James McCartney Looks to His Mother for Inspiration on New Song ‘Waterfall’
For his new album, James McCartney – son of Beatle Paul McCartney – was looking for the songs to be “eclectic” and “a bit more raw.” He ended up turning to renowned engineer Steve Albini, whom James admired for his work with PJ Harvey, Pixies and Nirvana. The end result was “The Blackberry Train,” out May 6 on Kobalt Label Services.
Things don’t get more raw than a song called “Waterfall,” which was inspired by memories of the singer-songwriter’s mother, photographer and animal-rights activist Linda McCartney, who died of cancer in 1998. “It’s just a song that was trying to summarize that time after she died, so that kind of grieving process,” says James.
James cites bands like Nirvana, the Cure and the Stone Roses as influences for “The Blackberry Train,” but prefers to emphasize the fact that he’s “trying to be unique and just myself, really.”
The musician will be touring the U.S. this summer in support of “The Blackberry Train,” kicking things off in San Juan Capistrano, California, May 10, and wrapping the shows up in Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 27.
By: Sarene Leeds
Source: Wall Street Journal
