We had the good fortune of connecting with James Booth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, is there something you believe many others might not?
“Follow your dreams”. It’s a dangerous bit of advice that I’ve become wary of over the years, as I feel it should only be given to people who have some innate ability within the particular field they want to pursue. Otherwise, you’re running the risk of filling people’s heads with unrealistic goals and potentially embittering them. I’m much fonder of Christopher Nolan’s variation on the phrase, that being “Pursue your Reality.”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started recording when I was a year out of college. I had put music aside for four years, which turned out to be detrimental for reasons I won’t go into. Needing an outlet, I decided to build a recording studio in the basement of the house where my folks lived in New Jersey, and cut an Extended Play called “This Makes The Dead Walk”. It’s a bit rough around the edges when I listen back to it, but it was a start. From there on, my sound evolved from indie folk, to power pop and punk, to progressive rock, until now when it’s something in between all these styles and yet none of them. I honestly think we’re more comparable than anyone else to the Paisley Underground bands of the 1980’s, who wore their influences on their sleeves and yet made something new from them. As for the band’s particular style, there were a lot of growing pains along the way, to be sure. These days, however, I’m very satisfied with what the band is now: a progressive psychedelic rock band with a penchant for conceptual songwriting, strong melodic hooks, and the occasional adventurous jam.

About three years in, I moved with my brother to Los Angeles, and started gigging. As one does, I met a few really cool people, and the lineup of the band as it’s now known consists of myself on rhythm guitar and vocals, Taylor Kropp on lead guitar, Max Goldman on bass, and Chad McKinsey on drums. (They’re three guys with a soft spot for country and western whom I’ve Shanghaied into playing my own idiosyncratic work.) Seriously though, they’re three of the finest musicians I’ve ever had the privilege to know and play with, and they really know how to bring the songs to life.

We’ve got an album that comes out on January 24th, 2025, called “An American Warlock In Holywood” (sic) that, we feel, is our strongest to date. It’s the kind of record that I feel just isn’t made very much these days: a complete piece that really rocks hard, but deep down aspires to make you think. We’re very proud of it, and we can’t wait for the rest of the world to hear it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The great thing about Los Angeles is that there’s so much to do… If I ever want to give someone visiting a real flavor of the city (literally), I usually take them to Canter’s. It’s lasted as long as it has for a reason, and the Ruebens simply can’t be beat. Then maybe I’d take them to any of the great art museums, anywhere from the Getty to the Mr. Brainwash museum in Beverly Hills (which itself seems to be the central work of art). I’d also make a point of taking them to the Whisky-A-Go-Go (a place I can proudly say I’ve played a bunch of times) simply because it’s such a historic place where so many great bands have passed through. A trip to the beach is usually in order, for when you hear “California”, your mind fills with images of beaches at sunset, bikinis and surfboards. If I’m really in a pinch and looking to kill time, I’ll take them to the Grove and the Farmer’s Market, to show off the cool stores in the latter and the impressive architecture of the former. The great thing about Los Angeles though, and this goes without saying, is that it’s the best movie town in the whole world. There’s no shortage of amazing theaters showing off everything from the newest releases to the most obscure entries that not even Leonard Maltin has in his guide. If I had to pick just two, I’d go for either of the Tarantino-owned theaters, the New Beverly or the Vista. There’s something to be said about watching a 35mm print of a movie you like against a silver screen.

This is what I would do for a visiting friend, assuming they wouldn’t just make me drive down to Disneyland for a week.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve had so many people help me along the way, it’s tough to keep track… But there’s one individual who sticks out, a gentleman by the name of Larry Raiken, an old school Broadway veteran with a vast knowledge of vocal technique and a particular disdain for Rock music. But I took lessons with him, and he taught me not only how to use my instrument correctly but how to maintain it. Beyond that, he gave me the only advice I ever needed when it came to enhancing a song: “Tell the truth”. Were it not for him, I probably would have burned my voice out years ago. On top of that, he was just a good friend to me when I really needed one. Who knows how things might’ve turned out had we not crossed paths? I owe him more than I can repay, so the least I can do is give him the credit he’s due whenever I can.

Website: https://jamesboothandthereturn.bandcamp.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jamesboothandthereturn

Twitter: https://bsky.app/profile/jboothandthereturn.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/jamesboothandthereturn

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JBnTR-Archive

Other: https://allmylinks.com/jamesboothandthereturn

Image Credits
Personal photograph by Brian Booth.

Concert photographs by Mathias Fau.

Candid photographs by Brian Booth.

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