Who? From the outside, former Q and Not U drummer John Davis and his friend, songstress Laura Burhenn, don’t seem to have much in common (aside from having perfectly tousled hair). However, in their new collaboration Georgie James, it seems opposites attract: Burhenn’s singer/songwriter attention to craft has met its match in Davis’ past experience with larger, multi-layered production. Their three-song debut single, Need Your Needs, is out now on Burhenn’s own Laboratory Records label. The pair anticipates the release of their first full-length album later this year. What’s the Deal? Need Your Needs is what happens when two musicians with eclectic taste team up and jam. Filled with more hooks than a tacklebox and crystalline harmonies, it’s as if Davis and Burhenn rifled through their record collections and riffed gleefully on the influences of their past. “Need Your Needs” is a catchy combination of the glitter of Chic with the modern guitar rock of Ted Leo. “Cake Parade” hides its political message under an opening that has echoes of ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” and the best of Supertramp. Rounding out the set is a spare interpretation of “El Condor Pasa [If I Could]”, the Peruvian folk song popularized by Simon & Garfunkel.Fun Fact: As for their musical moniker, Davis and Burhenn brainstormed on what the platonic ideal of a songwriter with all their favorite traits would be called. Going for something “androgynous” and “glam” (with Ziggy Stardust already being taken), they settled on Georgie James. BRIANA MOWREY Now Hear This: Georgie James – “Need Your Needs” DOWNLOAD MP3 On the Web: georgiejames.com
Talk: Does Georgie James meet your Needs?
