Graeme James

Hailing from New Zealand, Graeme James functions as a solo performer who blends the roles of singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, earning recognition for his engaging stage shows and indie folk built around a loop pedal. Born in Nelson, he devoted his early years to classical violin studies. Exposure to folk and Celtic traditions followed, along with indie rock and pop influences, so that by the conclusion of his university studies he had incorporated guitar, bass, baritone ukulele, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, and beatboxing into his instrumental range. Acquisition of a loop pedal in 2010 supplied the final element that enabled him to present every skill simultaneously. Busking began in 2012, and his inventive renditions of songs such as “Bittersweet Symphony” (the Verve), “Seven Nation Army” (White Stripes), and “Wonderwall” (Oasis) gradually built a dedicated regional audience. Through crowdfunding he issued his debut recording Play One We All Know independently in 2013, followed by a second volume the next year. Two original tracks, “Alive” and “One + One,” appeared in 2015 and formed part of his initial album of self-penned material, News from Nowhere. That release reached the top of the New Zealand charts and entered the Billboard Top 40, drawing the interest of Nettwerk Records. His first output for the label arrived in 2018 in the form of the singles “The Times Are Changing” and “Reverie.”