Astro James

Astro James is a singer-songwriter known for his quirky personality and funky psychedelic live shows. Combining the New Orleans musical traditions of blues, jazz, soul & funk with the free spirited west coast indie psych-rock aesthetic, James creates a sound that draws from influences of the past, yet still manages to sound modern and continues to push sonic boundaries. With an extremely loose and improvisational approach to music, every live performance is unique and unlike the last.From a young age music was Astro’s greatest love in life. Influenced by a vast array of artists: Grateful Dead, Erykah Badu, Tom Waits, Fela Kuti, Dr. John, Nina Simone, Robert Johnson, Charles Mingus, Arcade Fire, D’Angelo, Thelonias Monk & Bob Dylan to name a few. After high school Astro attended University of North Texas for graphic design, putting music to the side for a more “realistic” career path, but it wouldn’t take long from him to drop out of school and return to his love of music. Shortly after his brother Kohl passed away at the age of 29. They were very close so it undoubtedly took a toll on Astro. Music was the thing that helped him get through that tough time, and for the first time wrote and recorded original material. He released his first single “Part of Me”, a song in memory of his brother Kohl & recorded and released his seven-song debut album by the end of the summer entirely dedicated to his brother. On the evening of the release Astro live streamed a performance of the entire album from Kermit’s Treme Mother-In-Law Lounge in New Orleans, Louisiana and was joined on stage by jazz legend Kermit Ruffins for a special performance of “I Just Wanna Believe in Love Again”. He also released his Halloween themed single “Terrifying Nightmare” featuring drummer Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley, St. Vincent) & North Texas indie producer Brack Cantrell (Duncan Fellows, Pearl Earl, Acid Carousel).Now based in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas Astro has a “gravitational energy” that has formed waves through the Dallas music scene. He has performed at Dallas venues such as Revelers Hall, Deep Ellum Art Co & the Free Man. He also recently teamed up with producer Jesus Davis (Davis Street Studio) to produce a documentary film about Robert Johnson’s legendary Dallas recording sessions at 508 Park Avenue. He also released “Mr. Johnson” a song written by Astro that tells the story of the iconic 1930s blues singer. He has recently began recording a new single with producer Robert Trusko (RC & the Gritz, Randy McGill & Eclectic), drummer Cleon Edwards (Erykah Badu), keyboardist & bandleader of the Eclectic Randy McGill (Ginuwine, MYA) & trumpeter Kazunori Tanaka (Randy McGill & Eclectic, RC & the Gritz). If Astro is playing in your town its a show you definitely do not want to miss. His live band is lead by drummer / musical director Dwayne “Gummi” Berry as well as Astro himself. The creativity never stops flowing for Astro and he is constantly working hard and "shooting for the stars".