James Pants' Golden Oldies

• Words: Jennifer Marston

James Pants is a thrift store-scouring, music obsessive from Spokane, Washington, and when we say his music sounds exactly like that description, we mean it as a profound compliment. His newest album, Welcome, is full of spot-on grooves that trip sensors last toggled in 1984. Here, Pants tells us how he went from being a teenage Peanut Butter Wolf fan to a key player on Wolf's label. He also gives us a taste of the "Golden Oldies" act he's warming up crowds with while on tour with Jamie Lidell.