Photo: Saint James Jr.
The East Indianapolis vanguard is as multifaceted as they come. A poet, author, writer, designer all tied into one ribbon makes James Jr. an impeachable eclectic creative to keep an eye on. Saint James Jr. is an artist on the rise and his music is sure to make a fan out of anyone.
Currently based in Luxembourg, we caught up with the idiosyncratic creative to talk up some of his ambitions, projects, and definitely dig his brain more about who he truly is, and what his work embodies.
Check it out below:
What city are you from/ Where are you based now? I’m from the Eastside of Indianapolis based out in Europe by way of Luxembourg.
What is your artist name? What is your real name? How did you get your artist name? My real name is Marcus Allen Thomas. I go by Saint James Jr. The name originated from my grandfather Reverend James M. Thomas; it was common for family members to call me James Jr. after my grandfather because he favored me as a child.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? I decided to pursue music around 2017. My mentor Lenny S put the battery in my back per se. I was able to learn from the best in the music industry; being able to watch how he worked with Dj Khaled and Fabolous was very significant in my learning process growing as an artist.
Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how? Yes my upbringing has played a huge role in defining my sound. Growing up on the Eastside of Indianapolis wasn’t easy; I lost many friends in the process of growing up. My parents distilled values and codes I still live by today which help shape my sound of conscious music.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you? My sound is somewhat old school. My music is conscious and always relays a message.
What ultimately inspired you to dedicate yourself to a music career? Music is an outlet for me; it makes me feel at peace when I channel my creative. Music saved my life and I knew that maybe my words can help save others who could not relay their message. Music is a gift and respect it as such.
What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you? I’m passionate about creating and storytelling. Like I said music is a gift and not many can relay a message over a track. What inspires me is that music can help save someone; I hope that my music reaches others & helps them in their struggle.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative? I like to journal. Being present while writing is my main focus. We are constantly learning everyday; each day brings a new journey.
What were you doing before music? Before music I was working in fashion. I was an intern at Adidas Entertainment and Marketing. From there I went on to learning how to build brands; learning more about vintage wear and apparel.
Who are some of your main musical influences? Being from the Midwest I’d say my influences are artist like Common, Kanye West, NAS & Jay Z. Their music always relayed a meaningful message and I learned much from those artist.
What are some of your music career goals for the future? I just want to keep creating and growing my own sound in music. Hopefully inspiring others who listen.
Tell us the name of the project you are currently promoting? What inspired this project? The name of the project I’m working on is my single “Jackie Brown.” This project was inspired by past relationships.
Date that this project dropped or is set to drop? The video for Jackie Brown drops the first week of October.
What is this project about in your own words? This project is about past relationships that I’ve learned was not good for me. I love hard and some exes I truly miss but karma comes with loving them. It inspired the song I wrote.
Is there a specific song on this project that speaks to you most? If so, what’s It called and what’s it about? I feel like my piece Jackie Brown is one of my best songs because I’m being vulnerable. Also it is relatable to many of us because we all have loved someone that wasn’t good for us.
What’s one of your most proud moments of your music career so far? Releasing music and recording my first music video out here in Luxembourg.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for? Include some dates if you have them. What’s next is a European tour and hopefully more live shows.
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from this project? That I’m authentic. I hope my fans grow with me through this process as an artist while finding my voice in music.
Where can we follow you on social media? Include links. My Instagram is @writers_blvck and you can find my music on Spotify, Apple Music and SoundCloud: Saint James Jr.
Connect with Saint James Jr here:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9kUJn95F_m2ESdtGihDZ0Q
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writers_blvck/ SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/o4AcgUQK8Z9omJUf7
Listen to “Jackie Brown” below:
