Every performing artist dreams of developing that unique combination of characteristics that appeals to audiences far and wide.
It’s more than good songs, or stellar instrumentation, or even sharing enchanting anecdotes. A live performer must connect with an audience in a way that makes them want to learn more, hear more, and become lifelong fans. James Gray has been working steadily and purposefully at building that kind of enthusiasm, that kind of momentum, for over ten years. With the release of his third album, “New Friends That Talk Like Old Friends”, James Gray is about to transcend to a whole new level of awareness in public attention.
James Gray presented seven songs from the album, with a few added surprises, in concert on, December 5, 2022, at Trinity United Church in Huntsville. An appreciative and exuberant audience gave James and his opening act, Josh Kvasnak, a standing ovation and called out for more.
In his new album, Gray continues to explore his style of songwriting. He drives the songs with more sinew and groove, really pushing the beat and letting the music move through him with abandon. His guitar, particularly his fingerpicking, has deeply strengthened from his years of gigs, shows, and endless touring. His voice, a soft baritone is fluid and expressive, and in a few of his new songs, possesses resolute confidence and range. In fact, one of the mild surprises of his concert is how powerful his voice has truly become. He moves like a restless tiger, almost at times possessed, hugging his guitar against his chest, prowling the stage in tempo to the dynamic interplay between himself and his sidemen—bass and piano, urging them to dig deeper into the soul of the song.
All of which is quite surprising given his gentle, unassuming nature, characterized in his stories between songs and his self-deprecating and dry humour. The ten thousand-hour rule certainly applies to James’ progress as a stage presence and songwriter. He has toured extensively since he emerged into the Huntsville music scene in 2013, travelling to successful shows from Switzerland to Vancouver, Halifax to Australia, Mariposa Festival to local pubs and house concerts—his determination never daunted by the distance or the size of a gathered crowd.
James Gray fashions his brand of musicianship as a contemporary old-school travelling folk singer, but it is certainly more than that. James lives his life like the legendary wandering troubadours who brought news and tales of wonder from town to town, spreading the good word and lending a hand in the welfare of human kindness. It is no small feat to base a life and profession on the likes of John Prine and Townes Van Zandt, while maintaining his own self-designed and original flair.
Throughout his young career, James Gray has embraced and embodied a defining philosophical concept—stay true and be honest to yourself and follow your heart. In so doing, James has endeared himself to an ever-expanding family of musicians around the world with whom he has both performed and recorded, not only as a singer, and guitar player but as a reputable and gifted sound recording engineer and producer. His friendship with The Doozies, a popular college band from Oshawa, and in particular their chief songwriter, Josh Kvasnak, has really cemented James’ focus on his craft. Gray met them through his Mariposa Festival shows in 2019 and in some ways they have become a community for him. Not only does he frequently work with them but he had a deep involvement with Kvasnak’s 2022 solo album, “Piece of Work”.
Gray may have been waiting for this collaborative energy to record and release his newest album, “New Friends That Talk Like Old Friends”; his long-awaited follow-up to 2015’s, “Bigger Things”. “New Friends” takes listeners on a compelling journey into a maturing articulate worldview, with deeply emotional reflections on lost love, lost lives, and the craziness of modern times. Largely recorded in his Sprucedale home studio, Gray gathered an exceptional team of musicians to bring the songs to life. Recording the bed tracks himself, Gray took his masters to producer Matt Montour at Boxcar Sound in Hamilton to polish up the sound and add drums, bass, and keys. James added all the vocals, acoustic, woodwinds, and strings at his cabin studio.
The songs themselves were winnowed from dozens of tunes that Gray has accumulated since his last recording project, but more importantly, chosen for their inherent thematic content. James has some serious topics he wants to explore in his own direct stylized conversational format – some cheerful and hilarious, some despairing, others plain infectious ear candy. What makes this album distinctive is the choice to approach each song as a singular statement while connecting to the whole body of work throughout the album. There are some stellar outstanding compositions of pure beauty in this collection and James knowledgeably understands what it takes to create a lasting soulful impression. A few of these beautiful moments will linger long after the record fades.
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