Tuesday 5 April 2016

PREVIEW: James Walker - 'Modern Medicine'

If you're from Oxford, you might recognise James Walker from the Adam Barnes band, as he plays keys for Adam, having just been on a European tour with him. He's also a vlogger, has over a thousand subscribers and recently celebrated his 1st anniversary on Youtube, you can see his vlogs here. Now - he's venturing into the world of solo music, and his debut EP, Modern Medicine, is being released by Wild Native Records on 11th April.

EP artwork for Modern Medicine
I've been sent a link to listen to the EP before next week - and listen I have, three times in a row... The EP is a beautiful collection of tracks, well produced and performed, a stunning first release from James that I'm really impressed by. Having only heard James sing backing vocals and play keyboard for Adam, I wasn't sure what to expect but anything that I did expect has been surpassed. If you're a fan of stripped back acoustic music then the EP is for you, for sure, but the EP is so much more than that - beautifully hitting the mark between intimate acoustic music and a much bigger sound, particularly in the latter half of the title track, Modern Medicine. A highlight for me is the slightly more upbeat Right Person Wrong Time with some great intricate guitar playing, but I'm a big fan of the whole EP and heartily recommend a listen next Monday when it's released!  

8/10/15
My photo of James, playing with Adam Barnes at Sofar Sounds Oxford last year
James heads out on a tour with Kira and August Is Ours in April and May with a few dates in the UK and several further afield in Germany and the Netherlands.


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