The Wharf Sessions: Jimmy Two Shoes & The Lost Soles
Jimmy Two Shoes & The Lost Soles are a 3-piece group from Salmon Arm, BC that together create an old timey, acoustic, folky, jug bandy sound. We had so much fun recording with the boys at Song Sparrow Hall, and can still hear their “call me a dogs” when we look at these images.
James, aka Jimmy Two Shoes, answered the interview questions that we sent their way. We hope you enjoy reading, and stream/download to their tune Call Me A Dog When I’m Gone.
1. How did the band come together?
We are a spin-off from Seal Skull Hammer: a 3-piece that had been around for almost 10 years and was made up of Darrin Herting (Frankie Seal), John Fleming (Johnny Skull) and Alton Gowan (AJ Hammer). I, James Clark, joined the band as Jimmy Two Shoes on bass in late 2018 . John sadly passed away in January of 2020 and over the last year we've slowly been working on the band we currently are today.
2. Who writes your music, and what does the process look/feel/sound like?
Darrin has written the majority of the originals from Seal Skull Hammer that we continue to play, but there has also been collaborative writing with AJ and Johnny. In the last year when re-working past originals and gathering some new songs its mainly been a case of playing them through a bunch of times, experimenting with instrument selection, vocal arrangements and harmonies, and finally smaller details.
3. How has the pandemic affected your band?
The initial lockdown gave us some much needed time to process the loss of Johnny. At that time playing any gigs was the last thing we wanted to do. We did participate in a few online/recorded performances later in 2020 and it was a big challenge having not felt like we had the time to figure out who we were as a band without him. And I still think that challenge continues to this day.
You would think lockdown might have given us that extra creative time but we find we're missing those opportunities to play around and experiment with new ideas in a casual setting, and get real feedback from friends and musicians. We really miss the Sunnybrae Coffeehouse open-mic and other gigs like that.
Musically we have had some time to pick and play songs just because we like them. And from there we've slowly chosen ones we'd like to perform sometime. Slowly but surely we're finding some sort of new sounds!
4. What was it like to come together to record at Song Sparrow Hall?
The focus on audio made the atmosphere a lot more relaxed and we all had a blast after having a break from playing together over the winter! We also got the chance to play one of our newly chosen songs which felt pretty refreshing, and I got to have some fun on the upright bass which is a big change for me from the washtub...
5. What would a dream summer performance schedule look like for your band?
Perhaps a few low-key local gigs, or signing up at the Sunnybrae Coffee to play 3 songs. Being able to socialize with folks again and just enjoy playing music for the sake of playing music.
6. Tell us the story behind the song Call Me A Dog When I’m Gone that’s on the album.
A traditional also known as Ten Dollar Bill and Black Dog Blues. We first heard it off a guy by the name of Frank Fairfield: a musician from Fresno, California. He plays it solo on a guitar. Darrin was picking it on AJ's stoop one practice night and eventually it became one we joined in on and practised on the regular.
7. I’m about to press play on your track, what’s the ideal listening setup?
Sitting on a front porch on a sunny afternoon with some close friends and a few beverages of your choosing. No fancy speaker system required!
The Arts Centre is grateful for the support it receives from its sponsors, without whom this project would not be possible: SASCU, Chad Eliason Mortgage Broker, Askew’s Foods, the Armstrong Regional Co-op, Johnston Meier Insurance, Grant Thornton, Stella-Jones, Shuswap Tourism, the City of Salmon Arm, and the Government of British Columbia.
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Photography by Kate Fagervik