James Ford (musician)

James Ford is an English musical composer, record producer and musician, known for being a member of Simian Mobile Disco and The Last Shadow Puppets as well as his production work with the Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Florence and the Machine, Depeche Mode, Haim, Gorillaz, Klaxons, and Jessie Ware.

James Ford
James Ford during Melt! Festival 2013
Background information
Born	Leek, Staffordshire, England
Genres	Synth-pop indie rock indie pop
Occupation(s)	Record producer songwriter musician remixer
Instruments	Drums percussion keyboards bass guitar guitar pedal steel guitar
Years active	2000–present
Associated acts	Simian Mobile Disco Simian Klaxons Arctic Monkeys Mystery Jets The Last Shadow Puppets Test Icicles Mumford & Sons Foals Gorillaz Alexandra Savior Depeche Mode Everything Everything

Biography

Ford went to Manchester University, along with other members of Simian.[1].

Ford was a founding member of the group Simian and later a member the spin-off duo Simian Mobile Disco.[1]

He produced the Mercury Prize–winning album, Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future in 2007.[2] He also played drums on the album. Also, in that year he produced the Arctic Monkeys second album. He has done at least part of the production on each of the bands subsequent albums.[2] He played guitar on Arctic Monkeys' "Only Ones Who Know".

In 2008, he formed The Last Shadow Puppets with Miles Kane and Alex Turner, as both drummer and producer. Their debut album, The Age of the Understatement, earned the group a Mercury Prize nomination and also charted at No. 1 in the UK.[2] 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. His work on the album gained him a further Mercury Prize nomination.

Ford has produced the 14th Depeche Mode album Spirit released on 17 March 2017, as well as the 4th 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' 6th studio album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, as well as Gorillaz' 6th studio album The Now Now.

Discography

Groups

• Simian, Chemistry is what we are, (2001, drums, production)[1]
• Simian, We Are Your Friends, (2002, drums)[1]
• Simian Mobile Disco, Attack Decay Sustain Release (2007)
• The Last Shadow Puppets, The Age of the Understatement (2008, drums, production)[2]
• Simian Mobile Disco, Temporary Pleasure (2009)
• Simian Mobile Disco, Delicacies (2010)
• Simian Mobile Disco, Unpatterns (2012)
• Simian Mobile Disco, Whorl (2014)
• The Last Shadow Puppets "Everything You've Come To Expect" (2016, drums, keyboards, percussion, production)
• Simian Mobile Disco, Welcome to Sideways (2016)
• Simian Mobile Disco, Murmurations (2018)

Production

• 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)[2]
• The Bumblebeez – Prince Umberto & The Sister of Ill (2007)
• Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future (2007)[2]
• The Lodger – Grown-Ups (2007)
• The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement (2008)
• Florence and the Machine – Lungs (4 tracks; co-produced with Paul Epworth, Charlie Hugall, Stephen Mackey and Eg White; 2009)[2]
• Peaches – I Feel Cream (2009)
• Arctic Monkeys – Humbug (3 tracks; co-produced with Josh Homme; 2009)[2]
• Crocodiles – Sleep Forever (2010)
• Detachments – Detachments (2010)
• Chrome Hoof – Crush Depth (2010)
• Alex Turner – Submarine EP (2011)
• 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)
• Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons – Message from the Other Side (2015)
• Foals – What Went Down (2015)
• 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)

References

1. Chadbourne, Eugene. "James Ford". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
2. Doyle, Tom. "James Ford: Producing Arctic Monkeys". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 29 June 2015.