“My music is meant to be an expression of who I was when I started playing music and how that resonates with who I am today” says Austin James, sole member of The Slow Drag. “As an artist, I want the songs of The Slow Drag to be able to stand on their own, with the lyrical style being the connecting thread, rather than the instrumentation.”
A lust for hedonism and a hunger for transcendence. A celebration of liberated sexuality and the desire for intimate connection. A cynical disdain for complacency and the daydream of finding one’s place in the world. These are thematically woven throughout lyrics sung over musical arrangements reminiscent of classic American genres ranging from motown to punk.
Over the course of his career, Austin has toured the world and shared stages with internationally known acts such as Xibit, Beck, and The Veronicas, won awards for songwriting, and had several songs places in TV and Film, including “Grace is Gone (Dir. Clint Eastwood) and ABC’s “Jane By Design”.
A native Californian, The Slow Drag now resides in Nashville. In this interview spotlight, I chat with Austin about music, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I’m a 5th Generation Californian who now hangs his hat in Nashville, TN. In a broad sense, I make rock n roll music, but my goal in The Slow Drag is to make the kind of music I loved (and would have listened to) as a teenager when I started playing in bands. I’m always trying to make people want to think, feel, and/or move with my music.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
After years of interacting with the music industry as a whole, from being in original bands, to being a hired gun musician, to writing songs for other people, I decided it was time to focus on making music for myself again. I have an awesome career, people who love what I do, and it’s all being done on my terms, which is very motivating. I might never be famous, but I can do what I love and share it with the world in a way that allows to to keep doing and sharing. That’s a beautiful thing.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
Each song I release (monthly releases) is arranged in a way that best suits the song. Some songs have only a voice as the sole “acoustic” instrument, being supported by synths and samples. Other songs demand a more traditional “garage band” arrangement. In “Assassin” I wanted people to hear the song, sneer a little, and bob their head uncontrollably to the beat. How’d I do?
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Technology is the backbone of my career. Haha, if the internet went down tomorrow, I’d be out of a job, which is kinda scary. Most musicians who play original music make a significant chunk of their income from the road, whereas I do almost no touring right now, having traded out that live show experience for a live, online broadcast. So, for me, and many other musicians out there, technology has helped immensely.
That being said, I think perceived legitimacy is a big challenge for me personally. My music is good–it’s been placed in TV, Movies, and commercials, won awards, I’ve had songs cut on other artists albums, and I have fans who love and support me–I know what I do is quality work. However, I still have less than 2k followers on instagram. Low social media numbers have definitely hindered my ability capitalize on certain opportunities, like interviews, sponsorships, or other collaborations.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Hi, I’m Waiting” by *repeat repeat
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
All digital for me! I think artwork and photos are cool, but I don’t have any music on anything physical right now.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I like Spotify as a listener because of the user interface and the social features like being able to see what my friends are listening to. On the business side, Spotify has just okay analytics, but they’re better than what a lot of streaming services offer. And even tho I don’t use it, I like what bandcamp has done for a lot of musicians out there.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
You can download music for free, watch videos, shop, follow on the socials, and sign up for Patreon all from my website
Anything else before we sign off?
Thanks for the interview! Fun questions. I want to encourage all your readers to do the creative things they want to do. Make things, express yourself, find a tribe, whether or not you want to make a career out of your creative endeavors, it’s important to express yourself and share your perspective.
