James McCartney, Sir Paul's son, brings tour to New Haven

 

As his father's current tour is playing some of the world's largest venues, James McCartney is out on the road performing solo shows at drastically smaller clubs.
For the 35-year-old son of Sir Paul and the late Linda McCartney, his present touring situation is just right for the promotion of his debut album, "Me," which is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, May 21.
"The reception has been great," McCartney wrote in a recent email interview after the first few shows of his 47-date tour. "The record is intimate and personal and that's why (the) tour is solo; to keep intimate and personal and also to say, `This is me.' "
McCartney had previously issued two EPs -- "Available Light" in 2010 and "Close at Hand" in 2011 -- but was willing to delay releasing a full-length record until he felt the time was right.
"Well, honestly, I just wanted to wait until I had the strongest possible collection of songs before introducing them to everyone," he wrote. "And I wanted to do this in the right way. So I waited until I felt both the music and myself were ready.
"It's been a long time coming, writing the songs, etc., but we started recording it in October in the U.K. The album was recorded and produced by David Kahne. We recorded at several studios, including Abbey Road (in London), and finished off recording and the mixing in (New York City) at David's studio."
McCartney, who will play Cafe Nine in New Haven Tuesday night, May 21, has had a few high-profile performances recently, including a spot in the lineup at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California -- "It was wonderful; a great experience," he said -- and a performance on "The Late Show with David Letterman."
After spending much of his life in the background, being thrust into the spotlight could be daunting. But McCartney said he's used to it from growing up in a famous family. (In addition to his parents, his sister, Stella, is a well-known fashion designer.)
"Coming from the kind of family that I've come from and I am a part of, it's kind of public, so there's a fair amount of attention toward me," he wrote. "I have to be careful, but privacy is a good thing, if you want it."
Prior to starting his own career, McCartney co-wrote some songs with his father and contributed guitar and percussion to the albums "Flaming Pie" and "Driving Rain," and also played guitar on some songs on Linda McCartney's record, "Wide Prairie," which was released shortly after her death in 1998.
As for influences, it's not just his father's music before and after The Beatles that McCartney cites. His list is far more eclectic than just one sound.
"There are so many influences for me," he said. "Kurt Cobain, The Smiths, Radiohead, P.J. Harvey, The Cure, The Beatles, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Hank Williams. ... I could name so many more!
"In the end, I don't really prefer a particular style, just truly great music."
sspillane@ctpost.com; 203-330-6355
Cafe Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. Tuesday, May 21, 7 p.m. $15. 203-789-8281, www.cafenine.com.

by Sean Spillane

Source: http://www.ctpost.com