James Bay, the tousle-haired British rocker known for that signature blend of sincerity and guitar-fueled anthems, is back with Changes All the Time, his fourth album that dials into what he calls a "homecoming" to his own sound. It’s been quite a journey for Bay, who, since his debut, has been wrestling with that tricky balance between personal exploration and fan expectations. “I’m at a point where I’m more connected to my fans than ever before,” Bay tells Kyle Meredith, a hint of relief in his voice as he reflects on what it means to create after three albums of big hits and sold-out shows. And with Changes All the Time, Bay gives his listeners a raw, pared-down experience, shedding some of the sonic sheen to reveal a new kind of vulnerability that’s arguably his most real yet.
But this isn’t just a stripped-down folk album—it’s Bay’s reflection on what’s been working and what hasn’t, both in life and in the studio. “This time, I wanted to reconnect with why I started,” he explains. His second album, Electric Light, saw him pushing boundaries for himself, exploring synths, layered production, and new territories that were, in his words, “more for me.” Now, with Changes All the Time, Bay’s pulling back, choosing his chords and lyrics with the kind of intention that only comes from lived experience. Take “Speed Limit,” for example. Recorded in one take, the song has an almost fragile quality, Bay’s voice and guitar barely holding on, as if he’s afraid the whole thing might fall apart if he digs too deep. The song’s backstory is equally raw: “I was actually breaking the speed limit when I wrote that line,” Bay laughs, admitting that some songs come as epiphanies on the road.
In fact, that honesty is what makes Changes All the Time feel different. Unlike his previous work, this album doesn’t pull out the production stops. Instead, Bay and producer Gabe Simon decided to keep things simple—so simple, in fact, that on “Speed Limit,” Gabe used takeout chopsticks on the drums to keep the sound as light as possible. “It was all about keeping that delicacy,” Bay explains. He talks about the recording process with an almost reverent tone, knowing he could’ve spent hours polishing it but deciding to keep the imperfections intact. “There’s a brutal honesty in the one-take version,” he says, “and sometimes, it’s better to let things be as they are.”
And while Bay might have achieved a sound of nostalgic rock-and-roll wisdom, he’s still a bit of a sentimentalist. He recounts how “Up All Night” came to be, all because his engineer Mark Crew casually riffed on the piano between sessions. “He didn’t even realize he’d started something,” Bay recalls, shaking his head. It was a song born out of that spontaneity, with stomps and claps instead of a traditional drumbeat, and Bay let it ride, trusting the groove would find its way. “You can’t force those moments,” he adds, knowing full well that it’s this sort of alchemical magic that has always made his music stand out.
Bay’s reverence for raw, live energy also comes through in his talk about his touring gang, including names like The Lumineers and Noah Kahan. While both have taken their shows to stadiums, Bay, with a cheeky grin, admits he’s got his sights on that scale. But for now, he’s happy to stay grounded, jamming with his friends and dreaming of a supergroup that might rival the vibe of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. “I’d be down for that anytime,” he says.
For Bay, Changes All the Time is more than just an album; it’s a real-time snapshot of a guy coming into his own, making music that’s as much for him as it is for anyone else. “This album was about finding my way back,” he concludes. And maybe that’s the magic here—James Bay, stripped down and laid bare, delivering an album that, for all its fragility, feels as solid as ever.
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
