Laura James

By the time she was a teen, singer/songwriter Laura James had lived in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Born in Maui, Hawaii, James and her family relocated to Guam when she was a child, they then spent several years in Arizona before settling in the Pacific Northwest. One thing that remained constant through all the moves was James songwriting. I started writing songs when I was in elementary school, Id sit in my room and write lyrics to myself, it was my way of coping with life.

Raised singing in church choirs, James was not allowed to listen to secular music until she was thirteen years old. I missed all of the 80s she jokes. Instead, her musical influences are pulled from an array of genres and eras. I was introduced to 50s and 60s artists like Frank Sinatra and Patsy Cline by my father. I love the jazz and blues sound that came from that era. Im also a sucker for old musicals. she says. James also loves country music. Theres a lot of heart and stories in country music which is something I respect. Im a strong believer in lyrics.

Now a wife and mother of two, James is living her life-long dream. Ive always wanted to make music but I didnt vocalize it to very many people until recently. Exposing this part of myself has been liberating. I could never go back to keeping it to myself. This is a part of who I am and theres no way I can turn it off now.

When asked to describe her sound, James says Its difficult for me to label myself. Though there may be commonalities, each song has its own unique feel. Lyrics are whats most important to me. Everything I do is soulfully and lyrically driven. I want to convey a part of who I am in everything I say. This is evident in her first single TICK TOCK. With her sultry vocals and lyrical metaphors we get a taste of whats to come from this new artist.