Conversations

At Home With Jim James, A Conversation About One Record

Jim James was 21 years old and shopping at Ear X-tacy, the legendary Louisville record store, when he first discovered the George Harrison album that would change his life.

Jim James plays ‘All Things Must Pass’ by George Harrison on his M1 record console. Photo by Sheva Kafai

Harrison died in 2001, not long after James discovered All Things Must Pass, so for him “it took on this cosmic thing, this extra sadness, because I was just so in love with this music… It’s crazy because [the album] is so long, but the whole thing is just so deep and so wise, and there’s some of it that’s so silly and childlike. It’s really a bold, brave statement from somebody that was so successful. ”All Things Must Pass" was important enough in James’s musical evolution that in 2009, his first solo EP, Tribute to, consisted entirely of Harrison covers. “My Sweet Lord,” in particular, is in constant rotation. “The word ‘God’ or the word ‘Lord,’ to me, means a more universal consciousness. I believe we are all God and that God is love and God is everything.” he says. “With ‘My Sweet Lord,’ I just feel this universal wash of love. There’s a certain hypnosis; it’s almost like air to me. It sustains me and keeps me alive the way really no other song has, because it doesn’t project itself. Alice Coltrane’s music is similar to me, where there’s this beautiful expansion of consciousness and love and god and awareness—this deep ache of what we go through on Earth, trying to understand our role in the cosmic scheme of it all.”

  • The crackle of vinyl has the power to elevate even the simplest of moments—morning coffee, a slow evening by the fire, or the gentle rhythm of snowfall outside your window. With this in mind, we’ve handpicked a collection of albums designed to complement the season, each offering a distinct kind of coziness when played through a Wrensilva.

  • Miles Davis – In a Silent Way (1969)

    Envelops listeners in a warm, hypnotic blend of ambient jazz fusion.

  • FKJ - Just Piano (2021)

    A minimalist masterpiece of gentle, improvised piano compositions that flows calmly. Ideal backdrop for slow evenings spent curled up indoors.

  • Junip - Fields (2010)

    Earthy folk melodies with dreamy, synth-infused textures, carried by José González's serene vocals.

  • Arthur Verocai – Arthur Verocai (1972)

    Lazy morning jazz out of Brazil. A legendary album that deeply influenced hip-hop sampling.

  • Bon Iver – Bon Iver (2011)

    A sonic tapestry, layered with intricate harmonies and lush instrumentation, that is both intimate and expansive, evoking a sense of longing and nostalgia.

  • Weyes Blood - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow (2022)

    Creates an atmosphere of wonder with its blended genres and soothing vocals.

  • Each of these selections was chosen for its ability to transport, soothe, and enrich your winter rituals. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the luxury of slowing down.

At home Jim listens to a Wrensilva M1 Record Console in Natural Walnut.

When James mentions that he breathes “My Sweet Lord” like air, he means almost literally. “Sometimes for weeks or months, I really don’t listen to any other songs. I listen to it on vinyl a lot, but I listen to it on Spotify in the car or wherever, and every single year when they do Spotify Wrapped and present your top song to you and it’s this big surprise: ‘Your top song of 2019 was ‘My Sweet Lord.’ Every single year, ‘My Sweet Lord’ comes on. ‘You’re in the 999999th percentile.’ They’re like, ‘What’s wrong with this dude,” he laughs. My Morning Jacket is currently in the studio recording their tenth studio album (out early 2025), and besides that, they’re almost constantly on the road touring. So when he first used his Wrensilva console, he “just sat there and cranked it and really bathed in it” on vinyl. (He also listened to Eddie Dunstedter’s Where Dreams Come True, an album of songs on pipe organ from 1961.) James decided to place his console where his TV was mounted, and so when it arrived, he simply “ripped [the TV] off the wall. So now when I walk in I see this beautiful piece of reality.”

“There are so many records you’ve found that you really don’t remember the exact moment you found it, but this one—I remember the day…”

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