Episode 37: James Curd – Modern Living/Greenskeepers

Modern Living. Credit: Easy Feel

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By his own admission, James Curd isn’t exactly a household name. However, the chances are pretty good that you’ve been exposed to his work at some point over the years.

Having launched his musical career back in Chicago in the ‘90s, James rose to fame as part of the group Greenskeepers, which managed to find a bit of widespread fame thanks to songs like ‘Lotion’. If you found yourself listening to triple j back in 2004, then the Silence Of The Lambs-inspired ‘Lotion’ is one that you probably remember very well.

But apart from that, James is pretty prolific. See, he’s also made plenty of music for the Grand Theft Auto series as well. I’m going to guess you might have heard of that one. 

But it doesn’t end there either, because in addition to scoring other projects, his name can be found as part of other musical endeavours as well, including Favored Nations, Tone Brigade, and Holy Models. Additionally, he’s also part of Modern Living, which is something of a full-circle moment given that the other half of the band is the Greenskeepers’ Mark Share.

Together, they’ve been making plenty of amazing music, working with names like Josh Pyke, Jordi James from San Cisco, DRAMA, Nick Littlemore, and more to craft something that I think you really need to hear.

These days, James is still a globe-trotting musician, though he’s based in Adelaide, South Australia, meaning that all these Australian collaborations are making a lot more sense.

James was kind enough to join me for the podcast this week, and I can’t thank him enough for taking the time.

So, I strongly urge you to check out Modern Living’s new material, bump some classic Greenskeepers gear, and once you’re done giving that a spin, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

James Curd’s Trusty Chords

James’ One (Well, Two) Influential Artists

1. Derrick Carter/Electric Light Orchestra

James’ Three Impactful Albums

1. A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993)

2. Air – Moon Safari (1998)

3. Jon Brion – Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind [Soundtrack] (2004)

James’ Five Trusty Songs (And Two Honourable Mentions)

1. Electric Light Orchestra – 'Mr. Blue Sky' (1978)

2. Lil Louis – 'French Kiss' (1989)

3. Pailhead – 'I Will Refuse' (1987)

4. Chez Damier & Stacey Pullen – 'Forever Monna' (1995)

5. The Smiths – 'This Charming Man' (1983)

6. Belle & Sebastian – ‘I Want The World To Stop’ (2011)

7. The Shoes – ‘Time To Dance’ (2012)