Meet James Worsham | Producer/Mixing Engineer | Singer-Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Worsham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
I think the thing I’ve tried to do as a parent more than anything is to bring my kids along with me any chance I get, allowing them to see me chasing my dreams and working hard at something I love to do. Parenting is challenging in so many ways, especially as a creative, but some of the most rewarding moments of my life have been when my kids get to see me doing something I love, and getting to invite them to be a part of it all. If we want kids to believe in themselves and to dream big, then I think it’s incredibly important for them to actually see that in their parents.

When I recorded an album in a big studio in town right before the pandemic hit, my wife was able to bring our two boys up to visit. They got to sit in the control room with us; they got to hear my music going through the huge mixing board, see all the gear, hang out with the band I was with, and I really loved getting to share in that experience with them. It’s something I’ll never forget, and as they get older and start figuring out who they are and what they want to do with their lives, I hope they’ll want to include me in their successes and failures just like I’ve tried to do with them.

When I was growing up, most of the adults I was around consistently seemed like they had to give up on their own dreams once they had kids, which always seemed a little sad to me. I don’t ever want my kids to feel like they were the reason I stopped going after something that’s important to me. I want them to be a part of the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a singer-songwriter, a producer, and a freelance mixing engineer/live sound engineer. I’ve also done quite a lot of online consulting work for various online recording/mixing education companies, and currently edit podcasts on a freelance basis.

I’m most excited about continuing to write songs when I can, and hopefully I can keep steadily writing better and better songs. I’m pretty passionate about helping other musicians/songwriters learn how to produce their own music at home in a quality way to help them remove the barriers that can hold younger artists back. I feel like something that sets me apart in some way would just be that I truly try to approach other people with a community > competition mindset, and that’s been a real game-changer for me and my business. If somebody chooses another producer over me, I’ve learned to be happy about it because that producer needs work, too – and if they got the project, there’s a reason for that. They may be better suited for it, and that’s totally okay! Instead of having a scarcity mindset, I choose to embrace the music I get to be a part of making, and I root for everyone else, even if we do the same thing. I want everyone to succeed as much as possible, and approaching full-time music/production in that way has made it so much more rewarding.

I have some big plans for 2022 musically that I’m excited about; I’m playing with several other incredibly talented musicians locally to form a couple of different bands. I always enjoy playing solo acoustic gigs, but jumping back into playing/writing in a room with other songwriters is something I’ve really missed doing. Obviously, it’s a little bit more difficult these days with kids, work, bills, etc., but we’ve been getting together fairly regularly to hang out, play some songs, and see what happens without much of an agenda.

Doing music/audio full-time has been pretty challenging, especially during Covid and everything that’s been happening in the world. I feel like being able to play gigs, run sound, produce local artists, doing freelance editing/mixing work, etc. has really helped me stay busy, regardless of what’s happening, but it’s certainly been really hard at times. Not having a steady paycheck makes things extra challenging, and doing freelance audio work with a 2-year old running around definitely keeps me on my toes. But, overall, having the freedom to create and help others create has been so great, and hopefully I’ll be able to continue making it work.

The main thing I try to do with my art is to be authentic/genuine. Everything feels so fake, and it really bums me out sometimes. When I write, I just want it to be authentically me – and that’s really my only criteria. I don’t want to be someone I’m not in an effort to reach more ears. I’m not judging anyone else that chooses that route, but for me, it just wouldn’t be something I could do. I want to find the people who connect with what I do, and create art that I can feel proud of. At the end of the day, I’d love to be compared to someone like Jason Isbell; a respected songwriter, a good dad/husband, a good friend, and a good person calling out injustice, challenging people to think in a deeper way, and trying to love the people around you. If I can do that on any scale, I’ll be content.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a big fan of going to Ponce City Market. There’s so many great food options there, but the ramen place is my favorite by far. There’s also a donut place there that makes some of the most insanely delicious donuts I’ve ever had. There’s just so many great food options in Atlanta, so anytime I’m there, I definitely go for a poke bowl. That’s something that I can’t find as easily where I live, so it’s definitely my go-to.

One of my favorite restaurants is Poor Calvin’s. My wife and I go there any chance we get, and it’s always on point. Amazing drinks, incredible food, excellent service and prices – can’t recommend that place enough.

We love staying in some of the downtown hotels. Getting to take in the energy of the city, seeing all of the wildly different people walking around, checking out live music; I love it all.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest supporter has definitely been my wife, Jen. When I got laid off unexpectedly a few years back and had started interviewing for 9-5 jobs, my wife was the one that really pushed me towards going into music/producing full-time. I tend to lean into the pessimistic side of things a little too much, but I could feel how much she believed in me – certainly more than I believed in myself at the time, and without her support, there’s no way I would have made it even a week. It’s made me realize how important it is to have people in your corner because life is hard, so you need people who truly want the best for you on your side.

There’s several other key people that have supported me – definitely too many to name them all, but I’d like to name a few.

My parents bought me my first electric guitar when I was 13, something that they definitely didn’t have to do, but to their credit, anytime I showed real interest in something, they would do what they could to support that. Just a year or so after getting my first guitar, they bought me my first multi-track recorder, which was not cheap back then. That’s the piece of gear that really showed me how much I love the studio/production side of music. They didn’t always love the music I was playing, but without those pieces of gear, I definitely wouldn’t be the musician/producer I am today.

My sister, Lesley, and her wife, Emilie, have always supported everything I do in life. Lesley was the first person that got me into music by taking me to local shows, and introducing me to what eventually became some incredibly influential music in my life. I remember driving around listening to 90’s alternative in her little green car, and without that, I’d probably still be listening to MC Hammer. We don’t get to see each other much these days, but I can feel their support from afar.

My good friend Jodie has probably been my biggest non-family supporter since day 1. She’s always believed in me as much as anyone, and has even flown to Georgia to hear me play Bragg Jam here in Macon! Back when I didn’t think I could even write a song, she’d always listen to me vent, offer helpful advice, and truly helped me overcome so many fears I had about it all. I definitely wouldn’t be where I am without her.

Website: jamesworsham.com | worshammixing.com

Instagram: @jamesworshammusic | @worshammixing

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrandalworsham/

Twitter: @james_worsham

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamesworshammusic | www.facebook.com/worshammixing

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgahufEdpMW42LdT9il3vA/videos

Image Credits
Mary-Beth Wood Andy Carter