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James Iha

James Iha Books

Musician

James Iha, born on March 26, 1968, is a renowned musician. He is best known for his role as a guitarist and lead singer in the 1990s punk rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Iha's musical career has been marked by innovation and breakthroughs, with his work having a profound impact on post-punk and indie music.

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Related Quotes

“My first job in NYC was playing a gig in the early nineties at CBGBs.”

Firsts Jobs Gigs Nyc Cbgb

Author:James Iha

“Yeah, I'm sure there are stereotypes of Asian people.”

People Yeah Stereotype Asian

Author:James Iha

“The band set up in January and just started rehearsing. If there was a song, we'd just rehearse it as a band, and it would get arranged as a band, and it got changed around a lot.”

Ifs Song Changed Band January Rehearsing

Author:James Iha

“All of the music works on its own, but it doesn't really make as much sense without the picture.”

Author:James Iha

“When I lived in New York, there wasn't as much TV or film around. I got asked to do a couple of indie films, just based on me being from The Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle. I did a couple of indie movies from Japan and one from Canada, and I thought it was an exciting, fun thing to do. I had a great time doing it, it was just that, in New York, there really wasn't as much. My studio in New York closed, so I moved out to L.A. and just started looking into composing as another thing to do, as a musician. I like it a lot. It's fun and it's a different way of thinking about music.”

“It's great working with directors and with somebody else's vision.”

Vision Directors Great Work

Author:James Iha

“I'd like to keep doing film and TV, and I definitely can appreciate a good theme song. If it's memorable, that's a great thing.”

Ifs Film Song Tvs Appreciate Great Things Memorable Theme

Author:James Iha

“I'm happy doing different things. Being in a band is great, but being in a band can be difficult sometimes.”

Different Sometimes Difficult Band Different Things

Author:James Iha

“The music industry is not what it used to be. Being in a good band is great, and I've been lucky to be in great bands. I've done solo stuff, and that's been great. I also produce rock bands and I do co-writes, where I write with different singers in bands and songwriters.”

Writing Different Done Used Stuff Rocks Produce Industry Lucky Band Singers Used To Be Songwriters Solo Music Industry Rock Bands Good Bands

Author:James Iha

“Composing is just another exciting thing. It's as exciting as being in a band. It's kind of like joining a new band for three months.”

Kind Three Months Band Exciting Joining Composing Three Months Exciting Things

Author:James Iha

“I suppose listening to a double album is kind of like going to the chiropractor... It's pretty good for you but you can't force it on anyone else.”

Kind Force Listening Albums

Author:James Iha

“I love a lot of the New York bands, but Patti Smith stands out. I just read 'Just Kids' and it's an inspirational, well-written account of an emerging New York artist in the late seventies.”

Wells Kids Artist Written New York Band Late Accounts Standing Out Seventies Emerging Well Written Just Kids

Author:James Iha

“Even from a listening end now, I'm still completely a fan of music.”

Stills Ends Fans Listening

Author:James Iha

“And they kind of left to find a guitar player at the very end, so you know, I don't really take it as any slight that I wasn't able to play on the record. It's flattering just to play with them period.”

Knows Kind Ends Play Able Left Records Player Periods Guitar Flattering Guitar Player

Author:James Iha

“But, yeah, as far as Asian Americans go, I hope they know they can look at me and see that they can do music on their own, within a band or just on their own, and not feel like there's any barriers. I've never felt any particular barriers myself, being who I am.”

Knows Feels Looks Felt Can Do Particular Band Yeah Who I Am Barriers Look At Me Asian Asian American

Author:James Iha

“I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago.”

Grew Grew Up Chicago Suburbs

Author:James Iha

“I live most of the time in New York now. I have an apartment there.”

New York Apartment

Author:James Iha

“I mean I like pop music, and I like heavy music and, stuff that I like... the band I've signed on to our label right now; they're called The Sounds. They're kind of like a new-wave pop band.”

Kind Mean Stuff Sound Right Now Band Wave Heavy Pops Labels Pop Music Heavy Music Pop Bands

Author:James Iha

“If you put all the songs together that I've written on band records, and put it up next to my solo record, there's definitely a different kind of feel than Billy's songs.”

Ifs Feels Kind Different Together Song Next Records Written Band Different Kinds Solo

Author:James Iha

“It's hard enough to make a good song and a good recording of that song. But to try to tailor it to some outside force is just like - It's never been a factor in what I've done or what the band's done.”

Trying Hard Done Enough Song Force Band Factors Tailors

Author:James Iha

“Musicians always come off sounding a little bit pretentious, and a little bit... I don't know, hypocritical, from what they do, talking about strong issues.”

Knows Littles Strong Bits Talking Issues Little Bit Musician Pretentious Hypocritical

Author:James Iha

“No, I've heard over the years that it's nice for them to see somebody who's like, you know, a well-known successful musician who's Asian. I've heard it from a few musicians, too.”

Knows Years Wells Known Successful Nice Heard Like You Musician Well Known Asian

Author:James Iha

“So there was something of a learning curve with doing your own thing and people seeing you outside of the band. I mean, people have never really heard my voice before - or heard a whole record of mine before. So it was a completely new experience.”

People Mean Whole Voice Records Seeing Heard Mines Band Curves Mean People New Experiences Learning Curve Doing Your Own Thing

Author:James Iha

“There is a lot of work just in terms of traveling and logistics and people and gear and all that kind of stuff. But I never really have problems playing music. That never seems like work.”

People Kind Problem Seems Stuff Term Gears Playing Music Logistics

Author:James Iha

“We have a partnership deal with New Line Records, which is part of New Line Cinema, and... I worked on that.”

Lines Deals Records Cinema Partnership

Author:James Iha

“Well, I always hope that I'm a role model.”

Wells Roles Models Role Models

Author:James Iha

“Well, I'm pretty domestic actually. I walk my dog. I go grocery shopping. I hang out with friends. I'm pretty normal, whatever normal is, on my off time.”

Wells Walks Dog Normal Hanging Out Shopping My Dog Groceries Grocery Shopping

Author:James Iha

“All the bands I've played with have had dynamic front men.”

Men Fronts Band

Author:James Iha

“I like a lot of different kinds of music. I like strong projects, big music.”

Kind Different Bigs Strong Projects Different Kinds Different Kinds Of Music

Author:James Iha

“I like the challenges of doing different things. It keeps things fresh for me.”

Different Challenges Different Things

Author:James Iha

“I started a recording studio. I started producing people and doing remixes.”

People Studios Recording Studio Remix

Author:James Iha

“After 12 intense years of rock music, I was happy to get away from making a record and going out on a tour. When I did it, I wanted to feel inspired. After a while I finally had my fill working on other people's music, and I started coming up with music on my own and said, 'This could be for me.”

People Feels Years Said Wanted My Own Records Rocks Inspired Intense Get Away Going Out Rock Music

Author:James Iha

“At some point, I had to make a decision: I could practice more and become a really great guitar player or I could work on writing better songs. There are only so many hours in the day, and I found writing songs more fulfilling than working on becoming this virtuoso guitar player.”

Writing Song Found Hours Decision Practice Player Becoming Guitar Fulfilling Really Great Writing Songs Guitar Player Virtuoso Hours In The Day

Author:James Iha

“I play and I've played in heavy bands, but when I write for myself, I don't particularly feel like writing huge rock riffs. It just doesn't work for me and my voice.”

Feels Writing Play Voice Rocks Huge Band Heavy

Author:James Iha

“I think if you're able to make the music you want and you can do it in the right kind of context, you don't have to be a circus ringleader to be successful.”

Ifs Thinking Want Kind Able Can Do Successful Being Successful You Can Do It Circus Of Context

Author:James Iha

“It's much easier to work on other people's music and play in other people's bands as a guitar player instead of being the main songwriter and singer. That's a really big job to do that.”

People Play Bigs Jobs Player Easier Band Guitar Singers Songwriters Guitar Player

Author:James Iha

About the Author

Born: March 26, 1968
Known for: Musician
Quotes: 36

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