“On a Bold Horizon” with Brendan James
By Emily J Ramey
Click Here to See the Published Version on American Music Channel
Brendan James
Brendan James approaches the pop world with an uncommon and bright new image – himself. James chooses to share with his audiences truth and life and knowledge, but all of his own. Instead of playing a part, James portrays himself exactly as he is – warm, introspective, kind – and has therefore achieved abounding success on his terms.
Balmy and sonorous, James’ tenor vocals express his poignant lyrics with all the fervor of personal experience and intimate significance. James writes and plays with an openness and honesty to which his audiences can connect, intricately weaving his own emotions into universal themes, and using his evocative piano playing to articulate the powerful elegance and earthy nature of his songs. Paired together, James’ musical efforts are strikingly compelling and gracefully simple.
Brendan James grew up in Derry, NH, but he didn’t begin writing songs until his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. James taught himself to play piano and took a year off from school to spend time in LA writing songs. In 2002, he returned to Chapel Hill, graduated, and moved to New York City to divide his time between working at Urban Outfitters to pay bills and performing at open mic nights around the East Village to get his name out. To gain access to a piano to practice, James would slip into hotel ballrooms around the city, dressed like a guest of the Plaza Hotel in order to go unnoticed. James continued to write and perform and eventually recorded “As Oceans Rise” on his dime and his own terms, enlisting producer Mikal Blue before James even knew how, or if, the album would be released.
James finished recording the songs on The Day Is Brave in June and released a four-song digital EP via iTunes, entitled The Ballroom Break-In in reference to his days of sneaking into hotel ballrooms. The EP reached #13 on iTunes’ Alternative/Pop chart, and the digital retailer’s editorial staff dubbed James a “top singer/songwriter to watch in 2008.” From that time, James, who has performed with Carly Simon, Joss Stone, Corrine Bailey Rae, Robert Cray, and Keb Mo, among others, kept busy playing in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Chapel Hill as he waited for the release of The Day Is Brave by his new label, Decca/ Velour Records.
The Day Is Brave, James’ debut album, is a brilliant array of the singer/songwriter’s numerous talents and life experiences, set forth through deeply felt, insightful verses coupled with exquisitely composed melodies. Focus tracks include “Green,” a symphonic tune boasting a strident and memorable piano harmony about a former girlfriend that he met while working at Urban Outfitters, “The Other Side,” a jazzy, dynamic tune with an irresistible beat written about James’ inability to assimilate in high school, and “Take the Fall,” which ponders a person’s responsibility to others in these quickly changing times.
Other distinctive songs are “Manchester,” an upbeat, heartening tune about the town in New Hampshire where James spent most of his time after his parents divorced, “Early April Morning,” a lofty, sanguine love song, “Hero’s Song,” a valiant and somber melody for the soldiers in Iraq, and the melancholy, pensive ballad “The Sun Will Rise.” James’ voice in many of these tracks presents a strange dichotomy – a combination of blending with the music and standing out boldly over his piano refrains. His resonant vocals fuse both harmony and melody, it seems, in a rich, expressive way.
Since the release of The Day Is Brave in June 2008, Brendan James has toured relentlessly across the United States, including a 26-date headlining circuit supported by MTV’s first ever SoundTRACKER tour throughout the months of November and December 2008, hitting cities like Atlanta, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Birmingham, Dallas, LA, and New York.
More recently, James has been involved in The Vespa Experiment, a project that took place during the first two weeks of May 2009 with the primary mission of sending a message to stop global warming by using the power of music. Along with fellow singer/songwriters Jason Reeves and Amber Rubarth, James participated in an all-Vespa tour California Coast, from Carlsbad to San Francisco, on scooters to raise awareness about global warming. With just their instruments and some camping gear, the musicians partnered with Greenpeace in order to inspire young people to consider their impact on their environment.
Brendan James has made a name for himself and without ever straying from his ideals and personality. Instead, he has found places and people who can appreciate him for who he is as a person and respect him for what he is capable of as a musician and songwriter.
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