment came during his sophomore year. “I went and saw a show, and THAT’S when I knew that’s what I should be doing with my life. I should be recording music. I called my dad and was like ‘Hey I want to drop out of school and do music’ and he said okay.”
From there began James’ venture into wanting to do music full-time. He auditioned for The Voice in 2013 and placed fifth overall in the entire competition. His biggest takeaway from that whole experience? “I’m more of a permanent fixture,” he said. “I’m more able to gleam from it.” The Voice is also how he met his best friend (and current roommate in Nashville), Cole Vosbury, another contestant from James’ season who was on Blake Shelton’s team. He keeps in touch with other contestants from Season 5 (such as Caroline Pennell, Jacquie Lee, and Season 5 winner Tessanne Chin). James also adds that the “exposure and the experience”, along with his fan base have helped him further his career.
This past May, James created a Kickstarter to help fund his current album. Not only did he make his goal, he exceeded it by over a thousand dollars. It was a nerve-wracking time for him. “I lost a lot of sleep but luckily everything with the Kickstarter went through. It was a gamble but it paid off.” He also adds that he was “humbled by how willing everyone was to participate.”
The Entire City is the name of the 12-track album that James has just finished. Why that name? “It’s based off a painting by Max Ernst that I really love, and it kind of struck a chord with me when I first saw it. It’s about being wayward and placeless. It’s the region of the entire city from plains to bridges. It’s very personal to me.” He also says that the album will be straight-up Rock, but you will find some Blues and Folk influences in there too. Fans will also be very happy to know that a release date is coming soon!
The first single off of The Entire City is called “Bats.” It was released on Halloween, and it’s everything that James has promised. With killer vocals and guitar riffs for days, it’s a throwback to how rock music should sound. Just raw, uncut vocals and passion for one’s craft. I asked James what the recording process was like for “Bats.” He said it was “very cool, and very simple. We had four guys in the room: bass, drums, guitar, and me (also on guitar). Everything you hear, apart from over-dubs, is 100% live. If you listen to the scratch track, you can hear people walking around in the background and other instruments bleeding over into the mic. There’s no manipulation in those performances. It was very raw and organic.” Be sure to check out “Bats” and even download it on iTunes for only $0.99!
When James isn’t creating music, you will probably find him hiking, doing design work and illustrations, rocking out to “No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin, and sharing very entertaining photos/videos on his Instagram. Make sure to add him on all his social media accounts below!
Find James Wolpert on:
Official Website
Youtube
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