INTERVIEW: James Atlas releases new single “Retail Therapy”

Hailing from San Francisco, James Atlas is a pop artist who’s been making an impact with his infectious sound over the last four years. First making his artistic entrance in 2020, he dropped his debut single “Be Away” and has since released multiple well-received tracks while winning over fans across the USA and beyond.

Often covering meaningful topics through his own thoughtful observations in his songwriting, he’s been going from strength to strength with each move and clocking tens of thousands of spins of his music on Spotify alone. With a memorable sound that’s struck a chord with more and more listeners, he’s showing no signs of slowing down on his exciting musical adventure.

Now, with his debut full-length record on the horizon, he brings us his latest release with the lead single lifted from the album. Offering the first window into the upcoming LP, “Retail Therapy” delivers an upbeat and instantly catchy pop sound instilled with a poignant reflection of consumerism in the modern day.

As its titled would suggest, the song glances at themes of how we often try to seek comfort in purchasing new things, taking a lighthearted approach to dissect the phenomena of the buying cycle that almost every gets trapped in. Wrapped up in a slick, dance-focused pop sound, thumping beats and pulsing synths form an engaging backdrop capped by James’ smooth vocal leads as he threads catchy hooks above.

With nods to 80s synth pop, the strike of drums ushers in a laid back moment of soft synth oscillations as James delivers gliding melodies above. Building by the energy, the punch of the beat brings in a grooving energy full of energising bass lines and colourful synth arrangement as the track winds through an intricate ebb and flow of rising and falling sonic intensity.

Serving up an infectious sound that’s sure to stick with listeners long after they hear it and brimming with compelling lyrical musings, “Retail Therapy” sees James Atlas lay down a superb electronic pop jam. Once again putting his thoughtful songwriting, rich vocal delivery and invigorating sound on full display, his new single will no doubt become a fan favourite from this exciting and talented artist.

We caught up with James Atlas to find out more about his musical journey so far, his new single “Retail Therapy” and what he’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with James Atlas below.

Hey James, how’s it going?

Hey, things are good! We’ve just released the first single from my album, so I’m pretty excited.

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

The first thing that comes to mind is a curiosity I had with vocalising the sounds that I heard. When I was about 10 I was walking through the forest and I would mimic all the animals as they made their sounds. I’m originally from Australia so there were a lot of sounds as you can imagine. While this isn’t making music specifically, it’s not much of a stretch to see how this curiosity would spread over into music. I still look at vocals with that same profound fascination.

Which artists do you draw the most inspiration from?

I’ve had such a diverse listening experience, I was a drummer for 10 years. I’d be studying jazz drumming while also playing in metal and rock bands. Without realising it at the time, I was also absorbing what the singers were doing too. It’s hard to pinpoint specific artists these days because all those influences coalesce into one thing that I draw from. I’ve drawn inspiration from so many artists for so long that it’s led me to find my own voice. I don’t think about anyone else when I write now.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

I listen to what the song wants to be and write accordingly. For example, with the first single, “Retail Therapy,” it has this grandiose feel to it. That informed the subject matter—“Take it all home with me, I want more of everything.” This isn’t something I’d usually be thinking, yet it’s a part of me that was magnified by the music.

What’s been your highlight of the year so far?

Releasing “Retail Therapy” has definitely been the highlight of my year. My music has been sitting in a lonely vacuum for so long, and I’m thrilled to finally be getting such positive feedback!

What do you love about the San Francisco music scene?

I’ve lived in San Francisco for 10 years, and I’ve watched the music scene grow and change. A lot of the musicians I know have moved out as the tech industry moved in, so it’s incredible when you do see live music in SF. I love that it still exists.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

We are unleashing such a dynamic album right now, so I’d imagine the settings in which it’s consumed will be varied. “Retail Therapy” could be a club banger, while another song could be perfect for listening to while looking up at the night sky.

How has your style and sound evolved since you started out?

I started writing songs on the acoustic guitar. It’s just the perfect instrument for learning to write songs. From there, I started incorporating different effects pedals and triggering samples to add a space vibe. The music has naturally evolved due to my hunger for a more lush soundscape, and now I’m working with DJ Sever, who is producing the sound for me. He’s like a sound genius.

Has your production process changed over the years too?

I learned to mix and master by watching videos on the internet. While that got me from A to B, I can’t hold a candle to DJ Sever. He’s racked up so many years of experience and is more obsessive about this stuff than I am. So I’m totally happy to let him handle that while I focus on what I love to do.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

There are so many… I’ll say Ed Sheeran because he’s from the UK and he did inspire me at the start of my songwriting journey with his acoustic guitar rhythms and thematically too. He’s also a watch nerd like me, which I love about him.

How did you find making your new single “Retail Therapy”?

I’ll never forget; I was on vacation, walking down the streets of Dubai when I was sent the music. It just grabs you. To me, the verse felt like this pulsating, ongoing drama, and the chorus sounded like the solution to the problem posed by that drama, if that makes any sense. So I’m walking down the street singing to my phone, probably looking like a crazy person. Then DJ Sever sends me the part with THAT bass line (if you know, you know) that acts as a pre-chorus, so I had to write something to bridge the sections: “Oh I know, oh I know…”. It was a lot of fun, and I had the whole song written within minutes of it being sent to me. Dubai being one of the craziest places for shopping, inspired the 3D set for the visualiser, although the visualiser is set in the future.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

“Retail Therapy” is like a double-edged sword, in the same way people look at money. Some think it’s the root of all evil, and some love it. I wanted to word it in a way that no matter which side you take on the subject of spending money, you would still enjoy the song. It’s been sitting in a vacuum for so long, so I wasn’t sure if people would get it, and for a year, I’ve been asking myself that question. Finally, I’m getting reviews from people in the industry who know what they’re talking about, and they all got it! Because it could seem like I’m some materialistic douchebag, or it could seem like I’m bringing up a relevant conversation about shopping addiction about how we fill the voids in ourselves with things. Thankfully, it was the latter.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

I’ve been in my own bubble lately. My days have been very structured, and the only time I’ve been listening to music is when I’m rehearsing for my album launch. I have an old playlist with acoustic music that I’ll throw on sometimes, although I’m usually so busy that I’ll take some peace and quiet over anything. It was like this during the writing stage too. I don’t want any outside influences—I feel like I’ve had my time to be influenced, and now it’s just me.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

There’s a wide range of emotions to be felt on this album. There’s a lot to relate to, and maybe it’ll help listeners find a new perspective. Although this part isn’t up to me, everyone can get something different out of it, and that’s amazing.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

I recently played in a concert hall, and that was a blast. I really had to learn on the job because I’d never played a venue that big before. It’s crazy seeing so many people loving your music and I’m really grateful for that.

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

As we release the album, we’ll be on the lookout for artists who will be a perfect fit for my music in terms of playing shows together. If I had to make up a dream scenario, we could go with Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, and Post Malone.

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Everyone has a unique journey. There’s no right way to go, especially as an artist. You may like something I did or something someone else did musically, and you can start by building a toolkit of musical language. Over time, you write and take from this, putting your own twists on it until you land on the elements that are uniquely you. Being aware of what you’re good at is important too. If someone is better than you at different parts of your business as an artist, that’s when you can delegate and start to level up.

Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2024?

The rest of this year is about releasing the album and touring for me. We’ve put in the work with the music recordings, and now the songs are flying off to live their own lives. One surprise coming up is that I’ll be releasing a physical version of the album on 3D printed rockets. 3D modelling and 3D printing is another passion of mine that I wanted to share with my fans, so I’ve designed a rocket, and I’m able to 3D print one per day at home. In the porthole of each rocket will be a QR code that links directly to my album, and I’m going to make the full album available on the rockets before it’s digitally released. This will, of course, be a limited production, and I’ve got some beautiful packaging made for them too.

Listen to Retail Therapy below