PropertyOfZack Interview : : Elliot James

PropertyOfZack “leaked” a song clip from Elliot James’s new band, Break Blossom, a few days ago, and now we’re following it up with a tell-all interview. Elliot and I discussed his downtime from 2009 to the present and why it took so long to launch his new band, details behind Break Blossom, his history with Pete Wentz, and a debut album for Break Blossom. Elliot also finally detailed the backstory behind his departure from Hey Monday. Check it all out, there’s at on of info!

You left Hey Monday in 2009 and fans have been begging for new information on your next musical endeavors since the departure. What’s taken so long?
It was never about me wanting to keep my fans in the dark, I would just never want to put something out there that wasn’t my best, and it’s taking me some time to figure out the kind of music I really want to do, and do it in a slightly newer way. I knew i didn’t want my next band to get lost in the mix of everything else. There’s just so, so, so many band’s out there.

What’s your new band name, and who else is a part of it?
The band’s called Break Blossom. I started it with my friend Skyler Mondell who was working as a rocket scientist at NASA at the time. He and I had been dying to do something together for years, he found out I was looking for people to write with and the rest is well, history. Marc Ryan on keys, he and I go way back. Marc’s a wiz in the studio, I don’t think there’s anything he can’t play. Cross my heart, he’s a prodigy. Last but def not least Jesse Lee. He was the missing part for a long time. It was one of the reason we took it slow because finding the right people was cruciall. An often over looked element of building a band. Jess plays bass and his a killer voice, i’ll never forget when we were in the studio though and i was admit i wanted this dark horn part and they tried to do it on keys and program it for an hour but nothing was right. And out from the corner Jess was just like “I can play tuba….” came in the next day and did it in one take! It’s just humbling to play in a band where everyone is so much farther ahead musically than I am, but we’re all helping each other grow in songwriting and different areas and doing something real.

Did you want to lay low for a while following your departure from Hey Monday?
There was a lot of stuff I was dying to do once i felt like i had the freedom to breathe a bit. It had been quite some time since i was allowed to move freely creatively and also cut away from a demanding tour schedule. I got offered to play drums for high school musical in the UK, i played on a hip hop record in NY, jammed with some people much older than myself down here in FL. Wrote some songs for a female artist in LA and did some more production music for commercials etc. I started an iPhone and iPad app development company with my brother which turned out to be insanely profitable, got myself a pup which I’ve always wanted, and even toured a bit with some friends just to keep doing what I love.

Fans are going to ask until they get answers, so can you discuss as much as the backstory of leaving Hey Monday as you you’re willing to?
This is true. Alright, once and for all, this is the god honest reason and I’m sorry if this disappoints or upsets people but at this point I’m just keeping it real. All of us go went way, way back. I truly loved everything we did with HM and I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. It was all priceless. And it stayed good for a really long time. That said, I loved it so much that I wanted it to last. But I was thinking ahead and I was living in a situation where I didn’t feel in control of my career. And for someone whose trying to make a career in music and not just a sweet run for a couple years, you’ve got to do what’s best for you and for everyone. I would have stayed with the band for as long as they wanted me to commit too but as soon as I told them how i was feeling they replaced me immediately. Cass felt like i had used the band to better myself in all areas and that was never the case. I wanted to play with musicians who wanted to get better and write timeless music, not write songs that were just ‘current’. I truly didn’t see the band sticking together as a team and working through problems personally and creatively and people called me crazy to give it up, but look where the bands at now? Looks like i was right after all. I’m super proud and gracious for everything we did together, and all the stuff they did without me. No one said any of this stuff would be easy. But are you going to give up on a dream you want just because its hard? If you want anything less than the life you think you deserve I feel bad for you, because in this day and age there’s no reason you can’t make a living waking up everyday to do what you want to.

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