COVER & SONS

James Cover has been immersed in music throughout his entire life. He became absorbed in music as child in the mid 1980s. He would constantly listen to the music that his siblings purchased, and would always take the time to watch and study his brother break dance. Cover was so inspired by his brother’s dancing, that he honed Michael Jackson’s famous moonwalk as well as that era’s robot dance. The first record Cover purchased was a 45 called “19” by Paul Hardcastle. This track and its electronic electro sound had such an enormous impact that Cover still cites it to this day as a primary musical influence.By the early 1990s, Cover was an avid fan of hip-hop music and culture. He would rush home from school for lunch everyday to watch MuchMusic’s Rap City. It was during this same time that he became captivated by another musical genre, which centred around or grew out of rave culture: he became engrossed in jungle or drum n’ bass music. He attended underground parties or raves and clubs for many years throughout his tenure in high school. Cover was so infatuated and fascinated with the music, that he had no interest in the availability of LSD or ecstasy which were popular with many of those who did attend. Cover was a fixture in Toronto’s scene for many years and had the opportunity to deejay at underground parties.While vacationing in Los Angeles in the latter part of the decade, Cover attended a punk rock concert which ignited a spark within him to form a band. He did go onto form the pop-punk outfit Not By Choice with his friends and rehearsed on bass guitar. Cover did have fun with his friends, but he did not find it completely fulfilling and decided to move on. Although there was a spark from the punk rock concert, it has been reggae, ska, soul, jazz, afro beat, dub, folk , drum n’ bass, electronic, classical, rare groove, surf, rock and rock steady music which have had a profound impact on Cover. He taught himself how to play proper reggae bass lines by listening to and playing along with reggae records. Cover would also study his jungle records, and particularly those with reggae samples, as well as studying the dub reggae inspired bass lines predominantly used in jungle music.By the turn of the millennium, Cover was not only singing in a band called 747, but he also moved to downtown Toronto and began deejaying in a bar called the Rivoli, a hot spot for engaging music. The band he had formed during this time, 747, had disbanded, so Cover started a new band called Overstand. He also purchased four track recording equipment and began writing his own material. It was during this time that Cover decided to get in touch with his roots, and travelled to his father’s native Jamaica, as well as England where his mother’s family originated. Cover also worked in the United Arab Emirates for a few months, performing in a soul and reggae pop band in an exclusive hotel and resort.Cover has set up his own home studio with various recording equipment: a computer, a midi controller, mixer, soundboard. He has also amassed a peculiar array of musical instruments, including an electric and acoustic guitar, a bass, kazoo, rain stick, harmonica and thumb piano, and several record crates from which james lifts samples from. Cover loves the fact that he is now able to fully capture a musical idea or concept, while making a meal or doing chores, by having it recorded in his studio within minutes.Cover’s current musical project, Cover & Sons, has recently performed live at the Hamilton Hemp Festival and the OM Festival. He continues to write and record music, deejay, and is still keen on forming a band. Cover is also actively involved in Shocks of Mighty,a soundsystem/dj based party that is a charitable non-profit foundation...