Early James is a Birmingham, AL-based singer/songwriter, guitarist and frontman of the Birmingham-based act Early James and The Latest. Along with bandmates James Mullis and Adrian Marmolejo, the act seamlessly meshes roots rock, the blues, early rock and classic country. The band is Dan Auerbach‘s latest singing to his Easy Eye Sound Records — and as the story goes, Auerbach decided he needed to produce James’ work after watching roughly two seconds of the Birmingham-based singer/songwriter and guitarist performing. “Every line has to mean something to him, personally. It’s not good enough to just write a good song, it needs to have a deeper meaning,” Auerbach says of working with James. “He’s unlike any person I’ve ever worked with. He’s not writing a song to be universal; he’s writing a song for him.”
Singing for My Supper, Early James’ full-length debut is slated for a March 13, 2020 release through Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records. Reportedly, the Dan Auberach and David “Fergie” Ferguson-produced debut features ten-wide ranging songs that span across blues, folk and old-timey pop crooning that are influenced by Fiona Apple, Tom Waits and the Southern Gothic poets — while being deeply personal, full of world weary wisdom and informed by lived-in experience.
Singing for My Supper‘s second and latest single “It Doesn’t Matter Now” tells a tale of a bitter breakup of a dramatic and dysfunctional relationship with recriminations and accusations and deliberately hurtful actions coming from both sides. Musically, the song is centered around a cinematic and brooding Chris Issak “Wicked Game” meets Mississippi Delta Blues arrangement — reverb drenched guitars, gently padded drumming, a sinuous bass line and James’ incredible vocals, which express the heartbreak, bitterness, pride, longing and ambivalence at the core of the song.
Directed by Tim Hardman, the recently released video is a Southern Gothic-influenced visual that recalls Deliverance, A Time to Kill and others, as it stars James, his backing band and a collection of sideshow freaks and primarily set in and around a creepily beaten up cabin in the middle of nowhere. But the video’s protagonist are the sideshow freak couple, who inflict pain on each other — and gleefully enjoy it. “The subject matter for this song is pretty heavy. I felt there needed to be some aggression on screen but didn’t want it to play out like a typical break up,” Hardman told Billboard. “For some reason, Sideshow Bennie, whom I worked with several years ago, popped in my head. I looked him up and learned he was now working with a sidekick, Anna Fiametta. When I read how they met, I thought it was a funny story that would fit the song. The thought of them inflicting pain on each other, and the pleasure they receive from it, was intriguing. I pitched the idea to Early and I’m grateful he got it and trusted my vision for his song.”
James will be touring to build up buzz for — and then to support his highly-anticipated full-length debut throughout the winter and spring with The Lone Bellow, Shovels & Rope and Marcus King. The tour includes a headlining show at Nashville’s Analog on February 6, 2020 and an April 17 stop at Webster Hall with The Lone Bellow. Check out the tour dates below.
Early James Tour Dates
January 31 /// Fonda Theatre /// Los Angeles, CA*
February 6 /// The Analog /// Nashville, TN
February 13 /// Georgia Theatre /// Athens, GA&
February 15 /// The Social /// Orlando, FL&
February 26 /// The Heights Theater /// Houston, TX+
February 27 /// Scoot Inn /// Austin, TX+
February 29 /// Granada Theater /// Dallas, TX+
March 2 /// Knuckleheads Saloon /// Kansas City, MO+
March 4 /// Bluebird Theater /// Denver, CO+
March 6 /// The Commonwealth Room /// Salt Lake City, UT+
March 7 /// The Olympic Venue /// Boise, ID+
March 9 /// Imperial Vancouver /// Vancouver CAN+
March 10 /// Neptune Theatre /// Seattle, WA+
March 11 /// Revolution Hall /// Portland, OR+
March 13 /// The Filmore /// San Francisco, CA+
March 14 /// Pappy & Harriet’s /// Pioneertown, CA+
April 2 /// Varsity Theater /// Minneapolis, MN+
April 3 /// Majestic Theater /// Madison, WI+
April 8 /// Variety Playhouse /// Atlanta, GA+
April 10 /// Haw River Ballroom /// Saxapahaw, NC+
April 14 /// The Opera House /// Toronto, CAN+
April 15/// Union Transfer /// Philadelphia, PA+
April 16 /// Paradise Rock Club /// Boston, MA+
April 17 /// Webster Hall /// New York, NY+
*The Marcus King Band
+ The Lone Bellow
& Shovels and Rope
