James Gillespie has been on a run these last few years. Once relegated to filler spots on the folk festival circuit, as a direct result of his 2017 single “What You Do” and his cover of P!nk’s “Don’t Let Me Get Me” (along with joining the pop star on-stage during select tour stops) his fan numbers now push into the millions.
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A quick listen to any of his recorded material however and it is immediately clear, folk is not where Gillespie belongs. Not in the pure sense of the term anyhow. With vocals reminiscent of Rob Thomas with perhaps an outer rim tinge of Butch Walker, Gillespie is every bit an indie rocker now standing in a well-deserved spotlight.
Now as he begins to lean into launch mode for his new album due out later this year, he has partnered with American Songwriter to premiere “Rescue Me” as the first taste of that collection.
Built on an eerily gospel-like chorus and subtle echo-chamber effects, Gillespie is unafraid to be vulnerable as he stands and accepts being the reason a relationship didn’t work out. To some, that may be too personal to display but for Gillespie, emotive and admissive was the only way to go.
“Rescue Me’ takes a deep look into a messed-up relationship that’s entirely my fault,” admits James. “It’s about wanting to be saved and at the same time knowing you don’t deserve to be. It’s realizing that you’ve been broken since the beginning and no matter what you do – that won’t change. All that’s left is to pretend that you’re not until it all falls down around you.”
Much the way he has approached his music in the past, Gillespie continues to keep both hands on the wheel from the song writing through the production of the tune. Albeit carried upon his shoulders, the song also benefits from Gillespie’s relationship with collaborator and friend Andy Hall Hall and acclaimed songwriter and producer Charlie Hugall (Florence and the Machine, Ed Sheeran, Halsey, Swim Deep, Kaiser Chiefs).
Still riding the wave from his 2019’s Safe, Gillespie’s music has surpassed 70 million streams with nearly a million daily listeners on the strength of singles such as ‘Beyond Today’ amongst new hits in ‘ICFTI’ and ‘Someday Sunday.’ Given the strength of “Rescue Me,” those numbers seem poised to only keep growing.
