Brendan James
Encyclopedia
Brendan James is an American
singer-songwriter
originally from Derry, New Hampshire
, who started in New York City
but is currently residing in California
. His music is primarily based around the piano and he has released two albums, The Day Is Brave and Brendan James, with Decca Records
.
on July 17, 1979, to parents Patricia and Randy. He is of Irish
and German descent. He moved to Derry, New Hampshire when he was four and, after the divorce of his parents, alternated living in Derry and nearby Manchester, New Hampshire
. . He attended high school at Pinkerton Academy
in Derry and performed in plays and musicals during his school years. After the death of a friend's mother, he sang at her funeral and from there met Kevin Kandel, who played the piano at the funeral for James. Kandel, a local music teacher, would help spur James' interest in music.
After high school he went on to attend college at the University of North Carolina
, beginning with a major in Voice before switching to Communications. During breaks from school James would head back to Derry and meet up with Kandel, who persuaded James to learn an instrument. James began piano lessons at the age of 19 and also began writing songs. Back at the University of North Carolina, James joined the Clef Hangers, an a capella music group. During his Junior year of college he wanted to visit Los Angeles
to try to pursue a career in music. He was able to go to Hollywood and, at the same time, earn school credits on the condition that he accept an internship at a business related to his Communications degree. While living in Los Angeles, he played at a club called The Crooked Bar, (located underneath the Coconut Teaszer
), working on songs and performing. When his internship ended he returned to the University of North Carolina to complete his Communications degree, which he obtained in 2002.
to pursue his music career. He got a job at Urban Outfitters
to support himself. He held that job for the next three years while also performing at many open mikes across Manhattan
and the EEast Village
. Around this time he also began breaking into various hotels, ballrooms and schools in order to use a piano to practice. In 2003 he acquired his still-current manager Ben Singer, a former classmate James had met at UNC. Ben helped him record a demo that eventually made its way to Carly Simon
, who heard the demo and then invited James to come and record a song with her. That song would play at the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize
ceremony.
In 2005 James would record another demo, this time with Tony Bruno
in Woodstock, New York
at the Millbrook Sound Studio. The demo caught the interest of major record labels, giving James a chance to play for Capitol Records
CEO Andrew Slater. Slater signed him to a record deal and James spent the next year and a half working on his debut album, working with producers Tony Bruno and Patrick Leonard
. The album was nearly complete when James was dropped from Capitol Records following the merger and takeover of Capitol by Virgin Records
. James, along with many other artists, was dismissed from the label, but was allowed the keep his master tapes
and was given a severance
package.
, heard "Hero's Song" from The Ballroom Break-In on iTunes
. Young picked the song to be on a soundtrack
of a documentary of his life, called Body of War
. Music from his EP was also used in television shows, "The Sun Will Rise" appeared on the ABC
drama Private Practice in 2007, and the episode "The Bone That Blew" in the FOX series Bones
. His EP earned interest with record labels and afterward James signed to Decca Records
.
Decca Records released Brendan James' debut album, The Day Is Brave on June 3, 2008, in the United States, and on June 17, 2008 in Canada. The album was also produced by Mikal Blue. It debuted on the Top 10 Billboard Heatseeker Charts, with Newsweek
, Entertainment Weekly
, and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton
praising his debut effort. James toured regionally then nationally supporting the album, headlining his own shows and also opening for artists such as Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend, Susan Tedeschi, The Fray, and Robert Cray. At the end of 2008 James toured with the MTV SoundTRACKER Tour.
, was released on September 7, 2010. James was also getting his songs on a wider range of television shows, being used on different series like So You Think You Can Dance
and Army Wives
.
In November 2011 James announced via his twitter account that he was planning on releasing a new album of 10 songs in February 2012.
, Bob Dylan
, and Stevie Wonder
as well as more current artists like Ryan Adams
and Death Cab For Cutie
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
originally from Derry, New Hampshire
Derry, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 33,109 people, 12,537 households, and 8,767 families residing in the town. The population density was 924.8 people per square mile . There were 13,277 housing units at an average density of 143.2/km²...
, who started in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
but is currently residing in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His music is primarily based around the piano and he has released two albums, The Day Is Brave and Brendan James, with Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
.
Early life
James was born in Nashua, New HampshireNashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
on July 17, 1979, to parents Patricia and Randy. He is of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and German descent. He moved to Derry, New Hampshire when he was four and, after the divorce of his parents, alternated living in Derry and nearby Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
. . He attended high school at Pinkerton Academy
Pinkerton Academy
Pinkerton Academy is a secondary school in Derry, New Hampshire. It is the largest independent academy in the United States, serving roughly 3,600 students as the high school for the communities of Derry, Hampstead, Chester and sometimes Auburn...
in Derry and performed in plays and musicals during his school years. After the death of a friend's mother, he sang at her funeral and from there met Kevin Kandel, who played the piano at the funeral for James. Kandel, a local music teacher, would help spur James' interest in music.
After high school he went on to attend college at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
, beginning with a major in Voice before switching to Communications. During breaks from school James would head back to Derry and meet up with Kandel, who persuaded James to learn an instrument. James began piano lessons at the age of 19 and also began writing songs. Back at the University of North Carolina, James joined the Clef Hangers, an a capella music group. During his Junior year of college he wanted to visit Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to try to pursue a career in music. He was able to go to Hollywood and, at the same time, earn school credits on the condition that he accept an internship at a business related to his Communications degree. While living in Los Angeles, he played at a club called The Crooked Bar, (located underneath the Coconut Teaszer
Coconut Teaszer
The Coconut Teaszer was a bar and club on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California in the 1990s, formerly located at 8117 Sunset Blvd. .Their downstairs bar was called the Crooked Bar....
), working on songs and performing. When his internship ended he returned to the University of North Carolina to complete his Communications degree, which he obtained in 2002.
2003-06: Early New York & Capitol Records
After graduation from college, James moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to pursue his music career. He got a job at Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters, Inc. is a publicly traded American company that owns and operates five retail brands: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN....
to support himself. He held that job for the next three years while also performing at many open mikes across Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and the EEast Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
. Around this time he also began breaking into various hotels, ballrooms and schools in order to use a piano to practice. In 2003 he acquired his still-current manager Ben Singer, a former classmate James had met at UNC. Ben helped him record a demo that eventually made its way to Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, who heard the demo and then invited James to come and record a song with her. That song would play at the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
ceremony.
In 2005 James would record another demo, this time with Tony Bruno
Tony Bruno
For Tony Bruno, the musician, see Tony Bruno Tony Bruno is an American sports talk radio personality in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in Woodstock, New York
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...
at the Millbrook Sound Studio. The demo caught the interest of major record labels, giving James a chance to play for Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
CEO Andrew Slater. Slater signed him to a record deal and James spent the next year and a half working on his debut album, working with producers Tony Bruno and Patrick Leonard
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
. The album was nearly complete when James was dropped from Capitol Records following the merger and takeover of Capitol by Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. James, along with many other artists, was dismissed from the label, but was allowed the keep his master tapes
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
and was given a severance
Severance package
A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:* An additional payment based on months of service...
package.
2007–08: The Ballroom Break-In, The Day Is Brave and Decca Records
Still living in New York, James used and built upon the music he developed and recorded at Capitol, working to release the album himself. Working with producer Mikal Blue he turned the Capitol material and some new songs into the self-released EP, The Ballroom Break-In, in 2007. The title of his EP was based on his early days in New York City, when he broke into venues in order to practice playing and writing songs on a piano. After the release of the EP, Tomas Young, a paralyzed Iraq War veteranVeteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
, heard "Hero's Song" from The Ballroom Break-In on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Young picked the song to be on a soundtrack
Body of War: Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran
"Body of War: Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran" is an album produced for the documentary Body of War. It was created to help make profits towards Young's organization, aside from complementing the film...
of a documentary of his life, called Body of War
Body of War
Body of War, directed by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue, is a 2007 documentary following Tomas Young, an Iraq War veteran paralyzed from a bullet to the spine, on a physical and emotional journey as he adapts to his new body and begins to question the decision to go to war in Iraq.As Tomas's journey...
. Music from his EP was also used in television shows, "The Sun Will Rise" appeared on the ABC
ABC Network
ABC Network may refer to any of the following:*American Broadcasting Company, a private television network in the United States.*Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, regional radio and television broadcaster in Japan....
drama Private Practice in 2007, and the episode "The Bone That Blew" in the FOX series Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
. His EP earned interest with record labels and afterward James signed to Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
.
Decca Records released Brendan James' debut album, The Day Is Brave on June 3, 2008, in the United States, and on June 17, 2008 in Canada. The album was also produced by Mikal Blue. It debuted on the Top 10 Billboard Heatseeker Charts, with Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
praising his debut effort. James toured regionally then nationally supporting the album, headlining his own shows and also opening for artists such as Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend, Susan Tedeschi, The Fray, and Robert Cray. At the end of 2008 James toured with the MTV SoundTRACKER Tour.
2009-now: Brendan James
Writing for James' sophomore album began in 2009. Writing and production lasted for the next year and James called the act of the writing the second album "very difficult". During the creation of his second album James embarked on two distinct tours, John Mayer's Mayercraft II and a tour sponsored by scooter-maker Vespa, calling attention to green living. Brendan James, James' self-titled sophomore album with production by Warren HuartWarren Huart
Warren Huart is an English record producer/musician/composer and recording engineer based in Los Angeles, California. He currently lives in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California with his wife and son.- Biography :...
, was released on September 7, 2010. James was also getting his songs on a wider range of television shows, being used on different series like So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
and Army Wives
Army Wives
Army Wives is an American drama series that follows the lives of four army wives, their families, and an army husband whose wife is in the army. The series, shot at ABC Studios, premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007...
.
In November 2011 James announced via his twitter account that he was planning on releasing a new album of 10 songs in February 2012.
Musical Styles & Influences
James is a singer-songwriter with a style based around the piano and only began composing and writing songs and playing the piano at 19. He's cited taking inspiration from 1970s artists James TaylorJames Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
as well as more current artists like Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
and Death Cab For Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. Heatseekers |
U.S. Digital | U.S. Rock | |||
| 2008 | The Day is Brave The Day is Brave The Day Is Brave is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Brendan James. It was released on June 3, 2008. The album is an extension of his previous four-song EP The Ballroom Break In which released in 2007....
|
— | 9 | — | — | — |
| 2010 | Brendan James Brendan James (album) Brendan James is the self-titled second studio album by American singer-songwriter Brendan James, released on September 7, 2010. Brendan made his first-ever appearance on Billboard 200 after debuting at #93 on the chart, with the strong sales in digital, the self-titled album also broke into the...
|
93 | — | 21 | 33 | — |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Heatseekers Songs Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
|||
| 2008 | "Green Green (Brendan James song) Green is the lead single by american singer/songwriter Brendan James from his first studio album The Day Is Brave. The song has been featured in the Lifetime's hit show, Army Wives.-Background:... " |
— | — | The Day Is Brave |
| 2010 | "The Fall The Fall (Brendan James song) The Fall is the lead single by american singer/songwriter Brendan James from his self-titled sophomore studio album Brendan James.-Background:... " |
— | — | Brendan James |