Name: Jim Rolland aka Jimmy Sax

Nationality: French

Occupation: Saxophonist, composer
Current Release: Jimmy Sax's "A Million Miles," featuring Steve Edwards, is out now.
Recommendations: Year after year I'm still listening to BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB in a loop. This is a major piece for me.
I would also say “Shine on you crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd

If you enjoyed this Jimmy Sax interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit him on Instagram, and Facebook.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

Inspiration can come from different things - sometimes just 3 or 4 notes from a song that I heard, or a movie I watched. They'll generate a light, then I'm obsessed and have to record it .

Usually when I start I go really fast in the process, and don’t stay on it for days or weeks. I have to finish fast.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

I never know where I’m going to finish!

Of course I have an idea when I start but a chord progression or a drum that I change in the process can drive me in a totally different direction. After that, I follow my instinct.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

I like to start with harmony! That’s the first thing that I'm chasing. Then the lead theme, then the orchestration.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

Not really.

But I love composing. Once I've started, I can spend days in the studio without counting hours.

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

I see lyrics in two different ways. In the first case, they're REALLY important if I want to talk about something personal in a pop way.

In the second case, they're just an accessory if it's a dance track with a good mood.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

Lyrics need to be personal, deep and honest!

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

Yes I'm more into the second case, I follow the river. 

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Sometimes I found a riff or a theme on a track then realize that it fits way better on another track.

When you're in the studio to record a piece, how important is the actual performance and the moment of performing the song still in an age where so much can be “done and fixed in post?“

I really want to record something in a row! I don't do line by line. I really want to be able to reproduce it live, so sometimes I «practice» the line in the studio while recording until it's good!

Of course there are cases when we have to do line by line to get the perfection that is not attainable live (and that would not be nice too).  

Perfection is not human, there is no feeling in this. I don't care if I make mistakes performing live. I care about the energy, the vibe!

Even recording a solo song is usually a collaborative process. Tell me about the importance of trust between the participants, personal relationships between musicians and engineers and the freedom to perform and try things – rather than gear, technique or “chops” - for creating a great song.

This is everything to me. I like teams, I like to share.


Jimmy Sax Interview Image by Sylvain Vincent

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (performance)?  

For me it's a big part of the track. I love production (I am not good at it but I LOVE it).

Of course I am there for every step of the process for the tracks and I take a strong role in the mix. This can change the track so much.

Especially with the sax. I like to mix it like a voice, but not to much up front but rather right in the middle.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

It takes me a long, long time to go back to composition after releasing an album. The process is too intense. I put all of myself into it. I listen to each track thousands of times, each version etc .

Even the track listing is a nightmare. Finding the right one to tell the best story possible. So I am empty after all that for months.

Music is a language, but like any language, it can lead to misunderstandings. In which way has your own work – or perhaps the work of artists you like or admire - been misunderstood? How do you deal with this?

I don’t care about what people are thinking. I need to be satisfied.

If I am, I'm in the right direction.