A Chat with Jim’s Panache (02.12.2020)
Jim’s Panache is bringing a psychedelic orchestra to his new releases ‘Burn Burn Burn’ and ‘The Rain’. Through a punchy yet dreamy soundscape, he is taking aim at the weather, leaders, love and religion. Moving from sarcasm galore to the sound of the rain, these two releases will captivate the senses for an enjoyable listening experience. We sat down with Jim’s Panache to talk about the dual release, his unique sound, challenges, creative processes and much more!
OSR: What is your earliest musical memory and how do you feel it has impacted the music you make?
Jim’s Panache: My earliest musical memory is probably listening to my Dad playing ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ by Van Morrison in the car on road trips. I’m not sure if it has impacted the music I make but I do love Van Morrison.
OSR: Your music has a very unique sound, what drew you to psychedelic orchestral sounds?
Jim’s Panache: Well, I became pretty obsessed with the orchestra and the kinds of colourful sounds you can get from blending those instruments. I wanted to make something starkly different to modern psychedelic music, as it can get a bit sterile. The album Song Cycle by Van Dyke Parks was a big influence, as well as the Beach Boys, Randy Newman, some of the Beatles stuff and classical composers in general.
OSR: You have released ‘Burn Burn Burn’ and ‘The Rain’ as a dual single, what prompted this?
Jim’s Panache: I have been writing a lot of songs as I work towards a full-length album, but I knew that both of these songs weren’t really going to fit in with the rest. I wanted to give these two fairly abstract arrangements and I thought the combination of fire and water worked well in contrast to each other so a dual single seemed like a good option. I was also inspired by standalone 7” singles in the 60s and 70s with an A and B-side.
OSR: Are there themes or backstories to these singles?
Jim’s Panache: I wrote ‘Burn Burn Burn’ during the Australian bushfires at the start of 2020 while watching the news. The lyrics are a satirical take on a very funny viral video of the Prime Minister attempting to meet locals affected by fire but being rejected as he tried to shake their hands. As he has extreme religious views I found his perceived lack of empathy for these people to be very hypocritical. The accompanying music is pompous, regal, a bit boastful and old-timey (or out-dated), before it descends into fiery chaos.
‘The Rain’, in contrast, is a good old-fashioned love song.
OSR: What was your creative process for the singles? Did you start with a concept or melody?
Jim’s Panache: Both songs were written while sitting on the couch with an acoustic guitar. They both came out in a stream of consciousness way, just strumming chords as the words come out. They were written in the amount of time it takes to play them.
OSR: If people could remember only one thing about your music, what would you like that to be and why?
Jim’s Panache: Tough question. I guess I hope it would be for originality or a lack of compromise. I’m not trying to fit in or have mainstream success. I just want to do my thing. Or just pretty sounds of course.
OSR: What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while creating these singles?
Jim’s Panache: I suppose the biggest challenge was trying to improve my mixing skills and to bring out the full colour and texture of these songs. I think I stepped it up a bit and there is definitely room for more improvement.
OSR: How do you feel these releases compare to your older music?
Jim’s Panache: Very different to anything I’ve released before, but more original and interesting I think. Not as good as the music I will release next though.
OSR: If your music were a new addition to the crayon box, what colour would it be and why?
Jim’s Panache: This one had me stumped for a while. I’m gonna say electric purple for ‘Burn Burn Burn’ because it’s regal and crimson for ‘The Rain’ because of the warmth of the chorus.
OSR: What else do you have planned for the next 12 months?
Jim’s Panache: I’m going to finish recording a new album and then do a big release with vinyl and a live show. Hopefully, start to play more live shows and then write and record more music.
Thanks to Jim’s Panache for chatting with us! You can find more about him on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
