James Smith

Born to a taxi driver mother and a market trader father, James grew up in East London. By the age of 14, he was already a fixture on the local pub and club scene, playing two or more sets every week across the East End, with his parents quietly sneaking him into venues where he was far too young to be admitted.

James had been singing since he was a kid. At nine, after seeing Elvis perform Jailhouse Rock on TV, he picked up a guitar from a charity shop. He taught himself how to play using YouTube videos and quickly began covering songs by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. While his classmates listened to the pop hits of the day, James was vibing to Girl From The North Country.

But in his early teens, the family left London to move to Upminster, Essex. After a rough patch at his new school, James ended up getting expelled. It was then that music became even more essential to him, offering a true escape. With headphones glued to his ears, he dove into soul classics like Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, before later discovering Paolo Nutini, Mark Ronson, and Michael Kiwanuka.

Later on, James left home and moved to West London to pursue his musical training at a performing arts school. He also built his own DIY studio at his parents' house in Upminster, where he still lives today, building an extension above the garage with his uncle.

Since then, James has racked up over 200 million streams across all platforms worldwide, sold out venues like Dingwalls and Omeara, and filled his first headlining European tours in Berlin, Hamburg, and Amsterdam.