Artists to Know Spotlight

Brendan James

Carly Simon calls him "the voice that can change the world"...  

If you happen to watch the shows Private Practice, Bones, So You Think You Can Dance, or Army Wives, you may have heard his voice. The music of singer-songwriter/pianist Brendan James is my very first selection for Artists to Know Spotlight.

The self-titled second album from James, which was released September 7th on Universal/Decca Records, is number 2 on the singer-songwriter chart on iTunes. The songs are lyrically masterful, particularly in "Stupid for Your Love":

Aurora borealis makes perfect sense to me,
It's light particles and magnets
I'm smart enough to see
But I am stupid for your love

The album's first single is called "The Fall", a heartfelt song about letting go and being okay with not knowing what the outcome will be.  He wears his heart on his sleeve on "Anything for You", a song that echoes innocence in love. He also has a song called "Let It Rain", not to be confused with the Kris Allen song, which James says on his website is "about seeing the realities of the music business and the challenges of selling one’s art to the masses." 

James, who is originally from New Hampshire but now calls Los Angeles home, went on a 40 state tour with his first album The Day is Brave and debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Entertainment Weekly has also called James a "singer on the rise".
 
James is produced by Warren Huart, who also works with The Fray, Augustana and Howie Day. He currently has 22 dates lined up in the eastern half of the U.S. Check out more Brendan James' music, tour dates and more at http://brendanjames.com/ or follow him at @bjamesmusic on Twitter.