A vibrant kaleidoscope of sound, colour and emotion, British multi-hyphenate James Alexander Bright’s songs soundtrack fertile daydreams, esoteric dancefloors, languorous reflection, and wild excursions in nature and beyond. His voice, pitched somewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald, is an immediately recognisable signature while impressive multi-instrumentalism sees him perform on guitar, bass, keys, programming, percussion, production and myriad quirky effects.
The past six years has seen James release a veritable treasure trove of music: ‘Mallorca’ and ‘Strange Folk’ EPs, debut album ‘Headroom’, joyous second ‘Float’, an album of collaborations and reworks with cosmic Americana-disco DJ/producer duo Flying Mojito Bros, and a new project with Groove Armada’s Tom Findlay as Bright & Findlay.
James’ music making is commonly a family affair. Although initially written and recorded at his home studio in the rolling hills of the Hampshire countryside, his tracks involve regular collaborator Peter Lyons in East London alongside old friends and new to contribute vocals (Kerry Leatham and Katharine Alice) and drums (Gillan McLaughlin and Joris Feiertag). He has also collaborated with Letherette, Daudi Matsiko, Fink, Fred Everything, Scrimshire and contributed three songs to Groove Armada’s ‘Edge Of The Horizon’ album
James balances music alongside the creative duality of a job in illustration and the responsibilities and constraints that come with raising a young family. Utilising any spare moment to write and record new ideas, his creative output under various projects had been relentless. Turning his back on apathetic major label offers in his early 20s, he’s released through cult DIY label Tape Club Records, German stalwart !K7 Music and now with Scottish tastemaker Athens Of The North, presenting an evolving vision of a sound that has touched on everything from outsider art-rock to machine funk, mystic folk to experimental jazz.
His music has been played across BBC Radio, Amazing Radio, Bandcamp Weekly, FIP Radio France, NTS, KCRW, Soho Radio, Triple J, and Worldwide FM, while press and musical luminaries have this to say…
“Blissful choruses, sweetly nagging refrains and a lo-fi sensibility. Hard not to love” MOJO
“Intoxicating, highly evocative, sun-dappled soul” Uncut
“Pastoral 21st century electronic psychedelia that knows all the best clubs in town” Electronic Sound
“Brilliantly laidback…an ever evolving journey that feels at once fun and adventurous but also familiar and comfortable” Future Music
“It’s a lush, rich slice of soul that will permeate every pore. It’s the sound of the summer” Louder Than War
“Bringing influence and experience together in a wild, kaleidoscopic world of precarious elevations and cathedral emotions” BPM
“Vivid intermingling of buoyant breakbeat drum loops, sunkissed psychedelic folk song, retrofuturist synthesisers and hot buttered British soul” Test Pressing
“All the musical styles I love. I’m a big fan” Tom Findlay, Groove Armada
“One exceptional album” Bill Brewster
“A timeless record” The Bees’ Aaron Fletcher
“Moves stylishly through psychedelic patterns and multicoloured textures” Jack Wyllie from Portico Quartet
