Joshua James is an American singer-songwriter currently based out of American Fork, Utah and Lincoln, Nebraska.
His original digital release of The Sun is Always Brighter on iTunes reached #1 on the service's Folk Album list in 2007 and sold in excess of 25,000 copies by the end of 2008. The album caught the attention of the indie folk scene, with Paste Magazine naming him one of their "Next 25 Artists You Need To Know" in their September 2008 issue. He subsequently supported John Mayer, David Gray, Ani DiFranco, Third Eye Blind, and Brett Dennen on North American tours.
NPR has also cited James in one of their "Song of the Day" publishings. They featured his "The New Love Song" as one of the best new songs from a previously unknown artist in a long time.
James recorded his second album, entitled Build Me This, in 2009. It was released in September 2009 on Intelligent Noise/Northplatte Records. Paste Magazine dubbed the new work "phenomenal." iTunes also dubbed Build Me This one of the "Best of 2009" Indie Spotlight Singer/Songwriter albums.
Variety Magazine calls James "a young Midwestern singer-songwriter who writes hard-bitten songs of family tragedies and sings them in a voice that’s as sun-bleached and wind-battered as a Nebraska cornfield."
James's third album, "From The Top of Willamette Mountain", was released in November 2012, via Northplatte / Intelligent Noise Records. It was produced by Richard Swift, who also collaborated on it with James. They recorded it at Richard's home studio dubbed National Freedom Studios. Evan Coulombe, longtime friend and band mate played Electric Guitars on the record.
Over the span of a year and half Mr. Evan Coulombe and Joshua recorded, when time allowed, cover songs of older Modest Mouse songs. These collaborations / covers were put into a proper recording and released as "Well, Then, I'll Go To Hell" in 2013.
Joshua founded Utah based record label "Northplatte Records" with co-founder/friend McKay Stevens in 2006. He also owns "Willamette MTN Farms & Studio" and produces/records WRECKORDS for other artists/bands.
Discography
Albums
- B-Sides: It's Dark Outside (2006)
- The Sun Is Always Brighter (2008), iTunes "Best of 2008" Folk Album
- Build Me This (2009), iTunes "Best of 2009" Indie Spotlight Singer/Songwriter Album
- From The Top of Willamette Mountain (2012) US Folk #23
- Well, Then, I'll Go to Hell (2013)
EPs
- Fields and Floods (2007)
- Crash This Train / The Garden digital EP (2008)
- Sing Songs EP (2009)
- Joshua James: iTunes Sessions (2010)
- BEWARE! (2013)
Producer Credits
- Isaac Russell (2008) - Elizabeth
- Desert Noises (2009) - Desert Noises
- Joshua James (2009) - Build Me This
- Joshua James (2009) - Sing Songs
- Parlor Hawk (2010) - Hoarse & Roaring
- Pablo Blaqk (2011) - Sons & Daughters
- Desert Noises (2011) - Mountain Sea
- Blue Aces (2012) - Blue Aces
- Kelly Brooke Bryan (2012) - Oh, To Be
- Timmy The Teeth (2012) - White Horse
- Spencer Oberle (2012) - Spencer Oberle
- Aaron Joseph Puzey (2013) - EP
- Joshua James (2013) - Well, Then, I'll Go To Hell
- Armon Jay (2014) - Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed
- Westward The Tide (2014) - Sorry Soul
- John Allred (2014) - Forest Eyes
- Joshua James (2014) - Esperanza
- Brumby - (2014) The Westwind Kid
- Kenz Hall - Kenz Hall (2014)
- Grayson Schick (2014) - Part Time River
- Luke Mitchem (2015) - For You, I Built A Mountain
- Isaac Russell (2015) - Mother, Father
- Timmy The Teeth (2015) - Just Another Day
- Pablo Blaqk (2015) - Mountain Hymns (Volume 1)
- Andrew Burden (2015) - Ghost Folk EP
- Made Inside The MTN (2015) - Made Inside The MTN
- Brandon Zahursky (2015) - EP
- Aaron Hill (2015) - Aaron Hill