James and the Cold Gun Talk New Single, Favourite Instruments And More

Oct 2, 2025 | Interviews

Words by Glenn Sargeant

Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Duff Press

Welsh alternative rock outfit James and the Cold Gun have recently released their new single “Above The Lake” from the band’s “Face In the Mirror” album – on Stone Gossard’s Loosegroove/Prospect Park Records. We chatted to the band:

Who is in James and The Cold Gun, how did you meet and what do they play?

Hey I’m James Joseph and I sing and play guitar. The band is myself, James Biss who also sings and plays guitar, Gaby Elise who plays bass and sings and Benny Mead on the drums.

What is your earliest musical memory?

I think I remember seeing the boyband Boyzone play on the TV when I was really young, I feel like it was a Red Nose Day or Comic Relief sort of thing and I remember thinking they seemed cool. Then when I was about 10/11 the ‘School of Rock’ film came out and that was my proper introduction to rock music and that made me want to pick up a guitar!

You have your single ‘Above The Lake’ which is out now. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?

The song was written towards the later stages of getting our second album together – James B penned the lyrics and references a lake near the garage that we operate out of – the lake is somewhere we always go to hang out and walk to get clarity when we’re feeling uninspired or stressed about something. It’s a special place for us.

Was it a difficult song to write?

James B came up with a solid melody but the lyrics were a bit of a mess when he first showed me the idea – we spent ages trying to re-jig them to give the song more of an overall feeling – it was like putting a puzzle together but we’re glad we did it.

Do you have a visualiser to accompany the single?

We do! The music video is on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/GDMYnxUV_5c?si=6qlTQ-AhS8tkGbCc – You guessed it, filmed at the lake!

Where did you record the single and who produced it?

We produced the song ourselves and we recorded it in our garage (both our albums have been recorded in the garage) but we were lucky enough to have Brendan O’Brien lend his mixing talents to this second record – he discovered the band through a recommendation from Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

Well I should mention we tried to record the album in a 5-day session in Seattle on the back of a tour in October 2023 – we were in an amazing studio with all the gear etc but we ended up getting home listening back and scrapping it all. There’s something about recording it ourselves in the garage that just works for us. That being said we’d love to have the chance to go somewhere for longer than 5 days for album three!

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

Ha not at all – we have a really laughable setup but I like being honest about it – we have a cheap interface and some old mics that are far from any kind of industry standard – I think some people can get too lost in the equipment/technical world – What I’ve learnt is a more expensive mic or a crazy analogue pre-amp isn’t gonna make your chorus any more catchy or your song structure any better etc.

Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

A) Hmmm happiest is a tricky one – I wouldn’t say we have a super happy song right
now but I’d probably say ‘Guessing Games’ is us allowing ourselves to loosen up a
bit and it has a sort of dancey/groovy almost baggy sort of sound to it.
B) Angriest is Blood Red Sky for sure – what a riff!
C) Meet my Maker or A Way Out (the two final songs on the record)

Do you have any further music releases planned for 2025/2026?

Nothing right now, lots of touring and slowly working on things behind the scenes. I feel like our third album will be the first album we release that actually has lots of eyes/ears on it so we need to make that album special.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

1. I hope to have improved at least one person’s day or make them feel like they’re not
alone.
2. I hope we melted a couple of faces too

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I love my big muff fuzz pedal – it’s just unhinged noise
I also love straight mic stands so I can rag them around a bit

How do you look after your voice?

I have a 15 min warmup I do, I also don’t drink I’ve been sober for 10 years. I’m also vegan
and I’ve read that dairy is pretty bad for vocalists so that probably helps me.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

I’ve only recently started really trying to sit and read novels – so let’s revisit this in a year!

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I’m from Pontyclun in South Wales. It’s small, friendly but feisty, close-knit and it’s beautiful if you know where to look.

Do you have any live dates in the UK/Europe planned for 2025/2026?

Not right now – we played a great UK tour earlier this year and revisited London last week for
a killer headline show.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

The obvious ones are Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, QOTSA. Right now some bands we’re really enjoying are: The Dirty Nil, White Reaper, Fiddlehead

What makes James and The Cold Gun happy and what makes you unhappy?

We love to tour – we love to be busy. We have so much fun on the road seeing the weird and wonderful things out there and meeting people from different places with different stories etc. I think that’s what makes us the most happy – exploring the world like a bunch of musical
pirates.

What makes us unhappy – There are a lot of things in the world right now that feel super dystopian whether that’s big tech or war(s) or racism or wealth inequality. It’s a difficult time to be an artist because there’s an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and feeling like art doesn’t matter – But I think it’s important to remember that art can serve as escapism. Art can foster better mental-health and wellbeing and it’s a way to turn emotions into something that could uplift rather than drag us down. Art is a vital reminder of our shared humanity

Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Duff Press

The “Face In the Mirror” album is out now on Stone Gossard’s Loosegroove/Prospect Park Records.

Purchase Here: https://orcd.co/jamesandthecoldgun

For further information and tickets please see www.jamesandthecoldgun.com