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Guitarist, singer-songwriter and multifaceted frontman “Jimmy” James Haynes has played shows with legends such as Bob Dylan and Morris Day and the Time, but he’ll gladly “funk” up a house party any day of the week. You name a Burque venue, he’s probably played it over the last 15 years, and he’ll have no problem getting a crowd busting out their best — and weirdest — dance moves as a solo artist or with any number of Albuquerque’s most talented musicians in bands such as Merican Slang, Jimmy’s Famjamily, Boss DJ or Tony O’s Greatest Band Ever (Start Making Sense). His style is versatile and a bit hard to pin down, but check out one of his live performances and you’ll have Haynes’ raspy vocals, bluesy off-the-cuff guitar solos and infectious hooks vibrating through your bones for days.
Will you describe your sound for us?
My sound is similar to all the music I’ve grown up with and discovered over the years, often through friends or family. I would describe it as incorporating a lot of diatonic chords. My biggest influences in guitar, singing and songwriting are Brad Nowell [of Sublime] and John Fogerty [of Creedence Clearwater Revival], and my favorite thing to play is a sad country song. When I perform solo, my sound shifts compared to playing with a band. But I’m pretty sure I just gave you a politician-type answer to a simple — or not-so-simple — question. That’s why in Merican Slang we always just say we’re funk. Sure we play a little this, a little that, but nobody wants the long-winded answer, and “funk” really explains our music’s purpose the best. I guess I could have just said my sound is a funky reggae style.
What are your favorite venues to play and why?
I love playing at parties, especially personal ones at someone’s house, and festival shows are a blast too. One of my all-time favorites is High Mountain Hideout, which was hands down the greatest music festival ever during the years it ran — shout out to Mike and Monica Gerdes. In Albuquerque, I have to give respect to Joe Anderson, Barney [Lopez] and The Launchpad. Joe used to have a bar called Low Spirits, and that was my favorite spot here. I really miss it. I also miss playing at Molly’s, but honestly, any East Mountain venue is great because the people there come out with the best energy and dance moves. Another of my favorites is The Spirit Room in Jerome, Arizona. Isotopes Park was pretty cool too. My favorite venue in the 505 is Left Turn Distillery. I’ve also come to really enjoy playing music at the Momo Lounge at The Monterey Motel. My creative juices are most primed at these two locations for sure.
What are your lyrics about?
Dude, anything is fair game. I have songs that were poems written by a buddy in high school, a song that was inspired by birds sitting on a wire, a song inspired by a donkey show in Juarez, an imagery-filled metaphorical song about friends, a song my little sister and I wrote at a horse motel that’s about enjoying each moment, a song about a funky robot who has a dance, I mean, I’m all over the board as far as that’s concerned. Sometimes my lyrics are written in the moment at a bar.
What bands or genres inspire your music?
Credence Clearwater Revival, Sublime, 311, Bob Marley, Mondo Vibrations, Johnny Cosmic, Matt Pavolaitis, all the Hank Williams — one through four — Willie [Nelson], Waylon [Jennings], David Allen Coe, Phish. Fuck, man: Hanson, Beastie Boys, Jurassic 5, Radiohead, it’s endless! Music from the ’50s all the way to the 2000s.
What is the best show you have ever played and why?
The next one, because any time I get the chance to play and someone’s receiving and giving back that pure raw positive energy, it’s the stuff I long for. It fulfills and inspires me more and more each time I play a show with Tony O and the Greatest Band Ever (Start Making Sense). The best shows in the running would be a Merican Slang show at the Spirit Room on Halloween when we dressed as the Ghostbusters or Merican Slang’s very first gig where we opened for Bob Dylan and he told us to turn that shit down.
Check out a video of Merican Slang performing “Living In America” for the ABQ LIVE sessions here.
Check out James Haynes’ doing a stripped-down performance of “Wrote Your Own Song” here.
Haynes’ resume is super-stacked so hit up Mericanjim on Facebook or Instagram for tons of upcoming shows, music, videos and more. He hosts a bunch of open mics around town and welcomes anyone and everyone to share the small stage with him.
His music is available on all major streaming platforms under the band names Merican Slang and Jimmy’s Jupiter. Get a load of the “Funk Jam” and the full-length Jimmy’s Jupiter album Times Like These here.
Check out Haynes’ Youtube channel Merican Jim, Jimmy James Haynes with tons of live performances here.