Interview with James Wilson, rebuilding from 'Ruins' 🔊 WhatsMusic.de

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Interview with James Wilson, rebuilding from ‘Ruins’

written by James Wilson and WhatsMusic.de

From Ruins to Revival: James Wilson’s Journey Back to Music

After a four-year hiatus, Belfast-born singer-songwriter James Wilson returns with a fresh sound that blends indie folk with echoes of his rock roots. Now based in Ontario, Canada, James draws inspiration from his Irish heritage and life experiences to craft songs filled with authenticity and raw emotion. His latest single Ruins marks a significant transformation—a reflection on past relationships and personal growth wrapped in warm acoustic tones, mandolin solos, and introspective lyrics. In this exclusive interview, James opens up about his musical evolution, the stories behind his songs, and his plans for the future.

Interview with James Wilson

Tell us about yourself, who are you and where do you come from?

Im James Wilson I’m a 21-year-old artist. Born in Belfast, Ireland, living in Ontario, Canada. I have taken a break from releasing music for 4 years but now have come back with a genre change from Pop punk to folk/Indie Folk. I take major inspiration from bands like Amble and Mumford and Sons, as well as solo artists such as Noah Kahan. My experience with an Irish Background, and Canadian life has definitely influenced my sound.

How was your passion for music born? Who are your idols?

My grandfather was a major inspiration for me. When he was alive, he could play any string instrument under the sun, his main two being the Tenor Banjo and the Mandolin. I also grew up with a major rock influence such as Green Day and Oasis. I was always surrounded by music but only began to want to sing when I was about 13/14 years old. It was like something switched within me.

What kind of music do you do?

I love acoustic guitar and indie folk music. I have recently learned the mandolin for my upcoming projects, as well as learning the Banjo. Something special in my music is that I still hold some of my old rock elements within my sound. Instead of guitar solos, I try to do Mandolin or Banjo solos as seen in my new song “ruins”

What is the most important song for you? What message do you want to convey to the listener?

Ruins is my most recent song. It is a transformation song for me as it marks my removal from the Pop-punk scene to a more mellow folk scene. The song is about looking back at past relationships, whether friends or romantic, and appreciating the past, but seeing that all that is left of it is ruins.

Why should a listener who doesn’t know you listen to your music?

My music is made for you to look at your life and question whether you are happy in the position of life you are in. My songs are used as mirrors: look at yourself, are you happy with who you see, are you feeling alone, perhaps by listening to my music, you won’t feel alone anymore. We have all been in places of great sadness, but I want my music to convey that you are not alone in those feelings and that there are ways to get out of it and improve yourself.

What are your future projects? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I hope in the next 5 years, I will release a new folk album, which will be the second album I have ever released. I hope to have toured around Canada at least a few times, and perhaps I have opened up for a few different artists in the United States. I hope to also be planning or be on a tour in Europe to support other artists or perhaps headlining.

Tell our readers a funny episode that happened in your career as an artist.

I was playing a gig in an Irish pub, we had a room of about 50-70 people, all singing along and dancing. They kept asking me to cover “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon. I think I played the chorus over 10 times and on the final stum I broke one of my strings. By the end of the night, I had broken 3 of my strings and had to call the gig off early. I ended it off with an acapella version of “Good Riddance” by Green Day

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