Meet Bruce James | James of James & Black

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bruce James and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bruce, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Authenticity has always been one of the hallmarks of who we are. Folks know when they book us they are going to get the real us. Especially in music, where, a lot of times, especially in a live situation, its so transparent to the audience if you believe in what you’re saying. People also know us as people and not just as artists. On any given night only 3 or 4 hours are spent on stage – most of the time is spent off stage, building relationships.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Our journey, from the beginning until the start of the pandemic, has pretty much been nomadic. After forming in Austin, Texas, in 2011 we immigrated to the EU barely one year in, moving around and organically growing our fanmily. During that time we’ve lived in 10 or 11 different countries not staying in one place for more than a month – really digging into the local culture and music scenes of each city we worked in. We have so many adopted home towns – its fantastic. Immigration, no matter where, is always a challenge – especially as freelancers and artists. Everything we do, outside of the music itself, is about building relationships – fostering a foundation of people that support us as individuals as well as artists. We are storytellers – but we not only want you to hear the story but to feel it also – one smile at a time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’ve been in Boulder County now almost 2 years and the first place I would take anyone is just west. The mountains never get old.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We have a big family, or “fanmily” all over the world – all of the folks that have believed in us and have been a part of our journey.

Website: www.jamesandblack.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/james.and.black/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-james-3397b66

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jamesandblack