Relaxed in the setting of a cosy pub, Edinburgh based musician Jim Harbourne proudly talks about his passion for music and his band – let’s refer to them as the Jim Jams. “We’re going to have a think on the name… Jim Jams is more of a nick name” he tells me with a laugh.

DaniRowleyPhotography
Let’s start from the beginning, how did the band get started?
“Well, I’m Jim Harbourne and I have been doing music since I was about 6 – starting off in a church choir. After being a choir boy I started playing in bands and writing songs. When I moved to Edinburgh I was in a few bands and eventually got round to arranging a band to do my own songs, but took several years to get round to that. I had recorded my own album before I got to that point. But here we are and the band is now on our 5th or 6th gig!”
Was it strange going from being on your own to working with others?
“There have never really been any clashes. Because I’m able to record my own stuff it means that I can get exactly the sound that’s in my head, but with a band it needs to be then re-approached ‘cause everyone in the band has their own interpretation of the song. Thats really good, you need to keep that. Songs can change from what they sound in my head, but it’s good and I like it.”
To give our readers a feel of your sound, who would you say you are similar to?
“I started out kind of like Pink Floyd, early Genesis, Mike Oldfield and early 70s stuff but the band, we have since developed our sound. It’s more folky and worldly – a bit more Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel. I hear us sounding like more contemporary stuff as well; Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes and actually Vampire Weekend – who I originally hated but now really like.”
Give me one sentence which will entice people to come see you.
“Free beer. Haha no erm… When we’re doing a live stage show it’s very informal and very fun, that’s the whole point of our gigs, they’re fun and we want everyone to have a good time”
I couldn’t help noticing that the members of the band are all pretty different, how do you gel as a band? Are there ever artistic differences?
“It’s great to have all the different influences coming together. Asim (drums) is very into his traditional rock drumming like Smashing Pumpkins and hard-hitting bands like that, he has a great appreciation for world music which I’m also very into. Then there’s Sam (backing vocals, violin) who comes from a very different musical background, very art rock – I don’t think he will mind me saying that. The others all have varied music tastes, then we all kind of come together in a mish mash and it brings something new to the table.”
You have been raising money for a good cause lately, tell us about that.
“A friend of mine from school joined the army when he was 18 and went out to Afghanistan and was a very good soldier. He was always going to be good at that, did a lot of outdoorsy stuff and running around. Unfortunately he was killed in 2009 in an IED – which is how sadly a lot of soldiers are killed. After he died a lot of his friends and family started raising money for Help For Heroes who help injured soldiers. I was writing music one day for a show I was doing and this theme came out of me. I was writing some lyrics as a tribute for my friend and when I played it to some friends at a party they said I should record it and sell it for charity, for Help For Heroes. So I did! The single is on CD form which I sell at gigs, it’s also on amazon and iTunes. It’s called ‘Hills of Home’, it’s a very simple tribute.”

After doing a few gigs as a band, what have been your best and worst points?
“Our highlight was probably our first gig at Voodoo Rooms which was the Hills of Home single launch – fantastic gig! I also really enjoyed the Little Festival of Everything down in Coxwold in North Yorkshire which was a strange and lovely festival in a pub.
“Our worst point… probably a trip we took to Glasgow for a gig. We ended up very late because we got lost in Edinburgh Park of all places. We were driving round there for half an hour with a car full of people and kit, all very stressed. So by the time we got there I wasn’t really in the mood for doing a gig – but it turned out a good gig in the end.”
What does the future look like for the Jim Jams?
“We have a couple of gigs coming up, one in February in Bannermans. But, what I’m really looking forward to is the Fringe Festival. I’m currently in talks with a local pub about getting a 5 night residency during the festival, It would even be in the fringe guide! We wont be necessarily playing every night, but we will be curating and presenting the best of the folky and rocky music circuit. It will be a lot of work to get it done but it will be good, and it’s not till August.
“Would love to get out a bit more, gig around Scotland and the north of England as well.”
I have to ask about the name – the Jim Jams?
“Well, Jim Jams was a bit of a joke name at first. Although it’s fun it doesn’t really reflect the music we make – we’re not a jam tribute band and we don’t play in our pajamas. So we’re going to have a think on the name. You can usually find our music by searching Jim Harbourne – as Jim Jams is more of a Nick Name.”
Finally, the most crucial question for a band – if you were a type of pie, what would you be?
“Ooh hmmm. I think we would be some sort of beef pie (Dan the guitarist nods in agreement.) With something fruity in it, maybe cranberry. Beef and cranberry – I don’t know if that exists but it sounds delicious.”
Download Jim Harbourne – Hills of Home EP on Amazon by clicking here!
Myspace – Jim Harbourne Music
Facebook – Jim Harbourne
Twitter – BorrowedTimePR
Soundcloud – JHarbourne
Members -
Jim Harbourne – Lead Vocals/Guitar
Sam Cunningham-Siggs – Vocals/Violin
Asim Rasool – Drums
Lewis Diamond – Bass
Alex Shedlock – Accordion/Piano
Dan Collins – Guitar














