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Named a hot 100 unsigned artist of 2011/2012 by music connection magazine

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Brandon James Red Carpet Interview - 2011 LA Music Awards - Actor's Reporter
21st annual LA Music Awards Red Carpet interviews pt 1
Down In The Sand (With Me)
Jolene - Brandon James
One More Bottle - New Song Demo

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Place DateLA Music Awards Nomination Show 11.04.11Molly Malones Hollywood, CA8:45pm - $10PAST SHOWSDouglas Corner - Donnie Winters 09.20.11Writer's Night Round - Nashville, TN9PMIt's All About Z Music.com Night 09.24.11Franklin, TNBluebird Cafe - Nashville, TN 09.26.11The Tin Roof - Nashville Songwriters 09.30.11Festival - 7:15pm Hall Of Fame Cafe - Best Western Music 09.30.11Row - Nashville Songwriters Festival8:15pmThe Tin Roof - Nashville Songwriters 10.01.11Festival - 9pm Best Western Music Row 10.02.11Nashville Songwriters Festival2pmBrandon James All American 05.05.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's BarBrandon James All American 04.28.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's BarBrandon James All American 04.21.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's BarBrandon James All American 04.14.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's BarBrandon James All American 04.07.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's BarBrandon James All American 03.31.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's BarBrandon James All American 03.24.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's BarBrandon James All American 03.17.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's BarBrandon James All American 03.10.11Pre-Weekend Party at Harper's Bar"Rock For Autism" Benefit Concert 09.18.10 The Bouquet - Boise, Idaho For info - www.asatvc.orgDebut Show w/ Trash Can Coyotes 09.03.10 Molly Malone's 9pm Los Angeles
Thursday, December 1st, 2011BJAMES NAMED ONE OF THE 'HOT 100 UNSIGNED ARTISTS OF 2011/2012" BY MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINEMonday, November 15th, 2011WATCH BRANDON ON THE RED CARPET AT THE 2011 LA MUSIC AWARDS ABOVE NOW ON B JAMES TV!Thursday, November 11th, 2011BJ UP FOR 3 AWARDS AT THE LA MUSIC AWARDS Nominated for 'Country Artist Of The Year', 'Country Single Of The Year', & 'Country Album Of The Year', Brandon will be at the LA Music Awards this Thursday night at 7pm. Wish him luck! www.lamusicawards.comFriday November 4th, 2011LA MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATION PARTYMolly Malone's Doors open at 7:30pmIn celebration of Brandon's 3 nominations this year at the 21st Annual LA Music Awards (held Nov 10th, 2011), we're throwing a huge bash!On Nov 4th at 8:45pm, come see Brandon perform live with his band at Molly Malone's in Hollywood. Tickets at the door - $10.The first 15 people will receive a special free fan pack from Brandon & everyone will get the chance to enter the free Grand Prize draw to win 2 tickets to join Brandon & the band at the LA Music Awards - worth $250!!!September 20th, 2011BJ performing tonight at Douglas Corner Writer's Round - 9pmBrandon will have the honour of performing with Erik Dylan (erikdylananderson.com), Rich Eckhardt (guitarist for Toby Keith) & Jake Mitchell. Come on out!September 1st, 2011Brandon Featured In Music Connection Magazine with Sugarland!Click here to view Sept's issue of MC Magazine featuring Sugarland and our very own Brandon on page 34!August 2nd, 2011ANNOUNCEMENT!Brandon James hot single, "Down In the Sand (With Me)" is nominated for Country Single Of The Year at the 2011 LA Music Awards on Nov 10th!Brandon has been nominated 3 times this year: Country Artist of The Year, Country Album of The Year & Country Single of The Year.July 15th, 2011Brandon James - iheartradio.com's NEW! Artist To Watch!This month, Brandon is nominated by the popular Clear Channel site, iheartradio.com as their featured 'NEW! Artist to Watch!" Check it out!July 4th, 2011Enjoy the guest appearance of country singer songwriter Brandon James and Host Kristen Rose on ActorsE live chat at http://bit.ly/lf6C16May 28th, 2011Brandon James Nominated For "Country Album Of The Year" for Down In The Sand at The 21st Annual LA Music Awards 2011May 25th, 2011Brandon James Nominated For "Country Artist Of The Year" at The 21st Annual LA Music Awards 2011May 20th, 2011BJ's "Down In The Sand" Video Makes Worldwide PremiereThis weekend Brandon's debut video will be making it's worldwide premiere alongside Linkin Park at the New Media Film Festival in Hollywood, CA.www.newmediafilmfestival.comMay 12th, 2011BJ On Side Beat Music TV Show!Enjoy guest appearance of singer songwriter Brandon James on Sidebeat Music at http://bit.ly/mxnobVApril 5th, 2011OFFICIAL NEWS! BJ's Country Debut Album Will Be Released on iTunes Apr 14th!On April 14th, 2011, you will be able to buy BJ's 'Down In The Sand' album on iTunes, Amazon and everywhere else online! Keep an eye out for the video for his 1st single, 'Down In The Sand (With Me) hitting same day!March 10th, 2011First night at Harper's Bar for the 'Brandon James All American Pre-Weekend Party'. Very excited.February 23rd, 2011Shot the video for "Down In The Sand" today in beautiful Santa Monica, CA. What an amazing day. A big thank you to my band, my actors and the amazing crew that made this video such a great time to film! Produced by Shaila Vaidya, directed by Christian Laursen of Embrace Films.February 21st, 2011BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Annoucing "The Brandon James All American Pre-Weekend Party" every Thursday night at Harper's Bar & Grille - www.harpersbar.comStarting March 10th at 9pm, Brandon James will be performing every Thursday night at the famous Harper's Bar & Grille in Tarzana, CA. With his band, great bar specials, beer pong, pool tables, and all the great all american songs you can swallow! You gotta be there!!!February 20th, 2011Shooting our first video this year for BJ's new single, "Down In The Sand" this week. Super excited - clips to come!February 17th, 2011Heading out to the High Deserts of California for our first photo shoot of 2011 and shoot for our new album. New shots soon!January 18th, 2011This year's already started off fast! Back to the studio for some last touches then it's show time!January 1st, 2010Happy New Year's Everyone from all of us here at Brandon James HQ!November 5th, 2010GET BRANDON'S NEW SINGLE HEREClick above to get Brandon's new single absolutely free!October 30th, 2010Welcome all you new listeners from the beautiful state of Texas! Enjoy the site, and be sure to join BJ's 'Friends With Benefits' fan club where you'll be able to get exclusive specials on show tickets, merchandise, music and more.CLICK HERE TO JOIN October 30th, 2010I am extremely excited to announce that today the sound of Texas, THE RANCH, a radio station groups of KKUS 104.1, KFRO 1370 & KCUL 1410, will be playing my new single, Down In The Sand! Click the logo to visit their site now! October 10th, 2010Had the amazing pleasure of having Skip Edwards, keyboard player for Elvis, Johnny Cash & most recently Dwight Yoakam come into the studio and perform on my newest songs. What an experience! Class man.October 2nd, 2010In studio cutting brand new Brandon James songs with multi-platinum producer, Skip Saylor (www.skipsaylor.com). So stoked.September 21st, 2010What an amazing weekend! A huge thank you to all the B James Crew for your tickets & donations in support of the Rock For Autism concert this past Saturday in Boise, Idaho. Congrats to our grand prize raffle winner of a brand new PRO X 5 piece drum set from Taye Drums, Stephanie of the Music Therapy of Idaho clinic! We couldn't have planned a better place for those drums to go to use. You have made a big difference to those beautiful kids & their families. Pictures are on the way.September 15th, 2010Hitting the road tomorrow, can't wait! Have a great show in store for you Boise! See you soon. Concert tix or donations for the ASTVC's Rock For Autism concert, go to www.asatvc.org!September 12th, 2010One week to go and B James will be in Boise, Idaho kicking up a storm at the Autism Society's Rock For Autism concert on Sat, Sept 18th, 2010 at The Bouquet. For tickets & donations visit www.asatvc.org now!September 4th, 2010Last night was an incredible debut show! If you missed it, you really missed something special. The band after us actually left in the middle of our show, they didn't want to follow the old B James ;)A big thank you to everyone who came out. Audio & video of B James' debut show to come so stay tuned! Join BJ's facebook page today!September 2nd, 2010Just one day until Brandon and his brand new band hit the stage at Molly Malone's in Los Angeles! Show starts at 8:45pm and it's going to be packed, so get there early. $8 at the door, 21+August 14th, 2010LA DEBUT all set for Friday, Sept 3rd, 2010 at 9pm at the famous Molly Malone's in Los Angeles. With opening roots/americana act, The Trash Can Coyotes, this is going to be one hell of a party!August 1st, 2010B James will be headlining at the Autism Society of America's "Rock For Autism" Benefit Concert at the Bouquet in Boise, Idaho on Sept 18th, 2010. For event & ticket info, visit www.asatvc.org.July 14th, 2010All new BrandonJamesMusic.com is live! Enjoy the new site everyone! Lots of new pics, videos, tour dates and music will be coming your way. ~BJJuly 4th, 2010Brandon and the band want to wish everyone a wonderful 4th of July!June 15th, 2010The final piece in place.. the B James Crew is proud to welcome guitarist, Yoni. With his undeniable style and flair, Yoni is a big addition to what is already an exciting team.May 21st, 2010The B James Crew welcomes our newest member, Eliza James. Eliza brings an incredible violin & fiddle sound and her presence on stage is awesome. So stoked to have her on the team. April 20th, 2010Watched a great CMA's on Sunday. Feeling more inspired than ever!April 5th, 2010A great day today! Big congrats to my drummer, Sumo, on his pro endorsement deal with Taye Drums. Thank you to West Wheeler and the team at TayeDrums.com!March 20th, 2010Two weeks with my new mentor, Robert Max. This is a whole new journey I never expected but always knew.
Music

Down In The Sand
Beautiful Eyes
The Worlds On Fire
Walk In The Sun

Get The Record that Got Brandon Nominated for Country Artist of The Year

- LA Music Awards 2011

Click to Buy

Brandon James

on iTunes

Hear Brandon James EP - Click the CD

Beautiful Sky
Souls On Fire
No Intentions
Easy Come Easy Go

Photos

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West Coast Country
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Press

The Buzz About BJ...

...skillful songwriting and infectious beats, this act’s songs are catchy and meaningful... Because of that, Brandon James is worth keeping on the radar... MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINE

"...simply wonderful. (Brandon James) didn't fail to impress their fans with an amazing show... ...the vocals blended for sheer enjoyment of every song. Brandon is a definite up and coming new talent and one that music lovers should watch for." LA WEEKLY

"Brandon James is a perfect blend of artist and professional. He never fails to move me with the depth of his creativity and his ever-growing talent. At the same time, he manages to possess a work ethic and fervor for the business that keeps his fellow musicians in awe. It was a pleasure working together, cowriting and recording my debut album, "Pieces of My Heart," and I look forward to continuing to work with him into the future." April Matson - star of ABC Family's "Kyle XY" and FOX's "Quintuplets"

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Story

Brandon James: Soul on Fire “I don't feel like I'm an artist who has a particular thing to say, but I seem to say a lot of things.” ~Brandon JamesNamed by Music Connection Magazine (Dec 2011) as one of the "Hot 100 Unsigned Artists of 2011/2012", Brandon James, an accomplished vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, has been called “intense, indefinable, inspiring.” In a relatively short span of time, his storytelling style and the beautiful raw emotion of his voice and lyrics have won enthusiastic fans - and critical acclaim - across North America, and beyond. For Brandon, this journey has really just begun as he has released his second EP for which he has already received 3 nominations from the LA Music Awards 2011 - Country Artist Of The Year, Country Album Of The Year, Country Single Of The Year (Down In the Sand), a new music video, and continue to share his enduring messages of faith, hope, and a passion for living.Starting OutGrowing up in a tiny town in Ontario, Canada, Brandon James learned early the values of hard work, family ties, and following your passion. “Our town was about four square miles, just small enough for my mom not to worry about me until the street lights came on, and just big enough for it to be a kid’s playground. We did alright for ourselves until I was about 10 and my family was hit hard by the recession of the 80's. Being the oldest of four children in a Christian home, I took it upon myself to become a sort of third parent. Some days were okay, some weeks were really tough.”What came out of such hardship was Brandon’s deep, unwavering love and connection to his family, with whom he remains very close.Brandon grew up singing in church and spent three years in an all boys’ choir. One summer, the choir was invited on tour to perform at all of the famous cathedrals throughout Europe. The highlight of that tour was performing for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican - the boys sang His Eminence’s favorite Polish folk song for which he personally thanked them and posed with them for a photo!At age 15, Brandon started learning to play guitar, mostly to impress the girls. While singing had always been his first love, the developing musician began to discover a deeper meaning in the words and the music. “One of my fondest memories is sitting down in the freezing cold basement room of our house, wrapped in blankets, listening to James Taylor's ‘Fire and Rain’ and The Eagles on vinyl. I loved the crackle. I loved their words and stories. I spent hours by myself down there.”Throughout high school, Brandon performed in different bands, and after graduation he worked as a pastry chef in his family’s gourmet bakery business. Long days and hard work were something that came with the territory, and Brandon was committed to helping his family grow their business and overcome some of the residual economic challenges they faced. This was also the first time Brandon got to explore another of his great passions: food! “I fell in love with sharing something I could pour myself into, much in the same way I had always done with songs; sharing my passion with people and creating an experience of happiness and joy for them, I really learned the power of that.”Heading WestIn November 2006, Brandon James headed to Los Angeles, the journey feeding his fire. By the fall of 2007, he had recorded and debuted his first EP, Souls On Fire, which he promoted by headlining classic L.A. clubs including Whisky a Go-Go , Rainbow Bar, The Mint, Gypsy Lounge, and Dakota Live Music Lounge. All of the songs from Souls on Fire were showcased in the Toronto stage production of Looking Through the Window, and the emotional ballad “No Intentions” was included in the soundtrack of the Out Of Exile Films’ 2008 thriller, Detached.In early 2008, Brandon began a musical collaboration with April Matson, star of ABC Family’s Kyle XY and FOX’s Quintuplets. Their first song “Right In Front of Me” appeared in the Season 2 finale of Kyle XY. Soon after, Brandon co-wrote and co-produced April’s international released debut album, Pieces of My Heart.West Coast CountryWhile the core of the music Brandon James had been writing had a country heart, he and his band had been performing with a rock sound in Los Angeles. That changed in the spring of 2010. “We decided to follow our hearts and stop making my country songs into rock songs. At the core, it was always country. I guess that was the divine trajectory all along, even the inspiration for moving west – hey, there were cowboys and cowgirls out there!”Classically trained at an early age, and independently producing albums since the age of 15, Brandon has always embraced a variety of music genres - from spiritual inspirations to pop and rock – with influences from The Beatles, James Taylor, and Eric Clapton. In crafting and defining his own musical vision, he has developed a unique style he calls West Coast Country. “It’s that feeling about knowing who you are, where you came from, staying true to you roots, and celebrating that all the way. My songs are usually about stories from my life or those around me. I find there's a strength in the message when it's something you've felt yourself. You can't write about love if you've never really felt it. You don't know what pain your heart can take until it's put to the test. It's those moments that I like to put a microscope on when I get my inspirations for a song. It's just Life, and more than any other genre, country has always stayed true to itself. It's just real stories about the Life we're all doing our best to live.”Brandon’s dream is not just to write, record and perform, but to bring his authentic style of country music to the whole world. “I’m inspired right now by the Zac Brown Band, Brad Paisley, and Miranda Lambert. These are all very successful artists, with amazing songs that speak truth and insight; and because of their influence in the industry and their global fan bases, they get to share their messages with millions of people. That's what I want to do.”The BandBrandon James’ band is an assorted bunch of characters. His main support comes from drummer & musical director “SUMO” (born Dirkston Sommers) who grew up in Tyler, Texas playing football and drums. Known as Dirk most his life, it wasn't until after he finished playing football that he found a new hobby, sumo wrestling.“Being surrounded by Texans and a stone's throw from New Orleans, Sumo’s larger than life personality and size make for one of the biggest jokester/southern boys I've ever met, and the best drummer I've ever played with. I mean what more can you say about a drummer who carries a sidearm, cooks ribs in an 18-foot smoker, and makes it all look good?!” Another central character at the core of Brandon’s band is his bass player, Austin “Tasty Goods” Underhill. A graduate of LA’s renowned Musician’s Institute and hailing from California’s famous Napa Valley, Austin found his way into the heart of the band, not just for his musical skills but also his love of good food and beer. “It’s a funny story about Austin. He came into the audition and really nailed it, but it wasn’t until I heard him talking about the stout beer that he and his brother had brewed that weekend that I knew he would fit in just fine.”In the WorksBrandon James is currently working on his debut full length album release, due out this year. Working with renowned producer Skip Saylor (Bon Jovi, Aretha Franklin, Dwight Yoakam, Roberta Flack, Tom Petty), he has already recorded four songs, all of which feature guest performances by legendary keyboardist and organist Skip Edwards (who has also recorded with Dwight Yoakam, Roy Orbison, KD Lang, and among many others). “Everything started happening really fast since coming back to country music. Almost immediately last spring, I was getting a lot of buzz around L.A. as being that ‘great new country act’ in a town full of movie stars and rock artists.”One of Brandon’s new songs, “Down in the Sand (with Me),” recently made its on-air debut and was “top-rated” on The Ranch (theranch.fm), part of the East Texas Radio Group (KKUS 104.1, KFRO 1370, KCUL 1410). The brand new music video for this song is scheduled for release in April this year.“‘Down In the Sand (With Me)’ is a song that came from that feeling of wanting to turn off the non-stop noise in your head. I was feeling particularly stressed out one day and all I wanted to do was to catch a plane somewhere hot and get lost on a beach. Nothing fancy about this song other than it's about taking a moment and just being there, taking some time out to feel alive.”Another of Brandon’s new songs, "Beautiful Eyes," is inspired about his own close relationships. “Beautiful Eyes is a song that I wrote for a girl that I love. She was in a dark place about her career and life at the time and it hurt me every day to see her that way. This song was my reminder to her that in everyone’s life there are good things to be grateful for and that we were actually doing just fine. So long as each day we woke up, gave thanks for what we had, and tried not to feel burdened by all the dreams we didn’t have yet, it was the best that we could do.”Brandon just received two exciting nominations from the 21st Annual LA Music Awards for “Country Artist Of The Year” and “Country Album Of The Year” for ‘Down In The Sand’. The awards show is scheduled for November 10th, 2011 at the Avalon Theatre in Hollywood, CA.Giving BackWith all that’s happening in his life and career, Brandon James still finds time to give back and support the causes and communities he cares so deeply about. In 2010, he decided to give back again by producing and headlining the “Rock for Autism” benefit concert for the Autism Society of America in Boise, Idaho. The event raised funds and awareness for the local chapter and the families it supports. “It was an amazing event and I was so honored to be part of it. This concert made me realize how blessed I was, and it felt so incredibly important for me to use those blessings to help others. When we’re going through tough times, I think we should look for opportunities to come together as a community, to support and help each other. It's on us to be proactive in helping, in doing what we can. At the end of the day we can't depend on any government; the burden - and the privilege - is with each of us.”And of course …There’s still the food! Brandon James’ passion for cooking has never abated. If you’d like to know more, you can visit his blog, Country Rock Recipes.com, for mouth-watering recipes (and photos) to try yourself. “I love food and I love cooking. I think the real sign of a good cook is someone who can walk into any kitchen and make something amazing. No recipes, just passion. Of course, my favorite is BBQ and grilling up a nice steak. There's something about cooking with fire that you just don't get the same feeling over a stove. I've definitely got the burn scars to prove it!”And it’s not just the steak Brandon James has on the fire. His passion for music, and for sharing his soulful messages, is what fuels his own personal fire. It started with “Souls on Fire” and where it will go is a story only Brandon James can and will tell. Stay tuned! Be sure to visit Brandon James online - …website: www.brandonjamesmusic.comcooking blog: www.countryrockrecipes.comfacebook: www.facebook.com/thisisbrandonjamescountrytwitter: www.twitter.com/brandonjamesnowyoutube: www.youtube.com/thebjamesmyspace: www.myspace.com/bjamesmusic
The Band

THE BAND

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Dirk "Sumo"

Sommers

Austin "Tasty Goods" Underhill

Dirkston Sumo Sommers is a true showman, fusing his love for country and pop with the gospel and blues he grew up with in Tyler, Texas. His big natural flair and showmanship are marquee as the drummer and Musical Director of the B James band.

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Home grown in Napa Valley, California, Austin Underhill takes his soulful playing & combines it with his love of the West Coast music. Always the man for a new flavour, and never one to turn down a good beer, he quickly earned himself the nickname, "Tasty Goods" Underhill.

Store

Get The Record that Got Brandon Nominated for *Country Artist of The Year

*Country Album of The Year

*Country Single of The Year - Down In The Sand (With Me)

- *LA Music Awards 2011

Click to Buy

Brandon James

on iTunes

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Contact

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Send all mail and letters to: Brandon James PO Box 46812 Los Angeles, CA 90046

Down In The Sand (With Me)
Beautiful Eyes
The World's On Fire
Walk In The Sun

Read A bout Brandon's N on-Profit WorkIntroNon ProfitSecretMolly Malone Show