LOS ANGELES, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Brandon James Official Website) Brandon
James (www.brandonjamesmusic.com) knew he was destined to become a "naturalized citizen" of Los Angeles when he performed his country debut show at the renowned pub
Molly Malone's in the fall of 2010 after moving there from his native Toronto.
He had just put together an explosive new backing band featuring his powerhouse drummer and musical director nicknamed SUMO Sommers and the gig went so well that the band scheduled after them didn't even bother to take the stage. Even better, after giving his new sounding rock-country songs a strong reception, no less than 20 people came up to James immediately afterwards with the same comment: "I'm normally not a country fan, but you guys were awesome. I loved your show and music. What do you call it?"
That night inspired James to create the perfect descriptive phrase - "West Coast Country," which ultimately became the name of his independent company that is currently releasing his latest recording Down In The Sand. The four-track EP produced by renowned mixer, engineer and producer Skip Saylor, another "country convert" who didn't know he liked the modern version of the genre until James won him over.
Saylor's legendary credits include Dwight Yoakam, Roberta Flack, Tom Petty, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Santana, and k.d. lang, and he is the owner of Skip Saylor Recording Company, a 30-year-old L.A. facility whose superstar clientele over the years has included Elton John, Eminem, Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, Michael McDonald, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Aretha Franklin and Tupac.
James recently released a music video for the EP's title track and first single, "Down In The Sand (With Me)," which earlier this year was "top-rated" and made it's radio debut on The Ranch (theranch.fm - KKUS 104.1, KFRO 1370, KCUL 1410), part of the East Texas Radio Group.
Steeped in James' country culture is his passion for cooking, which he shares via posts on his website blog "Country Rock Recipes" (www.countryrockrecipes.com). His current hobby has its roots in his family's Toronto-based bakery business that James' parents started when he was 12.
