Biography
Midwestern tunesmith James Jackson Toth steps away from the heavier psychedelic leanings of his earlier Wooden Wand work toward a warmer, more relaxed blend of indie folk-rock and alt-country under the James & the Giants banner. The 2023 self-titled album draws from the same broad stylistic pool as his prior project while incorporating several tracks left unfinished in earlier years.
The new endeavor took shape once Wooden Wand’s experimental phase yielded the atmospheric, roots-oriented Clipper Ship in 2017, after which Toth issued a handful of compilation projects. He launched the fresh group name by dusting off unreleased Wooden Wand compositions spanning its entire history and pairing them with freshly written pieces developed alongside longtime musical associates, chief among them Jarvis Taveniere of Woods and Meneguar. Even the newer songs struck Toth as a meditation on what had come before, resulting in a reflective, backward-glancing debut that surfaced on Kill Rock Stars Nashville in June 2023. Pedal steel, vibraphone, and added horn and string ensembles enriched the earthy textures throughout.
The new endeavor took shape once Wooden Wand’s experimental phase yielded the atmospheric, roots-oriented Clipper Ship in 2017, after which Toth issued a handful of compilation projects. He launched the fresh group name by dusting off unreleased Wooden Wand compositions spanning its entire history and pairing them with freshly written pieces developed alongside longtime musical associates, chief among them Jarvis Taveniere of Woods and Meneguar. Even the newer songs struck Toth as a meditation on what had come before, resulting in a reflective, backward-glancing debut that surfaced on Kill Rock Stars Nashville in June 2023. Pedal steel, vibraphone, and added horn and string ensembles enriched the earthy textures throughout.
Albums
Singles
