James think social media has brought "new challenges" to releasing music.
The ‘Sit Down’ group have seen the music industry change a lot over the four decades their career has spanned, and they admit that means they can’t take the same approach to promotion and releasing every time they have a new record.
Bassist Jim Glennie said: "The mad thing about the recording industry is that it just constantly keeps changing, it is difficult to come out with a strategy or a plan.
"Whenever you bring out a record now there have been different types of social media, so you got to take into account the different ways of promoting your record to make a connection with people.
"That kind of brings new challenges, you do have to keep constantly reviewing and reviewing the ways which you try and get your music to people but that’s fine, that’s something I really enjoy."
But Jim – who is joined by Tim Booth, Larry Gott, David Baynton-Power, Saul Davies, Mark Hunter and Andy Diagram in the group – thinks the rise of social media has been good for both artists and the fans as it makes the relationship between them more "honest".
He added in an interview with BANG Showbiz: "Social media and the internet has changed the nature of that relationship.
"It doesn’t really need to go to a third party, it’s just you directly with them and I think that’s something very refreshing and kind of honest about that."
But one change the ‘Laid’ hitmaker hasn’t welcomed is the rise of acts made popular on TV talent shows.
He said: "I think those kind of shows add a weird kind of quality of band and artist into the music scene and it becomes more of a popularity contest, rather than genuinely about trying to seek out something new and innovative in music.
"That’s a very easy business to flow into, but it kills any innovation or any diversity or anything new coming through so it’s just a matter of people looking, trying to scratch beneath the surface and put a little bit of effort in it’s difficult cause there’s a lot of music out there now."
James on social media challenges
