Featured in Divine Magazine
James Dean on Live Looping and Building Songs Live
September 2026 · Divine Magazine

I was recently featured in Divine Magazine for an interview about live looping, instrumental performance, and the process behind building a complete song live on stage.

The feature, “James Dean on Live Looping and Building Songs Live,” goes into a little more detail about what actually happens during one of my performances.

Rather than performing along to pre-recorded backing tracks, I build each arrangement live — starting with percussion before adding guitar, bass, keyboards, melodies and other textures. I’ve always described the process as “painting with sound”, with each new layer gradually turning an empty space into a complete arrangement.

In the interview, I also talk about the balance between preparation and spontaneity. The structure of a song may be carefully rehearsed, but the atmosphere of the room, the audience and the type of event can all influence how a performance develops.

We also discussed the Boomerang III Phrase Sampler, which sits at the centre of my live setup, how I approach mistakes when looping live, and the way live looping has influenced how I arrange and write music away from the stage.

There’s also a little about performing in different settings — from weddings and corporate events to shows where the live-looping process itself becomes part of what the audience has come to see.

A big thank you to Divine Magazine for taking the time to feature my work and explore a side of live performance that can be difficult to explain until you’ve actually seen it being built in front of you.

Divine Magazine