James Ford (musician)

James Ellis Ford (born 11 December 1978) is an English record producer and songwriter, known for being a member of Simian Mobile Disco and the Last Shadow Puppets as well as his production work with Arctic Monkeys, Blur, Depeche Mode, Foals, Florence and the Machine, Haim, Gorillaz, Klaxons, Jessie Ware, Kylie Minogue, Declan McKenna and the Pet Shop Boys.

James Ford
James Ford during Melt! Festival 2013
Background information
Birth name	James Ellis Ford
Born	(1978-12-11) 11 December 1978 (age 45) Leek, Staffordshire, England
Genres	Synth-pop indie rock indie pop
Occupations	Record producer songwriter remixer
Instruments	Drums percussion keyboards bass guitar guitar pedal steel guitar
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Warp
Member of	Simian Mobile Disco The Last Shadow Puppets
Formerly of	Simian
Website	jamesellisford.com

In 2023 he released a solo album The Hum on Warp Records.^[1]

Biography

James Ellis Ford was born on 11 December 1978^[2] in Staffordshire.^[3] Ford went to Manchester University, along with other members of Simian.^[4]

Ford was a founding member of the group Simian and later a member the spin-off duo Simian Mobile Disco.^[5]

He produced the Klaxons album Myths of the Near Future in 2007 which won the Mercury Prize.^[6] Also that year, he produced the Arctic Monkeys second album. He has done at least part of the production on each of the band's subsequent albums.^[6]

In 2008, he formed the Last Shadow Puppets with Miles Kane and Alex Turner, as both drummer and producer.^[7] Their debut album, The Age of the Understatement, earned the group a Mercury Prize nomination and also charted at No. 1 in the UK.^[6] Their second album, Everything You've Come to Expect, was released in 2016. Ford once again produced, also playing drums, percussion and keys. The record earned the group their second UK No. 1.

Ford produced and played keys on Arctic Monkeys' fifth album, AM, released in 2013.

Ford has produced Depeche Mode's 14th studio album Spirit released on 17 March 2017 as well as their 15th studio album Memento Mori, which was released on 24 March 2023. He also produced the fourth studio album of the UK band Everything Everything under the title A Fever Dream, released on 18 August 2017.

In 2018, Ford co-produced the Arctic Monkeys' sixth studio album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, as well as Gorillaz' sixth studio album The Now Now.

On 14 March 2023, it was announced he would be producing Pet Shop Boys' new album. He also produced the Last Dinner Party's first single "Nothing Matters", which was released in April 2023. He also co-produced Fat Dog’s debut single “King of the Slugs” with the band’s lead singer Joe Love, which was released on 21 August 2023. James Ford also produced Blur's ninth studio album, The Ballad of Darren, released in July 2023.

2024 saw Ford lead production on two of the year's most anticipated records from The Last Dinner Party and Fontaines D.C..

Discography

See Discography: Simian & Simian Mobile Disco

Studio albums

• 2023 – The Hum (Warp Records)^[8]

Production

Main article: James Ford production discography

• Fingathing – And the Big Red Nebula Band (co-producer; 2004)
• Garden – Round & Round (2005)
• Test Icicles – For Screening Purposes Only (2005)
• Absentee – Schmotime (2006)
• Duels – The Bright Lights and What I Should Have Learned (2006)
• Mystery Jets – Making Dens (2006)
• Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare (co-produced with Mike Crossey; 2007)^[6][9]
• The Bumblebeez – Prince Umberto & The Sister of Ill (2007)
• Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future (2007)^[6]
• The Lodger – Grown-Ups (2007)
• The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement (2008)^[10]
• Florence and the Machine – Lungs (4 tracks; co-produced with Paul Epworth, Charlie Hugall, Stephen Mackey and Eg White; 2009)^[6]
• Peaches – I Feel Cream (2009)
• Arctic Monkeys – Humbug (3 tracks; co-produced with Josh Homme; 2009)^[6]
• Crocodiles – Sleep Forever (2010)
• Detachments – Detachments (2010)
• Chrome Hoof – Crush Depth (2010)
• Alex Turner – Submarine EP (2011)^[11]
• Beth Ditto – Beth Ditto EP (2011)
• Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See (2011)
• Birdy – Birdy (2011)
• Florence and the Machine – Ceremonials (2011)
• Little Boots – Nocturnes (2013)
• Bill Ryder-Jones – A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart (additional production; 2013)
• Arctic Monkeys – AM (11 tracks; co-produced with Ross Orton; 2013)
• Haim – Days Are Gone (2 tracks; co-produced with Ludwig Göransson, Haim and Ariel Rechtshaid; 2013)
• Jessie Ware – Tough Love (2014)
• Mumford & Sons – Wilder Mind (2015)^[12]
• Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons – Message from the Other Side (2015)
• Foals – What Went Down (2015)^[13]
• Florence and the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015)
• Bill Ryder-Jones – West Kirby County Primary (additional production; 2015)
• The Last Shadow Puppets – Everything You've Come To Expect (2016)
• Alexandra Savior – Belladonna of Sadness (co-produced with Alex Turner); (2017)
• Depeche Mode – Spirit (2017)
• Little Dragon – Season High (additional production; 2017)
• Methyl Ethel – Everything Is Forgotten (co-produced with Jake Webb) (2017)
• Shock Machine – Shock Machine (2017)
• Declan McKenna – What Do You Think About the Car? (2017)
• Everything Everything – A Fever Dream (2017)
• Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (co-produced with Alex Turner; 2018)
• Gorillaz – The Now Now (co-produced with Damon Albarn; 2018)
• Matthew Dear – Bunny (1 track, co-produced with Jas Shaw; 2018)
• Florence and the Machine – Moderation (non-album single, co-produced with Matthew Daniel Siskin; 2019)
• Friendly Fires – Inflorescent (2 tracks, one co-produced with Mark Ralph; 2019)
• Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 (additional production; 2019)
• Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2 (additional production; 2019)
• Jessie Ware – What's Your Pleasure? (11 tracks out of 12; 4 co-produced; 2020)
• Gorillaz – Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez (3 tracks co-produced; 2020)
• Shame – Drunk Tank Pink (2021)
• Kylie Minogue – Disco: Guest List Edition (2021)
• Birdy – Young Heart (4 tracks; 2021)
• Arctic Monkeys – The Car (2022)^[9]
• The WAEVE – The WAEVE (2023)
• Depeche Mode – Memento Mori (2023)^[14]
• Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good! (6 tracks; 2023)
• Geese – 3D Country (2023)
• Blur – The Ballad of Darren (2023)
• Bill Ryder-Jones – Iechyd Da (mixing; 2024)
• The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy (2024)
• Pet Shop Boys – Nonetheless (2024)
• Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown (2024)
• Moon Diagrams - Cemetery Classics (2024)
• Fontaines D.C. – Romance (2024)

References

1. Rob, Dr. (2023-09-04). "Interview / James Ellis Ford / Warp". Ban Ban Ton Ton. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
2. Thomas, Fred. "James Ellis Ford Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
3. Allen, Jeremy (5 May 2023). "Features | A Quietus Interview | You Hum It, I'll Play It: James Ellis Ford Interviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
4. Chadbourne, Eugene. "James Ford". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
5. Michaels, Sean (2008-09-03). "One half of Simian Mobile Disco, very mobile indeed..." The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
6. Doyle, Tom. "James Ford: Producing Arctic Monkeys". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
7. Empire, Kitty (2008-04-19). "Gleeful monkey business on the side". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
8. Morris, Damien (2023-04-01). "One to watch: James Ellis Ford". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
9. Barton, Laura (2022-10-18). "Arctic Monkeys: The Car review – aching songs of soured dreams". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
10. Michaels, Sean (2008-02-20). "Alex Turner ready with new side project album". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
11. Michaels, Sean (2011-02-07). "Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner to make solo debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
12. Mokoena, Tshepo (2015-03-02). "Mumford & Sons announce details of third album Wilder Mind". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
13. Empire, Kitty (2015-08-30). "Foals: What Went Down review – an uneven balance of rhythm and bombast". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
14. Morris, Damien (2023-03-19). "Depeche Mode: Memento Mori review – a life-affirming farewell for Fletch". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-10-15.

External links

• Media related to James Ford (musician) at Wikimedia Commons