Top image: James Allen of Jade TV

For those not currently au fait with Michigan musician James Allen, his freshly conceived group Jade TV very recently dropped their debut cassette Parallel Moments – the latest in a line of absorbing, melodious Allen releases that provide further evidence that something has been stirring in snowy Grand Rapids this winter.

Whilst Allen’s current city of residence may not conjure the connotations of America’s more prominent musical hubs – the psyched-out San Franciscan scene or the musically rich history of nearby New York, for example – Allen and co are undeterred, with his own numerous musical projects as well as those of his friends somewhat salvaging Grand Rapids’ place on the musical map.

This has taken a certain untiring work ethic; Jade TV’s debut release was announced almost immediately after the inception of the band, with everything written and self-recorded by Allen himself. This all occurred whilst he juggled releases and shows with his alternate group SAPPHIC, as well as providing sporadic, playful recordings under pseudonym Jimmy Pop. Allen isn’t one to hang around – Jade TV materialised almost immediately after he decided to switch things up from his former group Youth Camp, featured recently here.

Don’t be mistaken, however, as his aforementioned Jade TV isn’t about simply picking up where Youth Camp left off. The latest nominal shift brings with it a switch in sound; the self-professed summer time jams that brightened all things Youth Camp have taken a trip down a subtly darker soundscape, with Jade TV’s output encompassing a generally deeper, more melancholy feel. There’s something about the juxtaposition of sultry synth and dramatic, intertwining guitar, à la 80’s Indie-poppers The Wake, which makes for an engrossing experience.

The added beauty of this particular music scene, nestled in the underbelly of Grand Rapids, is undoubtedly its accessibility. Most of the contributing musicians, much like Allen himself, are happy to splay their releases on various online platforms and seeing them take shape in a live environment is as effortless as nipping to a neighbour’s house. Witch House, for example, is literally a place of residence, rebranded and set up as a makeshift venue when Friday comes and Michigan’s music revellers come a-knockin’.

So, who is James Allen and why aren’t more people talking about him?

Matthew Liam Fogg: Catching up with you after nine months of last speaking, a lot has changed. Youth Camp is no more and your new group Jade TV have recently put out their debut release. Why did you decide to change things up?
James Allen: Yeah, I did away with Youth Camp and changed the name to Self. For me, the feeling behind Youth Camp had died. Self was a name that I felt better fit the newer sound. Shortly after I changed the name, there was actually a legal dispute regarding copyrights with the name Self. There was a band called sElf that had the name trademarked, and their lawyer requested I change the name of my band, lest he take legal action against me. I was really bummed. I thought it was a good name that fit what I was trying to do. Then I was rushed to pick a name because I had the LP coming out and a string of shows on the horizon, and Jade TV just sounded nice.

MLF: I think your output under Jade TV has a deeper, darker feel than Youth Camp did and has more rooted melancholy. What spurred the change in direction?
JA: The newer stuff is a bit darker and definitely more thought out. This record is more personal than anything that I’ve done in the past. I wanted to make something more real than anything I had done previously.

MLF: Parallel Moments dropped noticeably quickly after your group Jade TV was announced. Are they songs you’ve had for a while?
JA: Well, the album was actually done in the summer, whilst still under the name Self. I had all the art and stuff worked out, but then I had to change the name. So everything was already set and in place, besides the name. The album was recorded over 2 years, I guess. With the majority of it done over the summer of 2014 though. Two of the songs were Youth Camp songs that I reworked and re-recorded.

MLF: Your process seems quite transient, flitting between ideas and projects. Is it ever tempting so slow the pace, take longer with releases and do things the more ‘traditional’ route?
JA: I feel like there was a sort of traditional promotional plot for the release, but it was a bit understated, I suppose. Jurassic Pop set it up in a more more ‘traditional’ route and pushed a single. Trying to land a premiere or review before the album was released. It’s all these tactics that I’m not really familiar with though. I do feel like I’m going to take more time with this next album, however. I began writing it a while ago, but can’t see anything cohesive being ready for a while.

MLF: It does seem like something you’re used to doing though, starting afresh on a new project, or changing musical direction. Does this momentum and motivation come naturally for you?
JA: I think it comes naturally to me. I get bored with a lot of music that’s happening here. So if there’s a sound or a vibe that is not represented, I’m inspired to make it happen. It’s not that I am just jumping around genres looking for attention, I don’t think. I just want to make nice music.

MLF: You’d also quite recently moved to GR last time we spoke. Musically, it’s a city that may seem quite unrepresented, but the more you delve, the more promising musicians there are to be uncovered. And there’s undoubtedly a feeling of togetherness between artists in the scene. What’s your view of GR, musically?
JA: It is a bit inconspicuous. From the outside looking in, it seems like Grand Rapids is merely a hub for mountain man indie-folk bullshit. There is a pretty cool scene here, though. In the short time I have lived here, a few really cool bands have formed that have kinda stolen the scene. Heaters is a psych band from here that are really blowing up at the moment. They’re like the breakout band from our scene. And as you mentioned, there is a strong sense of togetherness. We all help each other out and hangout and go to each others shows, even though there may be a big ‘genre gap’ between all of our bands. After travelling and playing shows other places, it made me realise that there is something special here.

MLF: You mention the togetherness despite obvious genre gaps between your peers’ bands. Do you think it’s more important, for the music, to maintain this togetherness, rather than be more separate and perhaps more competitive?
JA: Everyone always jokes about Jade TV because there’s a lot of member switching. The line-up is always changing. People say that anyone who’s in a GR band has been in Jade TV at some point. Josie, our drummer, is in a great band called CARE with his brother Justin. They put on the most sensual and thematic performances of anyone here. Really good. Sammy, who plays guitar, is in a sick band called Sandkings. Josh who plays keys has a project called Darkly, and is also in CARE. Nicholas, who plays bass, is in SAPPHIC and also has a project called Personal Issue. I think its great to be able to share members and stuff. It’s fun that way.

MLF: What goes down at the Witch House?
JA: Witch House is actually where I’ve been living since August. We do shows there every once in a while. We wanted it to be a place in Grand Rapids where touring bands who weren’t playing the Pyramid Scheme, the main club here, could play. We’ve had White Reaper, Foxes In Fiction, Mister Lies, Alex Calder and a few local shows. It’s also where I do a lot of recording.

MLF: Things like that keep the US DIY scene really fresh and sets it apart from the UK’s, I feel, although both have their strong points. Do you openly try and stand out? What do you strive for?
JA: I think I just end up making music that I would want to listen to. I’m not trying to reinvent pop music, or anything like that.

Parallel Moments by Jade TV is out now via Jurassic Pop. Buy the album here, and follow the band on Facebook.