Harmony James

Bio:

Harmony James

Harmony James has the soul of a drifter and an insatiable wanderlust. An introvert who sees the world through the bottom of a glass half empty she has found her niche writing songs about loneliness, loss and longing. Every now and then though, a surprising burst of sunlight emerges and a little joy shines through.

Harmony has hauled her guitar and her life across the deserts of the west, through tiny towns, down long highways, and deep into the heart of her country. Her songs have documented every change, every mile and every heartache.

Born in the south, on her 9th birthday her father packed the whole family into an old Ford and they started the long trip up to Queensland’s far north. She grew up barefoot, riding through cane fields and swimming in crystal clear waterholes.

A preacher’s daughter, Harmony sang with her 11 siblings at every opportunity and was an alto in the church choir. She grew up listening to old cassettes of bluegrass and country gospel.

As a teenager she earned her money singing on the street with a busted old guitar. Eventually moving into bars, she sang the songs of George Strait, Dolly Parton and her other favourites while learning the ways of the world from onstage.

A hankering for the western wind took her far out under channel country skies where she worked as a ringer, chasing cattle and embracing the isolation while she honed her craft of writing songs. Finally, after years dreaming, writing her own songs and singing everyone else’s, she made the trip to Sydney and cut her own record. An EP with just 4 original tracks, she released 3 radio singles which all made the Top 10.

Her debut song ‘Tailwind’earned her instant international recognition and a chance at the CMAA Golden Guitar Award for New Talent. This was followed up by what has become her signature song ‘Somebody Stole My Horse’, a track that racked up 4 weeks in the number 1 spot on the National Country Music Charts. She then released the beautiful, acoustic ‘Home’ which quietly found its way to number 2.

Now, for those who know and love her music, the brand new album is here, with 2 hit singles before its release and continued high charting radio singles on release, these 16 tracks will bring you in to her world sharing a little more honesty, humour, harsh reality and baring a little more of her soul.

‘believable... there's a lot to like here’ – Bernard Zuel (Sydney Morning Herald)

‘For a young artist to produce such integrity and maturity in a debut is downright gratifying’ – Martin Jones (Rythms Magazine)

‘One of the classiest and most original artist to emerge for a long time’ – Susan Jarvis (Capital News Magazine)

‘James is more country than pop - thats a compliment’ – David Dawson (The Beat)

‘Brilliantly unexpected’ – Deborah Minter (Capital News Magazine)

‘An edginess in music and lyrics that sucks you in completely’ – Jon Wolfe (Australasian Music News)

‘Clever and quirky’ – Denise Torenbeek (Country Update Magazine)

Visit the official website at www.harmonyjames.com

Recent Achievements

Finalist - 2010 CMAA Country Music Awards, Female Artist of the Year, Precious Little

Finalist - 2010 CMAA Country Music Awards, Album of the Year, Tailwind

Winner - 2009 Southern Stars Independent country Music Awards, Female Vocalist of the Year, Fly

Finalist – 2008 Country Music Association of Australia – Golden Guitar - New Talent -Tailwind

Finalist – 2008 Southern Stars Awards – Female Vocalist - Somebody Stole My Horse

Finalist – 2008 Southern Stars Awards - APRA/AMCOS Independent Single of the Year - Somebody Stole My Horse

Winner - 2008 Best New Talent - Victorian and National Coumtry Music Awards

Winner - 2008 TIARA Newcomer Recording Time Award

Winner - 2008 SA Radio Wally Award - Best New Act at Tamworth

Finalist – 2008 Victorian and National Country Music Awards – Female vocal, Independent Artist, Heritage Song, Songwriter, Bush Ballad

Finalist – 2008 TIARAs - Female Vocalist - Tailwind

Honorable Mention - 2007 International Songwriting Competition- Country Division

Finalist – 2007 Musicoz Awards - Tailwind

Finalist – 2007 Southern Stars Awards - Indy Single of the Year - Tailwind

Finalist -2007 Queensland Gold Medallions - New Talent - Tailwind

Winner – 2006 International Songwriting Competition- Country - Tailwind

Winner – 2006 TSA Songwriter Award- Country - Tailwind

Winner – 2006 NT Country Songwriting Competition- Big News

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Member Since:

April 22, 2007

Members:

Bonrapture Management Herm Kovac Ph: +61 2 9452 6790 hkovac@bigpond.net.au

AVM Publicity (Print media and television) Anouk Van Meeuwen Ph: 02 9974 3198 M: 0411 724 598

Influences:

Those who get a chance to watch this cowgirl singing her folksy, rootsy, country songs walk away believing she has lived every word of them, and damn it, she has. Her debut song ‘Tailwind’ song caught the attention of Roseanne Cash and beat Nashville writers to a win in the International Songwriting Competition. A virtual unknown she came out swinging with the quirky ‘Somebody Stole My Horse’. She jokingly refers to the hit song as her post modern take on both kinds (country & western) with a tongue in cheek poke at denial, relationships and excuses. If you think you can hear a hint of Patty Loveless, Wynonna, Terri Clark and Trisha Yearwood well maybe that’s because when she was old enough to realise that the music she listened to had a label these were the artists she sought out, spending hours listening to the cassettes and learning the songs. Nowadays Harmony isn’t so fussed on learning all the great songs from country’s finest because she is so busy creating her own songs and her own sound from her own experiences.

Sounds Like:

Proud to use Maton guitars and Rode microphones

Record Label:

Distributed by Shock