38 Quotes by James Bay

Some of my songs are about the feeling you belong somewhere else. But there's also something grounding about coming from a small town.

My songwriting process is painful. Songwriting is brilliant. It's a load of fun - when it works. It's really difficult as well.

My songwriting process, and maybe loads of other people's, is just this sort of smashing together of emotions and stuff to make some music. It's kind of simple and really complex at the same time and, as you can see, incredibly hard to explain.

I'm still like an excited kid playing guitar in front of the bedroom mirror.

Both Springsteen and Michael Jackson, who had these huge productions, could always scale them back down to just a song and a melody. All of that influences me. I also try to be a fictional writer, and sometimes I get close, but the things that resonate the most with me - and with everyone else - is what's real.

Up until the last minute, it was art and drawing for me. That was the first real and natural thing I thought I was good at and loved to do. But I developed a similar kind of love for music.

There was a guitar that my uncle owned and never learnt to play. He sold it to my dad, and when I heard 'Layla', that was the tune that really grabbed me. I said to my dad, 'Wait, there's a guitar, right?'

There should be an element of mystique between the fans and the artist. That bit between the stage and the audience. I think that's necessary.

The thing about 'Hold Back The River' that I like is that it's a good starting place, and it was the perfect first single.