Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Russell James

Russell is autistic and disabled. Playing music is obviously a lifelong passion (or in autism-speak “special interest”) and he has often said it’s a compulsion to write and play. Playing music has offered Russ many opportunities he would not have had otherwise: He has toured the country extensively and gone on many adventures in National Parks and cities between shows. He loves living out of his bright-red Ford E-Series Van (he traded in his trusty Honda Element Camper, The Gray Haven early in 2019). Sleeping in nature and coming to shows smelling like a campfire or fresh off a river from fly-fishing are the norm for Russell. He couldn’t do this any other way, and he still needs a great deal of support while playing live shows. He is authentic on stage, pouring himself into his songs and the performance while being refreshingly open with his autism.