Interview with St. James Guitarist Jimmy Jacobs

by Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello Jimmy! Welcome to the Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it is greatly appreciated.

CV: What drives you to continue to create?

Jimmy Jacaobs: Everything drives me to continue to create. Could be a random thought. Something I saw or heard. I’m always in writing mode and you never know when an idea is gonna hit. I’ve got about 50 random bits and pieces of songs on my phone right now.  

CV: Was music your first love? 

JJ: Absolutely. From the time I was 8 and the school bus used to drop me off at my guitar lesson every Wednesday I had loved the guitar and the first time we got in front of a big crowd digging our music I was addicted.

CV: Would you say music has made you the person you are today?
JJ: I think it’s definitely played and continues to play a big part in who I am. The birth of my son has played a big part in making me who I am today as well.

CV: Could you see yourself doing something completely different other than music? If so, what would that be?

JJ: There was a time where the thought of not being a musician full time would literally knock the wind out of me. So I never saw myself as doing anything else. I do have degrees in Physics and Mathematics and a pretty day gig but I still play the guitar every day and remain a musician at my core.

CV: Which artist has inspired you the most?
JJ: That question is tougher than it sounds. My influences are constantly changing. Of course Eddie Van Halen…There was a point where I could sit down and play the first 4 Van Halen albums note for note. Along the way Jimmy Page and David Gilmour also played parts in shaping my approach to the guitar and song writing in general.

CV: Non artist…who has been your biggest influence?

JJ: Great question!

CV: Was/Is your family supportive with your musical pursuits?

JJ: Yes they were.  I mean my brother Bobby is the bass player in the band so it had to be tough on our parents when both of their kids decide to hit the road with a rock band rather than go to college. But they were always supportive.

CV: What do you find inspires your music the most as a songwriter?

JJ: Anything and everything.

CV: What's your go to album for motivation? Why that album?
JJ: Ahh, I’ve got 3 that I’m constantly putting on when I need to feel inspired; Van Halen’s Fair Warning because I feel it’s Eddie at his best, hit most aggressive work for sure. That record always makes me want to get my guitar on and turned up really loud. The other 2 might surprise you but they’re The Beatles White Album and Pink Floyd’s Animals. Love both those records cuz they’re so effective at setting a vibe or a mood in the listener. You can’t just listen to one or two songs on those records. They’re engulfing.

CV: Some of your favorite artists... past and present, who are they?

JJ: Van Halen of course. Also Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. But over the last 5 or 6 years my favorites have been Nine Inch Nails and Tool.  Instead of mellowing as I get older, my musical tastes appear to be getting darker and heavier!

CV: The one album you feel every Metalhead should own and why? 

JJ: Other than St James Resurgence (yes I’m laughing to myself)? If I have to pick just one I’d have to go with Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti because it’s heavy, it’s dark… it’s got hints of middle eastern influences and straight up rock songs and old school country tunes. And it’s produced in a way that sounds like they were all in a room together playing real instruments at ridiculous volumes and getting swept up in the vibe they were creating. 

CV: What do you consider is a defining moment in Heavy Metal history and why is it significant… how did it impact the genre?

JJ: I think the launch of MTV was the defining moment in music history and not in a good way. It slowly took the emphasis away from musicianship and songwriting abilities and placed it on catchy moves, fashion, hairstyles…everything but the actual music. And I think that’s why you had such a formula-like shallowness in a lot of the bands in the late 80s. Not to say that some of them weren’t entertaining.  I saw a lot of great concerts at that time but there weren’t many artist’s with the same depth and songwriting skills of the pre MTV days.

CV: Who would you like to work with if given the opportunity?

JJ: Can they be alive or dead? If so, I really would’ve loved to get in a room with Jimi Hendrix and turn on a recorder and just jam for a while. As much as I was a hug EVH fan, I still think Hendrix was the most influential guitarist of all time. Especially if you take his playing in the context of that time period. He was just so different and so far ahead of the times.

CV: What do you feel are the top three things it takes to make it in the music business as an artist?

JJ: The industry is so fragmented that I have no idea what it would take.

CV: There has been a lot of remarks among established rockers these days regarding young, up and coming bands, that they don't stand a chance at making a career with music into today's industry... what do you think?  

JJ: I think that’s a pretty accurate statement. You don’t see any career-building anymore. All the emphasis is on making the money now. One or two hits and most artists are gone. Completely different from how it was. I remember seeing Def Leppard opening up for Blackfoot at a small theater down the street from me. They were touring as an opening band for years before they really hit. I also saw Bon Jovi open for The Scorpions and Ratt or Motley Crue (Don’t remember which one). Bands were groomed and given the opportunity to develop as songwriters and performers and that was much more conducive to longevity. A band would never get a chance to make 2 or 3 albums and do 2 or 3 world tours before hitting it big and that’s too bad ‘cause there are some great young musicians out there.

CV: As an artist, what do you feel are your strengths?

JJ: I hope it’s my ability to take an idea or a simple guitar riff and shape it into something that has life or energy of its own. Something that touches the people that listen to it whether it’s by making them wanna shake their head and pump their fists or even just think, ‘yeah I get it. I’ve been there too.”

CV: What do you think separates bands of today from bands of the past?

JJ: I really hate the addiction to technology. It’s very rare these days to see a band that gets onstage with just their instruments and no laptops or prerecorded anything. 

CV: With so many iconic women eligible for induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of fame, such as Cher, Stevie Nicks and Carly Simon many among others, why do you think they are being overlooked?

JJ: I don’t know. I could be that too many people still have the stereotypical view of rock and metal as a men’s club. If that is the case, it’s really too bad. I saw Fleetwood Mac a few years ago and the whole band was incredibly talented and even among such talented musicians Stevie Nicks clearly stood out. It’s a crime for her to not be in the R&R Hall of Fame.

CV: We hear so much negative commentary regarding today's overall music industry. What's your take on it? Is Rock really dead?
JJ: I think that when it comes to rock, the industry is fragmented and has been somewhat driven underground.  In the U.S. rock may not be at the same scale it once was but there are still a lot of great bands out there. The only difference is that now instead of seeing them in arenas or stadiums you’ll find them at smaller venues. 

CV: What’s next for you?

JJ: New material and live shows. We’re well into production on a bunch of new songs that I can’t wait to play for people!!!

CV: Thank you again Jimmy for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and much success with all your projects.

Check out St. James at:
https://www.facebook.com/St-James-1557894464428251/