Music is often defined by genre, whether it is rock, pop, R&B or hip-hop. However, that is not how singer-songwriter Riley James sees their music.
James, a senior studying contemporary music and digital instruments, has always had a passion for music. While growing up in Duncan Falls, Ohio, James taught themself what they could about music. At 12 years old, James got their first piano as a gift and worked hard to learn how to play.
Since then, James has remained dedicated to their craft and continues to learn how to play instruments and write songs. They were constantly writing new material and practicing, and when James got to college, their drive was no different.
“I'm at the point where I don't even really believe in genres anymore,” James said. “It’s just music with certain influences, to me.”
James pulls influences across multiple genres. These influences include The Beatles, David Bowie and Billie Eilish to name a few. All of these names helped James to find their voice through music.
“The Beatles in general are a big influence for me just for chords and how to write lyrics and melodies,” James said. “Even if I didn't want to accept it, that just kind of is how it turned out.”
While writing songs, James has run into some challenges surrounding vulnerability in their music. It is a skill that takes some time for many artists to learn.
“I feel like, and I realized this a while ago, that if I want the songs that I'm trying to write to actually resonate with people and connect with people, I need to be really honest with myself,” James said.
During the last few months, James was able to put together a band called The Zeitgeist. The band is composed of four members: James, Heath Benton, Jayden Rahmon and Miles MacDonald. Together, the group performs gigs around Athens to help liven the already booming music scene.
MacDonald, a freshman studying music production at Hocking College, described the first time the band met each other.
“The first time I saw Riley, it was an open mic,” MacDonald said. “I was like, ‘Wow, these songs are really great’ … It was me and a few other people who talked to Riley, and we were like, ‘Your songs are great, but they would be even better if we had a band behind it.’ So that's kind of how it came together.”
Benton, a junior studying music production and guitar performance, has known James since first coming to OU, and since then they have collaborated on many different projects together.
“We've kind of done a lot already,” Benton said. “We've done a live session with ACRN. We have a live thing out on Spotify of about five of Riley’s songs. We've been to a couple of gigs, performed at The Union and performed at Donkey.”
The band has a great relationship going, as James writes the songs and the band members help expand upon them using their instrumental talents. Recently, James developed some new music with the help of The Zeitgeist including tracks such as “What Have I Done” and “In A While.”
Currently, James is working on an EP with Brick City Records, though there is no release date or title announced yet.
“I've been writing pretty much exclusively for the past 6 years,” James said. “Now, (I’m) at the point where I'm learning how to get comfortable in the studio and learning what kind of sound I want in a recording.”
James and their bandmates give similar advice to aspiring musicians. Their advice is to practice to get the best results as an artist.
“If you're trying to write songs, you just have to do it every day and not be afraid if you're going to write a bad song,” James said. “You just have to finish the song, whether or not it sucks.”
The Zeitgeist has a gig at Sidebar coming up Feb. 15. There is so much on the horizon for artists like James and The Zeitgeist, as its non-conforming genre brings a new sound through Athens’ many stages.
