After years in the entertainment industry, there is one thing that James Reid longed for – creative freedom. And through his journey of self-discovery, music has been his constant partner.
On Pursuit of Creative Freedom through Careless Music
For most, James Reid would probably be known as an established actor with high-rated TV shows and blockbuster films under his belt. But in 2017, things started to shift for James. He released his debut album Palm Dreams, and so began his pursuit of creative freedom.
On our little trip down memory lane one afternoon, James recalled, “People knew me for something that wasn’t really me. I did a lot of acting, I did a lot of everything. But at that time, I really didn’t know who I was or what I wanted to do. And then I started writing and producing my own songs.” For James, the process served as a way for him to figure out who he wanted to be, and in that process, he found that doing music resonated more than anything he had done before.
Having been managed and guided by a management team through most of the early years in his career, James felt that having his own label was a good move to be able to take control and to gain creative freedom. Now, at 28 years old and helming the independent label Careless Music as Chairman and Founder, James exudes a more mature and self-assured aura—with years of practicing his creative freedom and doing music in his own way and terms.
For James, creative freedom is more than just being able to create the music that you want, “It’s also being able to collaborate with whoever I want to, [having a say in] the way the music is marketed, my image.. that’s all part of it.”
As an artist, he was able to find his own unique sound—proving his doubters wrong. “Even though people have told me this [my music] is not marketable, or this is not what people are looking for, but I did it anyway. It was well-received by the audience, not just my fans, but just everyone in general,” James shared. This motivated him to continue on in the path he chose.
Creative Freedom Meets Business
Navigating an unfamiliar path is no easy feat. Being a solo artist and running Careless Music together with his partners and colleagues are all part of James’ learning experience, and he admitted that they are still trying to figure things out. However, James believes that what distinguishes them from the rest is the people in the Careless team and their creative vision.
“I think the main difference with the way I run things at the label is that, money isn’t the goal; it’s really just the tool. Freedom is really a goal.” And as the creative industry continues to emerge and trends change in a snap, James is now bolder to take risks, explore new areas, and take different directions.
“Taking risks is where you find new stuff, that’s when you are able to break out of the mold. Those risks came with rewards, but sometimes with costs. But I am willing to take those risks, and I have the freedom to do so now,” James declares.
Images from the Hello music video shoot.
Some may describe the music of Careless as progressive, and this can be attributed to the solid collaboration between the label and their artists. Careless Music makes sure that the artist is involved every step of the way–from setting the direction, to production, down to marketing. “We run our company like a family business. I let the artists choose their direction and then we just back them up.” This approach ensures that the individuality and creativity of the artists will be reflected in their music and content.
As the head of the label and an artist himself, James passes on his learnings to his fellow artists. He recalled the time when Massiah shot a music video in his home town in Dumaguete. “We had some people edit it. But it didn’t feel right, so I told Massiah, ‘you know what, you should sit down with the editors and edit it the way you feel is right.’ And it turned out a lot better and more authentic. And I only know this because it’s what I’ve done. That’s how I saw the best results myself. That’s how it has to be for our other artists.”
But while creative freedom is of utmost importance, it’s not the only thing that matters. Because at the end of the day, the label is a business and any business need to be sustained. When asked how they balance the business side of the label and the views of the artists as creatives, James was honest to admit that this is one thing that they always struggle with. “It’s a paradox. I’ve thought about it for a very long time–balancing doing what you want, but then sacrificing the opportunity to make money. And then doing things that make money, but then sacrificing your creative freedom. And, you know, I’m not going to claim that we have absolute creative freedom versus everyone else because that is not true. There is a balance that you have to constantly work out. You will always be questioning if this is right or wrong. It’s something we’re still figuring out.”
Going Global
Nowadays, we see a lot of Asian artists starting to make waves in the global music scene. Being in the streaming age and with streaming platforms popping up more than ever, it’s now easy to discover new music wherever you are. James believes that for them to have a future in music, it has to be heard globally. Now, they are setting their sights on efforts to reach a wider audience—beyond just the Philippines. They’ve been working with LA-based producers, doing remixes for international artists, promoting on different streaming platforms, creating content, and collaborating with bigger artists. Music, after all, transcends boundaries, and it’s all the more true in this digital age.
As more and more independent labels arise, it’s a sign that more artists are willing to take a different route when it comes to music. While the future of music looks promising, James said, “I think where this is all going to make sense, is as soon as people start collaborating with each other. Collaboration is the key to [I think] the success of these indie labels. We just have to open up our doors to each other and we gotta team up.”
Careless Music is a young label, but with their current roster of artists, the rest of the year will surely be filled with new music and content from the Careless Music team. “I have a few more international collaborations coming out very soon, Massiah is about to release his debut album, Jolianne is also working on music as well as collaborations, and I have a new single coming out this year,” James excitedly shared their projects.
To keep up to date with Careless Music’s projects, follow them them on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Learn more at www.carelessmusic.com.
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