More than any other occupation, contemporary singer-songwriters must continually adapt to the shifting demands of their audiences and industry trends. Streaming, in particular, has redefined how their music reaches not only their fans but also new listeners.
James Gray, a young singer-guitarist from Emsdale, is highly regarded in the Huntsville area and has developed an approach that sets him apart from many local acts, enabling him to reach a broader, diverse, and expanding fanbase spanning the globe. Through countless hours of hard work and extensive touring, not only is he a representative of the travelling troubadours of yesteryear, he is a modern day ‘Ramblin’ Jack Elliot,’ wandering throughout Muskoka in the summer and fall; winter touring in New Zealand, for a second year, before his annual spring trek to Switzerland, adding Germany in his plans this year. https://www.jamesgraymusic.ca/
In a recent interview with Doppler, James elaborated on his musical mission, as he sees it.
“I’m not necessarily getting rich, but I think a lot of artists that are very monetarily successful, they’re not staying with people and doing the kind of cool, intimate house concerts, and they’re so far away from the crowd that I think that that can kind of be a struggle or a mental health struggle in its own right, you know. Where for me, I feel really grateful that I pop into a place, whether it’s locally, or in Europe, or down under, or whatever, and you meet the booker and you connect with them and then their community shows up and you might only be playing for 30 people, but I just feel it’s like a big part of my happiness. I think especially these days, where we put so much pressure on ourselves, and we compare ourselves so much, and we’re stuck looking at a phone all the time, and social media. I think in so many ways we’re farther away from each other than ever. I think that playing music, and especially as a folk singer – telling stories about life and about struggles and about things that are great and funny things, and all this, for me, it’s just, it’s so good for my health; and you see people after a show, whether I’m attending a show or whether people are coming up to watch a show, it connects us, it makes us feel good.”
With the release of his fourth studio album, ‘Daydreamer,’ Gray takes a bold new step musically and in the manner in which he is getting the word out. Finalizing his album release concerts, with a small trio, in early December, James will continue to put out a single a month to streaming platforms, but will only sell CDs and Vinyl at his shows, or through his own webpage, avoiding a full digital upload of the songs until one year of streamed singles is completed. The goal is to keep the songs in the public realm and, hopefully, attract attention for a little longer. Meanwhile, Gray, ‘Canada’s Travelling Songbird,’ will continue shows, leaving in early 2026 for an extensive stay in New Zealand, where he has found a following and a landscape that he truly loves.
There is much to admire in his new set of songs, some of which Gray has been carrying around for ten years. Given his relentless touring, his style remains firmly and uniquely Canadian, drawing on folk and country influences and often channelling his heroes like Townes Van Zandt and John Prine, as if they had come up through the bar circuit North of Toronto. Yet there is something emerging in his writing, especially the heartbreak echoed in a few of these songs, that warrants recognition for their maturity and creative focus.
The other exciting element on this album is the cast of notable and extraordinary musicians James has attracted to contribute their exceptional talents. Caroline Marie Brooks, of the Good Lovelies, adds background vocals; famed guitarist and producer, Colin Linden, adds dobro, baritone, and electric guitar, and Rob Currie adds electric guitar. Along with the bandmates Gray has assembled over the years, the sound is exquisite. Produced by Matthew Montour at Boxcar Sound in Hamilton, with additional string arrangements by Bruce Mackinnon, ‘Daydreamer’ is a quantum leap forward and highlights the very best of Gray’s continued growth as singer and guitarist.
Already an accomplished finger-style guitarist, Gray hones new guitar skills on each recording, adding flat-picking to his arsenal in this go-round. More importantly, Gray has found a quality in his singing voice that those who have followed his career will surely be overjoyed to witness. Often a soft timbred baritone, Gray has begun to really express emotion and depth in his singing, showcased especially in the powerful ‘Small Town Waltz,’ the single he has released for December.
A reflection on the loss of a dear friend to suicide, what makes this song a masterwork is that this simple story holds a vast well of emotional insight, laying bare the myths and deceptions we fragile humans cover our eyes with, shaking the fabric of our soul to open up to our real purpose. “If I speak, would you listen, and if I cry, would you wipe my tears down? If I am drowning, would you save me? Would you save me, would you save me, in this small town?”
Learning to love and accept one another, no matter our circumstances or backgrounds, in one small town at a time, seems a worthy aspiration to daydream about.
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Absolutely love James Gray’s music and style. Very glad he’s keeping it intimate.
James has achieved being a seasoned singer songwriter and musician at a relatively young age. Imagine being able to travel the world and funding your travels by telling stories and singing songs to folks in intimate venues.
Pretty cool.