Jason James’ self-titled debut on New West introduced a charismatic young artist whose effortless mastery of his chosen style serves as a deeply compelling vehicle for his vibrant creative spirit. The talented Texan writes rousing honky-tonk anthems, heart-tugging ballads and smart, sly-humored country-rock tunes that echo the vintage classics that are his touchstones, and sings them with a level of emotional urgency that makes it clear that he means every word. The 13 original compositions that comprise Jason James make it clear that the artist is interested in making music that's timeless rather than retro, reflecting his interest in adding to country tradition rather than merely emulating it. Although he's fully aware that the country mainstream is currently dominated by gimmicky, contrived commercial product, James has no interest in diluting his music for mass consumption. "I really think that what I'm doing is pretty universal and that people can recognize honesty and passion when they hear it,' he says. "It's worth remembering that at one time, the stuff that was popular on the country chart were the guys who influenced me. So I know that it can work. I think people still hear music the same way they always have, and they're looking for the same things in music that they've always looked for. They just want to hear something that's honest and catchy, and that's what I'm trying to do.”. Jason & his band (their band name changes every show to suit the venue/event) are building nicely in Texas (recently headlining The Broken Spoke in Austin for the first time, and will expand their reach with the next album cycle to the rest of North America and Europe. The new single, “Here Comes The Heartache is being worked at Texas/Red Dirt radio. Another song, “Let’s Say Goodbye, Like We Said Hello” (a cool Ernest Tubb cover) is featured in a new Shiner Beer commercial that debuted during the Super Bowl on Feb 4th, it will run in select markets (mostly during other sporting events for the rest of the year. Jason will record his second album tentatively titled, Seems Like Tears Ago in late June/early July for a Fall 2018 release.
