James Smith

The young English singer-songwriter James Smith stands out for his soulful voice and timeless songwriting. He grew up surrounded by classic soul and swing records and taught himself to play the guitar at the age of nine. As a teenager, he performed in cafés and clubs in London, playing covers of Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. After a turbulent school life in Essex, James ended up at his father’s market stall, where he got up early every day to sell soap. Music became his outlet: inspired by artists such as Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Paolo Nutini and Michael Kiwanuka, he began writing his own songs. This eventually led to his viral hit ‘T-Shirts’. With over 200 million streams to his name and sold-out shows in Berlin, Hamburg and Amsterdam, he returns with new music. His second album ‘Golden Age’ is due out this spring.