"James' long blond hair and folk-based songs have caused her to be compared to Joni Mitchell. The inventiveness of her eight-song set, however, showed that James is perhaps most like Mitchell because she is like no one else." -Noel Davis, Los Angeles Times
"Susan James is a triple-threat whose multiple gifts come together with provocative power... But did I say she's a triple-threat: onstage, she's got the rarest gift of all - charisma."
-John Payne, LA Weekly
"She expresses herself with a poise and intelligence rarely found in musicians who have twice her experience--not to mention recording budgets. The tactic allows her to explore textural motifs,but it also punctuates the gutsiness that fuels this peculiar, worthwhile voyage."
-Richard Martin, Willamette Week
"Toward the end of her set, her only cover, "Eight Miles High" receives a completely original rave-up renovation, climaxing in a flurry of stunning guitar work. Susan James has won over her first Fillmore crowd."
-Tom Erikson, SF Weekly and San Jose Metro
Nov. 2009: After a self imposed hiatus, Susan's back! Susan's latest recordings will be released in 2010. Her wonderful friends in the band "I See Hawks in L.A." are backing her up for these recordings. How do you sum her up? Someone who loves a well-written song, as well as experimenting and pushing the boundaries.
Susan toured extensively, opening for the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman and also Ratdog, as well as touring opening for Lindsay Buckingham, Richard Buckner, Jack Logan, etc etc. the list goes on. She has opened for lots of people over the years (Richard Thompson, Daniel Lanois, Billy Bragg, Jim Carroll, Rufus Wainright, oh lots of people). She has a publishing deal with BMG in Europe and toured in Europe as well. Susan has toured all across Canada as well (Victoria to Toronto). She has also engineered and played, on her late friend Mary Hansen's (of Stereolab) single "The Horizontalist" a and b sides. Susan has also sang back ups vocals on the High Llamas Cd's "Buzzle Bee" and "Beat, Maize and Corn".
Susan James grew up in Los Angeles, California. She had over time lived in San Francisco, London UK and once again, Los Angeles. She picked up the guitar at eight after hearing a musician visit her elementary school classroom play "Blowing in the Wind". As a little one, she listened to everything that was brought in the house; Beatles, Beach Boys, Doors, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Herb Alpert , singer-songwriters as early Elton John, James Taylor, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Carly Simon, Fleetwood Mac, old country of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash. She later enjoyed new wave and punk: X, R.E.M., The Motels, Black Flag, The Minutemen, etc. and settled into an appetite for alternative and experimental, as well as traditional folk music.
She graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Ethnomusicology. She was introduced to composers such as Charles Ives, Harry Partch, Karlheinz Stockhausen, etc. and loved this also. With this weird jumble in her head, she set out on acoustic guitar (it was easy to get around with ) She also enjoys writing instrumentals on guitar as well, getting into the likes of Leo Kotke, John Fahey and that ilk. What she really hoped for was not to sound like any of these thousands she'd listened to, but to develop her own musical identity. She did not want to sound derivative of anyone.
Back in San Francisco, she played music clubs and coffee houses and in a coffee house in Palo Alto, one of the founders of Apple Computers heard Susan play. Impressed, he asked for a tape. When he discovered Susan did not have a recording available, he ended up generously funding a little solo acoustic venture. She's thankful for eternity as it became her first release in '97. "Life Between Two Worlds" was recorded in San Francisco. Nine songs of innocent folky bliss.
In 1998 "Shocking Pink Banana Seat" was released. It was recorded in Los Angeles at Travis Dickerson Recording Studio and created an instant buzz. A more electric guitar oriented affair, it moved away from the folky vibe. It received good reviews as did the next one.
Her third release, a double CD set titled "Fantastic Voyage; a double album" was released in 1999/2000 in America (on Major Label Records) and Trocadero Records in Europe. It comprised of a CD of instrumentals and another CD of songs. Two whole CD's at once may have been a lot for newcomers, yet it won very favorable reviews in the U.S. and Europe.
And now, she's back. Prepare to hear and see her in 2010.
Welcome to the Topanga Rock & Roll Society! You sounded so wonderful at The Seed & Feed, thank you so much for playing! We can't wait to hear more of your songs and more of your beautiful voice, peace & love- J&J
hey susan! good to see you on here! just got home from meeting with rachel, i think we covered all the major stuff. oh, i didn't know you made music! lovely voice & sound. talk to you soon!
