THE RISE AND THE RIDE

Born and raised on the family’s sheep and cattle station near Stanthorpe in Queensland, James’s life changed forever when the then 23-year-old was crowned winner of 1987’s Starmaker Talent Quest. So began the arc of critical and popular acclaim, the sell-out tours, the Chart topping albums like Hand It Down (1990), This Road (1992) and the massive country crossover hit Way Out West (peaking at #2 on the ARIA charts) with James Reyne. James was the first young Australian country act to sign a major record label deal in Nashville, laying down a trail followed by Keith Urban, Catherine Britt and Kasey Chambers.

 

THE EXIT AND THE EXILE

In the late 90s James laid down his crown and walked away from the spotlight. For two years he lived the life of a travelling troubadour in Europe.

Returning to Australia in 2003, James began to write a remarkable body of work that that has informed the second phase of his career as a fiercely independent recording artist, singer | songwriter, commentator and mentor.

 

THE RETURN AND THE REKINDLING

James Blundell emerged from the pandemic and the passing of his father and brother with a renewed sense of purpose. COVID was running rampant and The Music Industry was a long line of out of work musicians, cancelled festivals and closed venues. James met Aussie Legends Hemp main man Peter Saunderson. The two men forged a deep and abiding friendship, and a shared vision for the many benefits and applications of hemp seed oil.

So it was no surprise when Aussie Legends Hemp offered James an Ambassadorship and co-created Wonderwheel Music a boutique indie label as a conduit for the songs James would record in the USA,

In July 2022 James left life down on the farm for The Clubhouse, one of the. last great residential studios in America to record the body of songs that would make up Patience Wins with Larry Campbell and Justin Guip, the Grammy Award winning production team, responsible for the late great Levon Helm’s post Band albums. James described the sessions as “The most profoundly gratifying of my career. It was a master class in serving the song”

James returned to Australia recharged and ready to share what his time in America had revealed. On the back of an expansive touring schedule he dropped four superb singles, Sideways, Queen of The Lost Highway, Almost Anzac Day (launched by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) and Whiskey Tree. All four songs peaked in the Top 10 country charts. All four songs in tandem with the October release of Patsy and Dave’s poignant After The Storm featuring James’s haunting vocals has served to build the anticipation for this November’s release of James Blundell’s long awaited and aptly titled album Patience Wins on his new music label home, Ambition Entertainment.

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DISCOVER MORE BY VISITING https://jamesblundell.com.au

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