"I Like To Have Fun": Monica James on Bending Genres in Songwriting and Moving to the South

When Americana singer/songwriter Monica James picked up the phone on a spring break afternoon, the first question I asked her was not the typical “How are you?” but rather, “Where are you?” I could hear a soft, incessant noise in the background. As it turned out, she was on a Florida beach. “I figured if I’m going to be on the phone, I might as well be on the beach,” she laughed.

This is Monica for you. Her primary goal as an artist, beyond wanting to make people feel seen by telling the hard truths, is to just “have fun.” First and foremost, she defines herself as a storytelling entertainer. A Michigander, she spent the past few years playing gigs around the Midwest before moving to Nashville. The settings have varied from the Bitter Jester Festival (which only accepted 26% of the hundreds of artists who applied to perform) to golf courses and bars where her primary function was to provide background music. Nonetheless, either place can turn into a spotlight moment if she’s human enough about it. For instance, instead of scripting speeches for the gaps between songs, she lets them be stream of consciousness moments, because that’s the more natural approach. Her mindset regarding many things in life is, “It’s not that serious”, and it clearly works.

Monia James, photo by Taryn Cunningham.

Moving to the South, she’s embraced a more vibrant creative world. The talent both inside her and surrounding her is endless, which can feel intimidating, but in more good ways than bad. For instance, “I've had to actually learn how my songs translate to a full band context [and] I started practicing with a metronome, which maybe I should have been doing earlier.” As a songwriter, she commits herself to writing two songs a week and is proud to keep that “weekly grind”, as the motivation isn’t always there.

Since starting at Belmont, she’s also signed with River & Row Management (run by Belmont freshmen) and is one of the main artists in their upcoming gig Sisters in Song at Nashville’s Exit/In. I wrote an article about their company launch last month. Monica explains that she was enticed to sign with them because of the professionalism, thoughtfulness when writing terms, and general work ethics of the two company owners. Emma Harger does Monica’s booking, and Annie McNamara works with Monica to make a social media content calendar.

Nonetheless, one of Monica’s most important takeaways from the years operating solo was that “No one can care about my project and what I'm doing more than I can”. She of course has an incredible work ethic because of understandings like this, but her ability to seek power from within also shows in her writing. In between posts promoting her Sisters in Song gig, a video of Monica performing a song called “Rufus” catches my eye. This track tells the story of a girl named Rufus who is looking for love. Friends at Belmont have cited this song as a favorite of theirs, so I ask Monica who Rufus is, “Rufus is the nickname that my grandpa calls me… he just texted me one day, like, ‘Miss you, Rufus.’… and then I just started writing a song… it's fundamentally about me.” She’s written quite a few songs in this style and explains that this detached approach helps her empathize with herself.

Monica James, photo by Taryn Cunningham.

Touching lyricism and a willingness to bend genres are a common thread between Monica’s favorite artists. She particularly notes Brandi Carlile’s combination of folk with rock and pop. Joni Mitchell also does an admirable job of having fun and not boxing herself in, “She’s always done what she wanted to do, even if it didn't sell, or was not commercial.” Monica describes herself as Americana, but she agrees with the sentiment on her website that she is truly genre-less. For instance, she’s been on a country-songwriting kick lately, which she credits her southern surroundings for, but that doesn’t make her a country artist.

These genre-bending values tie quite well with those behind the Sisters in Song gig and River & Row Management. Emma Harger and Annie McNamara are the powerhouses behind both things and have put an insane setlist together, exclusively featuring Belmont students and alumni as the headliners. When I interviewed Harger and McNamara regarding the launch of their company, they both matched Monica’s desire to not cater exclusively to any one specific genre. Monica’s band further represents this – while talking to drummer Preston Mann, he identified himself as more of a hip-hop guy and electric guitarist Evan Statile as a blues guy. Nonetheless, their full band (also featuring Marissa Nitti on bass and Aiden Henderson on mandolin and acoustic guitar) works impeccably together, and he says Monica is an incredible leader. Having developed from a solo performer in Grand Rapids to a Nashville artist with a full band and two managers, Monica is building momentum and having a blast doing it.

You can follow Monica online at @monicajamesmusic. Monica will be performing at Nashville’s The Stillery on March 13 and the Exit/In on March 29.

The Sisters in Song poster, designed by Annie McNamara.