Quick & Dirty: James Palace of Totten Bridge Answers a Random Q+A

Totten Bridge, a rising alternative pop-rock artist known for stirring his listeners’ emotions, has released his newest creation “Seasons Change.” The track evokes strong emotions and serves as a ‘call to action’ to overcome fear and start living life.

Totten Bridge is the brainchild of songwriter/producer/creator James Palace who began creating under the Totten Bridge name in 2020. Unbound by genre and defined by an endless and experimental musical pursuit, the multi-faceted artist has garnered over 2.7 million streams and over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone. His music features an eclectic blend of alternative pop rock with both British and American influences that are also infused with elements of EDM, folk, and American Heartland sounds.

Totten Bridge’s songs focus on the universally big themes of life and love with lyrics that are relatable in their concise, philosophical and emotive directness with the goal of speaking to each listener personally. “Seasons Change” is no exception, fusing together both a dark feel and a positive message, leaving listeners feeling motivated to embrace change.

Today, James Palace of Totten Bridge takes a moment to answer some fun and random questions (a Quick & Dirty interview) about hidden talents, favourites, and more!

If you lived in a city in medieval times, what would you be doing?

James Palace: “I think if I lived in Medieval times, I would be a strolling minstrel going from castle to castle and playing for the king and his court. I would enjoy meeting all of the different people and experiencing the different towns. I think that it’s the closest thing to being a rockstar in today’s times.”

What is one thing that you’re good at that people don’t expect?

“Oddly enough, I am a very good whistler, and I find myself whistling without even realizing it. The weird thing is that I don’t even whistle anything popular or known. It’s just like some kind of tune that I’m thinking of. I once got into an elevator, and I was whistling absentmindedly, and the woman on the elevator said that it reminded her of her late husband because he always whistled, too!”

If you had the chance to know when you died and how, would you take it?

“I would definitely not want to know when I was going to die because I think that it would spoil the ride, so to speak. I think one of the fascinating things about our life journey is that we really know nothing of what is to come so I would rather figure it out and take the good with the bad and continue to grow and evolve along the way. When it’s my time, somehow I feel like I will know!”

What were the longest five minutes you’ve ever experienced?

“I think the longest and probably worst five minutes of my life was getting briefly stuck in a very small elevator that I knew I shouldn’t have gotten onto. Something told me not to go in but I did. When the doors closed I immediately became claustrophobic and began to sweat. I had to do everything in my power to just breathe and compose myself. When the doors opened, I swore that I would never do that again, and to this day, I cannot get it to an MRI either!”

Totten Bridge “Seasons Change” cover artwork

Favourite drink and food?

“My favourite food is definitely Italian, and my second favourite is probably sushi. My heritage is Italian, so I grew up with some of the most amazing home-cooked meals, but there are many really good Italian restaurants around New York, so I can’t go wrong.

“For sushi, I’m a big omakase fan and in New York, we have some amazing omakase restaurants. My favorite sushi fish is salmon. And I also enjoy a really good steak when I’m craving a piece of meat. For drinks, either a scotch on the rocks, a dirty Martini, or a classic gin and tonic.”

BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, other?

“Absolutely an iPhone for me. I also have an iPad, an iMac, and a Mac Book Pro. I demo all of my songs on GarageBand, so keeping everything in the Apple universe works for me.”

Beer, Wine or Liquor?

“I’m definitely a wine and liquor guy. My favorite liquors are scotch, vodka, and gin. My favourite brands are Balvenie or Glenlivet for the scotch, Ketel One for vodka, and either Hendricks or Bombay Sapphire for gin. On the wine front, I prefer a chardonnay in the warm months and a cabernet in the winter with my favourite vineyard being Caymus from Napa Valley.”

Animated image of Totten Bridge

What toppings do you like on your pizza?

“I prefer my pizza with no toppings. I love a Margherita pizza or a Grandma’s pizza. In New York, we have so many great pizza places and each place is known for something. But I like pizza cooked in a wood burning stove best, followed by brick oven and then the traditional oven.”

If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be?

“My favourite cartoon character has to be Bugs Bunny. He was smart, daring, creative, and funny. He has every attribute that we, as humans, all strive for. Such a classic cartoon character.”

How do you drink your coffee?

“I am someone who really enjoys drinking coffee. I prefer it with a splash of half an half. And I have my first two cups early in the morning when I wake up. Then I usually have another one after lunch. Sometimes that third cup is an espresso but for me coffee is the bomb!”

If you could have dinner with any musician (dead or alive), who would it be?

“This is a really tough question because I like so many different types of music and artists but I’ll answer it this way. John Lennon because he’s John Lennon. Billy Joel because his writing is so perfectly thematic and his songs are standing the test of time. And Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull because his writing is so unique and sound are so unique and uncopyable.”