Growing up in Glenfield, and playing the bass since he was fifteen, James is well-known in New Zealand for his six-string, fretless, left-handed bass with unique carvings on the body of the bass guitar. It is the only one of its kind in New Zealand and there are only a handful around the world.
After doing his time in the Royal New Zealand Navy, James took a leap of faith, throwing himself into his own music while working in his covers band, playing corporate functions and doing session recordings. Through his own promotional efforts both locally and overseas, James has propelled his music onto the airwaves on radio stations in the USA, UK, Switzerland and Argentina.
New Zealand artist promoter Gray Bartlett talks of the cross-pollinating of styles that James mixes throughout his debut album. “James’ music has a distinct feel, based on melody and intensity with funky bass solos and quirky lyrics”, says Bartlett. “It’s great to see a bass player using strong vocals and getting his own music out there.
His sound is grunty like Dave Matthews with an upbeat feel along the lines of Jack Johnson or Ben Harper”.
With his skilled song-writing and gutsy vocals, James pulls this electric mix together into a pleasurable experience which leaves you impressed with his powerful bass renderings.