EARLY JAMES is back with a Tinfoil Hat, bric-a-brac, and the knick-knack shack

EARLY JAMES releases his third album, ‘Medium Raw,’ (via Easy Eye Sound) on January 10, 2025, and in the video for new single ‘Tinfoil Hat,’ fans get a look inside the recording sessions, with James, producer Dan Auerbach, bassist Adrian Marmolejo, drummer Jeffrey Clemens and percussionist Sam Bacco all filmed around the house, surrounded by peeling wallpaper, aging furniture, bric-a-brac, and even an old painting of Harry Dean Stanton.

After recording his first two albums at Easy Eye Sound Studios, Auerbach felt ‘Medium Raw’ needed to come together in a fresh setting.

“I wanted to try to find that power of when I first saw him, when it was just him and his guitar,” he said. “And after working with him a couple of times in the studio, I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to do it in the same kind of way. The comforts and luxuries of the studio, where you’re able to hear everything and make adjustments and changes, wasn’t right for this project. Some of my favorite albums are those Arhoolie records produced by Chris Strachwitz that were recorded in houses, by Fred McDowell, Lightnin’ Hopkins. I felt like we might get better results if we did it in a house.”

And the house in question is ‘Honky Chateau,’ an old Nashville property owned by photographer and artist Buddy Jackson.

James, Auerbach and crew brought in the recording gear themselves, including an old Universal Audio tube console originally built by FAME Studios’ Rick Hall. Mixing desks were set up in an upstairs bedroom, with James and the musicians located in different rooms downstairs.

“We had these beautiful microphones sucking up the soul of the house. It sounded fucking amazing,” adds Auerbach. “When you have headphones on, you can hear that room. You can even see the room when you close your eyes.”

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(Photo (c) Jim Herrington)