Nate James

Nate James ranks among Britain's rising soul singer-songwriters yet distinguishes himself through an unusually self-reliant approach. Born in 1979 at a U.S. Air Force base in Lakenheath, he absorbed his parents' soul recordings, above all those of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, and soon began delivering cover versions at clubs around Woodbridge, Suffolk. He left an art foundation course to collaborate with London producer Jazz Black, then secured a spot in the five-piece R&B group Notorious, which was documented for a T4 behind-the-scenes program. A label merger led Warner Records to drop the act before any release, prompting James to pursue a solo path. In 2004 he signed a songwriting agreement with Universal Publishing while retaining ownership of his masters and launching his Frofunk label through partnerships with independent distributors. His first album, Set the Tone, appeared the following year and included contributions from En Vogue's Dawn Robinson, David Sneddon, and Eg White. The singles "Universal," "The Message," and the title track helped earn nominations for Best Newcomer and Best R&B Artist at the 2005 MOBO Awards. After opening for Beverley Knight, Musiq (Soulchild), and Natasha Bedingfield, he mounted his own tour that sold out venues in Milan, Tokyo, and Amsterdam. His 2007 follow-up, Kingdom Falls, was recorded in L.A. under Grammy-winning producer Neal H. Pogue and drew inspiration from a 2006 charity visit to Rwanda; proceeds from the debut album covered its entire cost. James has also recorded with Poker Pets, Sway, and Natalie Williams while serving as an ambassador for Shelter, Global Angels, and Youth Music.