My Revenge Obsession

Interview Two- James

My Drinking Obsession: A talk with James King following his release from rehab

WORDS: LOU SCOTT
PHOTOGRAPHY: REECE WEILAND

 As soon as word of My New Obsession guitarist James King's release from rehab started to get around, I desperately wanted to speak with him. Readers of Scriveners who have followed him and his band since they clawed their way into our lives will know his story already, but never before has it been heard directly from his lips.

 I was very sure to place no pressure on James to do this interview. He took a few days to mull things over before agreeing to see me, and all of its content has been approved personally by him for public release.

 To make the situation as comfortable and as smooth for him as I could, I asked James to show me his world a little bit. A friend of his accompanied us as we got coffees in the morning and he took me to his local park. Making a direct beeline for a specific oak tree, we sat underneath it in the early hours of the day and began to talk.

 Most of you will remember him as yet another gorgeous member of an incredible band whose debut in the music world is unparalleled by any other band in the last five years, if not the last decade. Every member of My New Obsession seems to be your typical ideal man, if not slightly damaged and a little twisted. Harsh lyrics on themes of death and self-destruction paired with grunge and punk guitars, a heavy bass line and mind-blowing drums made their debut album Music and Chaos a stark comparison to most bands' early releases.

 After the exchanging of a few inside jokes between us which lightened the mood dramatically, I felt James was ready to begin.

 So, let's start at the beginning. My recent interview with George [Foster, vocals] revealed his views on the events of starting your band. Assuming you read the article; do you have anything to add to his thoughts? Or perhaps contradict them?

 "Of course I read the article, Lou! I'm as obsessed with George as everyone else is. But seriously, his account of what happened was totally accurate. We were working on a music project, he suggested the other guys and I start a band, I refused to do it without him. People talk about heroes like they're the furthest people away from them, like they're a special breed of human. George is one of my heroes because he's real to me and inspires me every day. There was no way I would be able to create anything without him by my side. And the other guys, of course. We all connect really amazingly in a creative sense as well as personally. Everything's important."

 Did you share the same sort of fright as he did?

 "Oh, fuck yeah. All of us were pretty much terrified- we still are. Bryan [Tate, drums], Rich [Brydon, guitar] and Jake [Torres, guitar] are better at hiding it than the rest of us. Bryan's the kind of guy who plays things cool, Rich gets worried but he's got the skills to get through anything, and Jake's just overloaded with energy. Not like George, Matt and I- we're the messes."

 What helped you overcome your fears?

 "Well, I'm still afraid. I freak out every time we play a gig- it's really nerve-wracking to know that people are depending on you for a good night. But, like George said, I knew that Matt definitely wouldn't do it without us, and maybe the other guys wouldn't either. What people know but don't necessarily understand is that these guys really are my family, I can't function without them. So we talk things out and we try to psyche each other up, and sometimes it works. If it doesn't, well... there was always booze."