James Bay is an English singer, lyricist, songwriter and label member for Republic Records. The record company on which the musician releases compositions has contributed to the development and popularization of many artists, including Two Feet, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Post Malone, and others.
James Bay childhood
The boy was born on September 4, 1990. The family of the future performer lived in the small town of Hitchen (England). The trading city was a kind of intersection of various subcultures.
The boy's love for music appeared at the age of 11. It was then, according to the singer himself, that he heard Eric Clapton's song Layla and fell in love with the guitar.
By that time, there were already video lessons on playing this instrument on the Internet, so the boy gradually began to master the guitar in his bedroom.
Becoming an Artist
The first performance of the young man was at the age of 16. Moreover, the musician sang not strangers, but his own songs. At night, the boy came to a local bar and arranged for his performance. There were only a few drunk people in the bar.
According to the musician himself, it was simply important for him to understand that he could silence men talking loudly with his music.
As it turned out, he succeeded and for some time the boy playing the guitar attracted the attention of the bar's visitors.
James soon moved to Brighton to study at the local university. Here he continued his little "night hobby".
To earn some money and gain experience, the young man played at night in restaurants, bars and small clubs. Thus, he gradually developed skills and searched for his own style.
By the age of 18, James decided to stop studying in favor of his guitar lessons. He returned home and continued to rehearse and write songs in his room.
James Bay Random Video
As in the case of many celebrities, the fate of James was determined by chance. Once the young man once again performed in one of the bars of Brighton.
One of the listeners, who often came to watch James perform, filmed the performance of one of the songs on his phone and posted the video on YouTube.
The success was not lightning fast, but after a few days the musician received a call from the Republic Records label and was offered a contract.
A week later, the contract was signed. Work has begun. The events described took place in 2012, when the musician was 22 years old. Many producers worked with him, but they did not seek to change the style of the artist, but only helped and directed him a little.
Work was in full swing…
The first single was released in 2013. It was The Dark of the Morning song. The track was not a very popular hit, but in certain circles the musician was noticed, critics appreciated the style and lyrics of the author. It was the green light to start recording a full album.
An interesting fact is that without releasing a single album, James took part in several European tours. At the same time, singles were also relatively rare.
The second official single of the musician Let It Go was released only in May 2014. And it came out very successfully. He topped the major British music charts and stayed at the top for a long time.
The UK loves rock. Therefore, there was no point in making the sound more “popular”, chasing trends and some kind of style. James just did what he liked. The musician created indie rock, which is much softer in sound and more like ballads.
In just a year and a half, James managed to participate in two major tours at once. The first tour took place in 2013 with the band Kodaline, and the second in 2014 with Hozier. This was a great preparation and promotional campaign for the debut album.
First full album recording
The solo album was released in the spring of 2015. It was recorded in Nashville, the home of many famous country artists. The CD was produced by Jakkir King. The album received the loud title Chaos and the Calm. The release made the young man a real star.
The album broke sales records and was certified platinum just a few months later. Hits from the album, in particular the song Hold Back the River, took the lead not only on the charts of rock radio stations, but also on regular FM stations that specialized in popular music.
James Bay Awards
Thanks to the first release, the young man gained not only fame, significant sales, but also many prestigious music awards.
In particular, at the Brit Awards, he received the Critics' Choice Award, and the annual Grammy Music Awards nominated him in several categories at once: Best New Artist and Best Rock Album. Hold Back the River was nominated for "Best Rock Song" (2015).
At the moment, James is still a member of the Republic Records label, but fans are rarely pleased with new work. For unknown reasons, he has not released any album since 2015.
There are also no single releases or mini-albums yet, despite the success of the debut album. However, the musician does not plan to quit music and soon promises a lot of fresh material.
