We recently had the chance to connect with James Barmore and have shared our conversation below.
James , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I am most proud of building both my life and career.
We extremely underestimate the amount of internal work it takes to release all the things that we desire out of life for ourselves. We underestimate the person that we need to become in order to receive those things and handle them with the discernment and care that it requires.
Its in the moments that no one see’s you – that what you do and who you are matter the most.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello Voyage family –
My name is James Barmore. I am a singer-songwriter, vocal producer, and performer based in southern California originally from Michigan. Being an artist – I am my brand, I am the product, so I hope this interview helps you learn about who I am and what I do.
I’ve had quite the 2025, as i’m sure most of us have already. Though i’m blessed to be able to say i’ve still managed, achieved, and accomplished so much this year. We are at a “Rest stop” of sorts with more amazing experiences on the way. From Indie film nominations, and official selections, to debuting radio records, music video of the year nominations, and various collaborative projects and works that i’ve been blessed to be apart of – we have a lot to discuss since we last spoke (see my last interviews)
Let’s chat, shall we?
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Funny this question was here in the prompts – it’s perfect and timely.
who was I before the world told me who i had to be?
Pure. Willing. Curious. Full of vigor and excitement for the magical moment where it “all happens in a flash.”
I was sacred and respected and faithful to my dream. I lost all of that for a time, and now I have been given the opportunity to meet these aspects of myself again in this state of mind and make new choices with the knowledge and experience I have now.
I’ve been grieving for my previous version though, forgiving myself for not knowing, and giving grace for doing what I could with what I knew.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
My most recent time was in fact a true and hard “I quit.”
January of 2025 – I was set to release what was going to be my last record “Much Room.”
The irony in that was me releasing a record about expansion and thinking “well that’s it” no more music. I was set to ease further into my 40+ hour day job that I was good at, and really plant roots there. I was unfulfilled, and I was going to be financially secure, so who cares if I woke up 10 years later still at that job, at least I had one.
I was depressed, I heavily disassociated because I was stagnant in waiting still for that magical moment, where my life would change forever. I was disappointed that after living in California for ten years that in my state of lack I had nothing to show for it. When the truth was that I am living a life that few could and many cannot dream about. I was stuck.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m learning the responsibility of being a villager in the village. I haven’t just spent the last 10 years in California alone, I’ve spent most of life alone. I think i just became comfortable with it once I moved away from home. It has always been said that it is a very fine line that one walks where you can get to closed off and don’t allow room for anything good to come into your life, because of your protecting yourself from the bad.
So I decided to place an intention about 5 years ago after my breakup that I wanted new friends, that I wanted to meet new people for myself not through someone else. That I wanted to find community and my tribe. I can say that the last two years have been building community for myself, and now I am currently learning what this aspect looks like.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I’ve been giving my best without the validation. I realized it’s made me resentful though.
How can someone like me – with so much talent, knowledge, work ethic, and spirit not be seen?
It was in that moment that I realized that I had stepped away and possibly never discovered my true connection to myself and to my craft. So while I still have this time being “unseen” I am taking the space to reintroduce myself to music and sound. I am listening to it, and rebuilding myself as a vessel and instrument for this medium. I am looking to make a new sacred relationship with my art that I can lay myself at the altar and commune with spirit.
I wanna see where it takes me, in addition to where I can take myself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbarmore/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqn8_hxaNVivvb63VUXnVFA
