Rather than particularly heroic musicians he points to life on the road as prime inspiration, “I listened to angry youthful punk and whatnot; I also listened to a lot of old jazz and blues. I would say that sleeping under the stars in the desert or getting the van searched at 4am in the Panhandle played a much bigger role in the music I’m making today.”
From an interview by Joel Armato, OneTimesOne Magazine
A Tumbleweed. A hapless dreamer. A savage purveyor of roots eccentricity. James Apollo is the drifting soul that has been swindling the stout hearted compendium of urban hipsters and farmer's daughters for years. He'll whisper a few notes and then blow a few out of the water.
Born at the foot of the Ozarks in Libertyville, Arkansas, James Apollo first hit the road at the tender age of 16. Crisscrossing the continent, James and his young bandmates soon learned to live within the deep underbelly of rocknroll; gaining valuable lessons while sleeping in abandoned drain pipes in the Mojave, or spending new years day in a New Orleans jail for “just trying to help”.*
A soft voice and sharp ears have helped in channelling this "curiosity for the human condition". Apollo has been penning his snapshots of the fair and forlorn to create a handful of gorgeous records, as well as featured works in film, countless music compilations and any number of wicked gems in lowdown art as movement.
He’s not hard to find these days. With a savage tour schedule, James Apollo has been running back and forth between the US and Europe for the past few years, updating hobo ways for the jetset.
James Apollo currently hides his heart in New York City.
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