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INTERVIEW WITH EMF’S JAMES ATKIN

Posted by Allison Davis
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JAMES ATKIN ON ’90S NOSTALGIA, NEW MUSIC, AND MUCH ANTICIPATED US STOPS
by Allison Davis

Ahead of EMF’s Florida run, I hopped on a morning Zoom with frontman James Atkin. I’m not easily starstruck, but I had a few butterflies artist interviews aren’t yet my norm, and this one felt special. On the other end: an effortlessly warm, funny James, game to talk cruises, crowds, and the band’s fresh chapter.

EMF will launch a handful of U.S. dates with the ’90s Cruise before hitting Tampa, West Palm Beach, and Jacksonville bringing nostalgia, new material, and momentum. From life after a global hit to filming a music video in a ghostly Nevada waterpark, James was candid, gracious, meeting fans this side of the pond.

From gray northern England, James is dreaming of brighter skies. “Ready for some sun, to be honest,” he laughs. The cruise a floating ’90s time capsule with acts like TLC, Fuel, and Kid ’n Play will be a first. “It was in the diary, and now it’s next week. I don’t know what to expect at all.”
After docking, Florida beckons. “We don’t get to the States often, and certainly not Florida,” he says. He’s never been to Tampa “I’ve been told it’s a crazy town”

For a band forever tied to the indelible “Unbelievable,” EMF’s present is impressively active. There’s a new EP, “Reach For Something Higher,” a recent 2024 album, “The Beauty and the Chaos,” and they’ve just started recording their sixth album. “We’ve got a good back catalog,” James says. “We’ll play the classics, try some new stuff, try some off the EP, and see what people want.” With a rare longer set on this run, they’ll “try and get some new bits in there.”

Recent years have rekindled EMF’s American connection a festival, a few dates, a West Coast tour and a return to the East Coast is on deck. The geography still stuns him: “Ten, twelve-hour drives between towns that’s unheard of in our world.” It did yield cinematic detours, like filming a video in a disused, graffiti-covered water park in the Nevada desert. “It looked like the end of the world. We made a video in two hours. That’s probably all we could do in the heat.”

As for “Unbelievable”: “We’re so lucky to have a tune that big,” James says. “It opens doors. Maybe at the time I wanted to be a cool indie band, but it’s given us so much.” The new music channels early EMF energy, sharpened by experience produced by their original collaborator, the late Ralph Jezzard, and co-written with guitarist Ian Dench (whose hitmaking resume includes Beyoncé and Shakira). Themes lean more conscious: “There’s a lot to sing about at the moment,” James says, pointing to opener “Hello People.” Still, there are grooves, love songs it’s very EMF.
There’s play, too. A Depeche Mode “Just Can’t Get Enough” cover started as a UK tour stunt: each city got a local-legend cover (The Clash in London, Buzzcocks in Manchester, Depeche Mode in Nottingham). “We did it once, everybody loved it,” he says. “It’s popped in and out of the set. Maybe Florida will get it maybe not the remix version from the EP,” he grins.

The cruise crowd? “I’ve heard it could be a party,” he says. Logistics are tight five days at sea (Jan 25–30) then straight into Tampa that night. He jokes he’ll check with the booking agent “Is it too much?” then winks: “We’ll be fine. We’ll be well-behaved. It’s not the ’90s anymore. We’re all grown up now.”

James is grounded because he stepped away. After the early whirlwind, he left London, went back to university, and became a schoolteacher for about 15 years. “It sorted me out—gave me life skills,” he says. “When you’re in a band, you’re in a bubble. It was good to step away and appreciate other things.”

Now, older, wiser, still hungry, he’s ready for Tampa’s energy, St. Pete’s sunsets, and a wave of nostalgia that never really ebbs. “We look forward to getting out there,” he says. “It’s going to be brilliant.” Florida, get ready EMF are docking, refreshed, recharged, and yes, still unbelievable.
Spending the morning with James was a delight. The conversation left me genuinely excited and grateful and even more amped for EMF’s

Tampa show on January 30. I can’t wait to capture the energy onstage.
Florida Dates – Jan 25–30: The ’90s Cruise – Jan 30: The Orpheum, Tampa – Jan 31: Respectable Street, West Palm Beach – Feb 1: Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville

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Allison’s creative life is fundamentally fueled by music—a passion that has driven her since childhood. A transplant from the West Coast, she has called Florida home since 2011, where she manages a dedicated duality: co-operating a successful small beekeeping business while actively pursuing her art. Her love for music naturally merged with her craft in photography, initially leading to opportunities capturing promotional images for a local professional theatre (where she previously worked as a scenic painter). Her eclectic taste ranges from the raw energy of rock, punk, and hardcore to a surprising appreciation for the musical stylings of the 1940s and 50s. This lifelong musical influence finds its ultimate expression in concert photography, a dynamic and high-stakes craft where the constant creative and technical challenges provide a rewarding fuel for her passion.