After playing banjo in the Austin-based indie-bluegrass group Whiskey Shivers throughout the 2010s, James Bookert’s project San Gabriel feels like quite the change of pace—and not just because its woozy synths harken back to the chillwave movement carrying out alongside his old band’s rise to fame. Rather than embark on a European tour at the dawn of the pandemic, Bookert opted to switch gears and focus on solo recordings cobbled together during his downtime working at a local East Austin liquor store. “I was able to write and record music during my shift, as long as the shelves were stocked,” he recalls. “My boss was really cool, and he’d let me come in on Sundays when the shop was closed and work on music, or record guitars or vocals.”
It’s this rift in his calm present and chaotic past that he focuses on with the latest single from his forthcoming debut Nights and Weekends. “Alone in My Room” feels a bit like an alternate history in its invocation of groups like Neon Indian and Washed Out, though ultimately it’s a reflection on the period of transition from touring full-time in 2020 to a more isolated daily life. “By this point in our career, our tours had devolved into over-the-top partying and general shenanigans that I no longer wanted to be a part of,” he recalls. “And while the shows were growing in size, it was no longer a safe or healthy environment.”
He continues on to note that “Alone in My Room” explicitly navigates the emotional journey to where he is today, “knowing that, career-wise, I could be making the wrong decision, but following my gut and deciding to pursue my own music. In short, ‘Alone in My Room’ is me confronting FOMO head on and dealing with a terrifyingly uncertain future while stocking shelves, dealing with customers, and filling Uber Eats orders.”
Check out the track below, along with a solo live version filmed in front of a glorious natural backdrop of Emigrant Lake in Ashland, Oregon. Additionally, you can stream or playlist the track here, and pre-order Nights and Weekends ahead of its August 15 release here. Proceeds from the release will benefit the nonprofit Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, which aims to provide access to affordable healthcare for musicians within the city.
