Following a steady stream of thoughtful releases that have established him as a rising voice in indie-folk, Kent's James Lloyd Smith returns with his beautifully introspective new single 'Favourite Colour'.
Blending the warmth of indie folk with the rich textures of baroque pop, 'Favourite Colour' serves as a playful yet poignant exploration of modern romance that captures both electric excitement and natural awkwardness in equal measure. With its humble beginnings on Smith's trusty guitalele building to a dynamic mix of sweeping strings, banjo, trumpet, and drums, the track feels like a cinematic "meet-cute" wrapped in millennial indie-folk nostalgia.
Since emerging from the Garden of England with his signature blend of Nick Drake's peaceful nature and Sufjan Stevens' rustic methodology, Smith has been crafting melodic meditations on arrested development, romantic disillusionment, and the gap between rom-com ideals and modern reality. His lo-fi approach - recording much of 'Favourite Colour' on a 2011 MacBook Pro between tiny rooms and college rehearsal spaces - only adds to the intimate, homespun charm that makes his music so endearing.
With the new single now available across all major streaming platforms and an accompanying Wes Anderson-inspired music video that perfectly captures the track's affectionate warmth, Smith is proving once again why his thoughtfully crafted indie-folk deserves serious attention.
So with 'Favourite Colour' marking another compelling chapter in his evolving artistry, we sat down with James Lloyd Smith to find out more about his musical origins, creative process, and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I really fell for was the guitar, my sister bought me a classical nylon string guitar from Lidl for my 15th birthday and I couldn’t put it down. I drove my parents crazy trying to play Mosquito Song by Queens Of The Stone Age for hours on end.
I got really into music from the 1960s from a young age, weirdly I got into The Monkees before I got into The Beatles. I had a load of VHS tapes of The Monkees TV show and it just made me want to be in a band in the 1960s. I think I wanted to be Mike Nesmith in the same way some kids want to be Spiderman or something. It led me onto a lot of the music I still love today.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The first album I bought with my own money was the debut album from the Gorillaz. I saw the music video for Clint Eastwood on tv and it blew my mind. I think given that I was a kid I didn’t really listen to the album all the way through and probably just rinsed the singles.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Right now it would probably be Love Takes Miles by Cameron Winter, I’ve been absolutely obsessed with his album Heavy Metal this year and particularly Love Takes Miles. It’s so infectious and has some really original lyricism on love.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
A big thing for me is taking notes and recording voice memos. You never want to forget a good idea. It’s worth writing down 100 bad ideas if you managed to record a few good ideas. My phone is full of weird unfinished ideas and I have notebooks and scrap paper full of musings that probably only make sense to me.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I’m really on the Cameron Winter/Geese train at the moment, I think they are making really exciting and interesting music.
Okay Kaya has been a big favourite of mine for the last few years, I think her song concepts are really clever and funny and the production is always interesting.
I’m almost never not listening to The Beach Boys or Paul McCartney solo material. Ram or Smile are pretty much always in rotation.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I think it would be really cool to open for Devendra Banhart, he was a big influence on me when I was a teenager. I met him once at End Of The Road Festival in 2016 and he was really kind, I remember distinctly how he had a lot of time to chat and was open to having a genuine conversation instead of just brushing me off as a fan.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I really love the process of making music, coming up with an initial idea, working out all the little nuances, problem solving and eventually seeing the end result. It’s really satisfying to see your ideas come to life.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I’m slowly getting to grips with the idea of promoting my music, in the past I’ve released music and done no promotion because I find it a bit frustrating but I realise it’s a necessary part of modern music making. Did I just make the song of the summer?
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
There's a clip of David Lynch talking about creativity where he promotes the idea of simply enjoying the process of creating over focusing on the fruits of the labour. If you enjoy creating you’ll find satisfaction in the doing, if you are focused on how the music will be received or how well it will perform I think you could go a little crazy and lose the love of making it. I try to stick to that ethos.
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Watch the music video for ‘Favourite Colour’ below
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?