Brendan James

Brendan James, a contemporary singer and songwriter, first shaped tranquil autobiographical material while still enrolled at university, supporting himself at the piano as his tenor wrapped around stories rooted in childhood memories, romantic chapters, and the natural world. Born in New Hampshire, he moved to Chapel Hill to study at the University of North Carolina, yet the urge to focus on music led him to spend time in Los Angeles. Songs took shape during that California period; he then returned to Chapel Hill in 2002, finished his degree, and aimed his next steps at New York. Once settled in the city, he put out a four-song EP and brought in producer Mikal Blue—who would later oversee Colbie Caillat’s Coco—to guide the sessions for his first full-length project. The Day Is Brave appeared in June 2008, its material shaped by the divorce of his parents and by earlier relationships. After touring the record and moving back to Los Angeles, he wrote and tracked the self-titled follow-up Brendan James, which surfaced in 2010. Playing Favorites arrived in 2013, and the emotionally direct Simplify followed later the same year.