On June 29, Jim James will release his third solo album, Uniform Distortion. It’s a loose, raw collection of guitar-heavy songs that rail against the darkness of modern times. James is trying to fight that darkness in his personal life, too.
In our interview, he talks about how he recently went on a silent retreat in order to purify himself, and how this led to the stripped-down sound of Uniform Distortion, the hardest rocking music he’s made since It Still Moves. James is candid about dealing with some rough times in his late 30s, but having just turned 40, he seemed in good spirits, even when he was venting about the current presidential administration.
James also gave me an update on the status of My Morning Jacket, which has been idle since wrapping the album cycle for 2015’s very good The Waterfall. He touched on the band’s plans for its upcoming 20th anniversary in 2019, and the status of the two (!) MMJ albums currently in the can — one is a studio album made around the time of The Waterfall, and the other is a live record. Apparently, all they need is some finishing touches, including cover art, in order to see the light of day. Get on it, Jim!
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