James Atlas On the Making Of “Retail Therapy”
How did you come up with the idea?
I have personally struggled with shopping addiction, I was hooked on the rush it would give me when I made an online purchase. Knowing that I have once again gifted myself. So the song is me laughing at myself and my own shopping addiction, while also reveling in it. We all try to fill voids in ourselves, often with material possessions, and this is a commentary on that.
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in "Retail Therapy?"
Yeah, if you listen closely, you’ll hear the beep of credit card swipes and the chime of cash registers at different moments of the song. I thought that would be a humorous touch. You don’t really notice all the elements in the first listen, so it’s fun to go back and hear something new each time.
What impact do you hope this single will have on your audience?
I would love my audience to claim this as their new shopping anthem. I want my fans to use “Retail Therapy” as the soundtrack to all of their unboxing videos and shopping haul videos. It’s an amazing track that I also want to see them dancing to in clubs.
Can you tell us more about you as an artist?
I’ve had a pretty unusual experience in this life. It’s given me a unique perspective where I can easily resonate deeply with people through my music. My work is very relatable because I’m always delivering the brutal truth of my experience as a human, and I think people can sense that. I have a love and fascination with space, so we’ve been incorporating that into the imagery.
How do you balance the artistic aspects of your music with the business side of the industry?
It’s a balancing act, and for a creative, it’s a matter of surrounding yourself with people who possess complimentary skills. I’ve pushed myself in the direction of being more business minded, although I’ll never be able to do some things as well as someone who is naturally wired that way, and vice versa.
