Following his Bull and Gate gig on Friday night, accompanied by a free download, James Apollo is giving away his peyote inspired secrets today in a rip roaring five minute catch up with the Camden Store Team…..
So, you used to live on a boat, how did it compare to living on land?
I thank god every sweet day I set foot on land. Living on a boat was a dream, a sad, wet, sinking dream. It was a 38 foot powerboat named the Gramma, which coincidentally is the exact same name and size boat that Fidel Castro and Che Guevara boarded to take over Cuba. Hell, maybe it was the same one. It was abandoned at Pier 39, San Francisco Bay when I found it.
Did you ever worry that you might sink?
Daily. But more importantly, nightly. And when the rains came it got worse. Water came in from the top and the bottom. I tried wrapping the entire thing in plastic but all it did was make my clothes moldy any time I was gone for more than a week…
What are your plans for the year?
I’ve been touring for most of the year so far. Tour is sort of a time warp, so I’m going to start the year when I have a little time off in a couple months. To avoid prosecution all I can say is its going to involve Big Bend Texas, Peyote, and mules.
What are you most excited about?
Once the peyote ring gets worked out, I’ve got a lot of little musical projects in the works. One is teaming up with a bunch of Canadians in a cabin in the mountains outside Vancouver. Another is a joint effort with this Cuban horn quartet in Philly. There’s a few more. You’re only as good as your best pool player right?
You’re over here for a few dates, how do you our UK audiences compared to the USA?
I always like saying that I “enjoy relative anonymity in my hometown,” but yeah, the point is, audiences in the UK have been really good to me. I stride a kind of line between rock’n'roll lounge show and pissing and moaning crooner. It’s hard to find a room full of folks that will really listen to the sweet stuff, and then move a bit when the band kicks in….
The Camden Store Team X
Tags: James Apollo
