Hot new singer/songwriter Kelley James is heading back to Oz this month for his Oakley tour. We caught up with him to chat about summer, music and girls.
What's your favourite thing about summer?
The sun. Terrible answer, I know, but I hate gloomy weather. Seeing the sun in morning makes me smile. When it's overcast I want to stay in bed with a DVD and turn off my phone. It's not the worst thing in the world once in a while, but it's definitely not the way I like to spend my days.
What's your summer soundtrack?
Summer soundtracks are all about guilty pleasures, songs that your friends would make fun of you for. The best strategy is to have a girl make you a mix CD — then you can blame it on her when your friends question your credibility.
Who are your musical influences?
The first music I listened to was grunge — everything from Nirvana, Pearl Jam to Stone Temple Pilots. I moved into Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, then hip-hop, everything from 2Pac to Bone Thugs. When I started playing guitar at 12 my interests moved towards artists like Ben Harper, Third Eye Blind and Sublime. Today I listen to everything from Frank Sinatra to Lil Wayne.
What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for a girl?
I dated a girl who was going to be in the UK on her birthday so I went to her house and got dozens of pictures of her throughout her life then went to my house and matched every photo of hers with a photo of me at the exact same age doing the exact same thing. I made a giant book and wrote captions for everything. Then I wrote and recorded a love song and sent it to her on her birthday.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Mandy Moore. Most guys will pick some chick on the cover of some scandalous magazine, but I'm looking for that normal girl who's got a certain glow.
What's the worst thing a girl can do in a relationship?
Cheat. Nothing in this world is worse that than. It undermines everything else in the relationship.
What's the last song you downloaded to your iPod?
'Love Lockdown' [by] Kanye West.
Tell us about how you got hooked up with Oakley
I played at an Oakley party during the Sundance Film Festival last January. It was an incredible night. I've always loved Oakley shades and was honoured when they asked me to do a couple more parties. The relationship grew since then, as they support all my tours in the States. There aren't many major companies that would whole-heartedly support an up-and-coming musician, and for that I'm extremely grateful.
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