Music Coast caught up with Jimmy James of @TrueLovesBand at @WaterfrontBlues 2026 in Portland, Oregon for a conversation about instrumental storytelling, groove, restraint, Seattle soul-funk, and how a band can make a whole crowd move without saying a word.
Jimmy talks about how True Loves tell stories without lyrics — through horns, bass, drums, percussion, guitar, space, rhythm, and feel. He also breaks down why simplicity matters, how one note can say a lot, and why groove is almost like speaking.
We also get into:
- Telling a story without lyrics
- Why simplicity keeps a groove from being overplayed
- “Dopus No. 1” and the influences behind the track
- Leaving space in the music
- James Brown, Motown, The Meters, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Al Green’s Hi Rhythm Section, and the session players who shaped Jimmy’s guitar approach
- Seattle soul-funk roots and Pacific Northwest influence
- How True Loves fit into the wider blues, soul, funk, jazz, and roots story
- Why everything in the band functions like a drum
- Balancing tight arrangements with room to improvise
- “Good Weed & Red Wine” and “Dopus No. 1” as songs that represent where True Loves are right now
- Jimmy’s closing advice: “If you don’t feel it, don’t play.”
True Loves are currently pushing “Dopus No. 1” and “Good Weed & Red Wine,” with more records and shows ahead.
🎤 Interview by Music Coast
📍 Waterfront Blues Festival 2026 — Portland, Oregon
