Jim Noir Interview

Jim Noir has been somewhat dormant for a few years, keeping his unique brand of psychedelic pop electronica hidden away under his bowler hat. After releasing Zooper Dooper late last year he is embarking on a tour to see what people make of it. He is effortlessly funny and self-deprecating but during our chat I managed to find out what made him get into music and what he thinks about being labelled an odd ball.

For people out there that haven’t heard you music how would you describe it?

It’s an amalgamation of all the influences I have, all my record collection and everything like 
that. I have never really sat down and decided to sound like anything, I have just let it go where it has wanted to go. I guess it’s pop in a slightly non-pop way.

You started making music at a very young age, being in a band at age 9, has it always 
been what you have wanted to do?

I wouldn’t have called it a band at the time but it’s certainly the start of my interest in music. 
I’ve always liked music and was always into instruments. After leaving secondary school, 
I didn’t really know what I was going to do. I was at a bit of a lost as to what I wanted to do as 
job; I ended up signing up to a college course about sound engineering, learnt how to use the 
equipment and now here I am.

Which bands influenced you?

It’s probably easier to say the ones that haven’t. I can’t really pinpoint many because there 
are billions.

I’ve heard you described as a bit of an odd ball, do you see that in yourself?

I am generally not quite as exciting as people believe. If somebody is wearing a daft hat, then 
they are an odd ball, aren’t they? I think that’s what’s happened really, it’s a big confusing 
nonsense. I think its more the bloke that makes music on his own is a freak who has got no 
friends, which is half true, no its not really. I don’t really know what people are on about when 
they talk most of the time.

I have read that when you write songs the process is quite spontaneous, is this still the 
case?

Very much so, even more so now than it was when I first started. I don’t think I have ever 
written a song and then recorded it literally. I always let it go where it wants to go and then 
hopefully after a couple of hours there is something there. Otherwise it just gets put in the bin
 and I start again.

You recorded a lot of your music at your parents house, did you parents mind you 
turning their house into a home studio?

They didn’t really know. I had all the equipment in my bedroom and if I heard anyone coming 
up the stairs I would go really quiet. I was embarrassed about it really more than anything. 
By the time I got interest off record labels and things they were pleasantly shocked and 
surprised.

What can people expect from you live shows?

I have not toured for a couple of years and it’s all changed now. I think musically we are quite 
different from what we used to be years ago. I have got a new band and it’s just a big laugh. 
I’m not one of those musicians that walks around thinking I am the best guitarist in the world or 
anything. I will involve the audience, get them jumping about. Its more a get together of people 
who like the music rather than me sort of signing at them. Its always different, what ever show 
you come to there will always be something unique to it.

What can we expect from you this year?

I am recording a lot more album stuff. I have got this thing on my website which is called the 
Noir Club. Every month I am going to release a little video or something. It’s stuff that I’ve got 
hanging about and need to put out. Putting records out takes quite a long time so I am just 
going to get loads of old stuff out and hopefully some of its interesting and if its not then its 
certainly er not!

I get the feeling a lot of people really love my older stuff so I am going to start releasing it. 
There is about three albums worth of stuff that never came out on the first album so if people 
like that then they are going to have a nice area to go and listen to it. I am going to make up 
for lost time really because I’ve not really done anything for a few years. I want to put out like 
five albums this year, see if anyone likes it. 

Published in the Metro