Gabrial James profile picture

Gabrial James

Another dream of sacred fire.

About Me

Gabrial James Lundy, 32, is a singer/songwriter from Grand Rapids, MI. He has been playing the guitar since the age of fourteen and singing since the age of eight. His father Charles Robert taught him how to play the guitar, and had his formal vocal training in the Saint Cecilia Music Society Chorale from 1985-1989.

Gabrial started writing songs at the age of sixteen with Corduroy Kelley, his very first band, which was heavily influenced by the early 90's British shoegaze bands like Catherine Wheel, Ride, Swervedriver, Slowdive, and Lush. They had their 15 minutes, playing a couple of places in town including a battle of the bands at Martini's (now Billy's Lounge) in Eastown. Corduroy Kelley went their separate ways and Gabrial went back to his acoustic roots. Gabrial's songwriting stayed dormant for a number of years, but he really got back into it when he started to hit the local open mic circuits heavily.
In the summer of 2003, Gabrial was invited to be the host/emcee of the acoustic open mic showcase at Billy's Lounge in Eastown, one of the finest venues for local music and blues in GR. To this day the acoustic showcase is still going strong with loads of beautiful talent coming in from Michigan to New Zealand.
Gabrial is the happiest ever when he is on the stage playing music for people. His smooth, acoustic folk-pop style includes tight guitar rhythms and vocals that span from heart gripping tenor to sweet falsetto. One day maybe he will be playing for you.

Myspace Layouts at Pimp-My-Profile.com / BLack, bLuE & GreEN

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 7/13/2005
Band Members: Gabrial James: Words, Acoustic Guitars, Lead Vocals & Harmonies
Session Musicians: Curt Hines Brennon Gladding Johnny B. Jared Heath Jeff Engle Nik Degraff

View Gabrial James's EPK
Influences: My biggest musical influence is my whole family. Every member on both sides is musically inclined and all sing and play an instrument. My late father, Charles Robert Lundy, taught me everything I know about music and playing music.
I am also influenced by every band I have heard and gotten into. Here's a few that have really influenced me as a musician over the years:
Bruce Hornsby, The Smiths, R.E.M., U2 (I'm a fan of Joshua Tree and older), Radiohead, The Sundays, Jeff Buckley, Coldplay, Embrace, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Kathleen Edwards, Fleet Foxes, Glossary, The Drive-By Truckers, Sera Cahoone, Rob Dickinson and The Catherine Wheel, The Lemonheads, Wilco, Iron & Wine, Neko Case, The Indigo Girls, Damien Rice, Ray Lamontagne, Guster, Smashing Pumpkins, Counting Crows, David Gray, Nik Kershaw, Live, Sunny Day Real Estate, Doves, Elbow, Band of Horses, Slowdive, Ride, Mojave 3, Bruce Cockburn, The Jayhawks, Simon & Garfunkel, Don Henley, The Beatles, David Gilmour (His solo albums are amazing), Pink Floyd, Elton John, Steve Miller, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and Cat Stevens.
That's just to name a few.
Sounds Like: However you want it to sound.

Type of Label: None

My Blog

NEW BILLYS LOUNGE OPEN MIC NIGHT GUIDELINES (UPDATED 5/30/08)

NEW BILLY'S LOUNGE OPEN MIC NIGHT GUIDELINES   Hey folks!! There have been some recent ideas that have come up between the Billy's Lounge staff and I to help keep our open mic night a pleas...
Posted by Gabrial James on Sun, 11 May 2008 11:44:00 PST

GJs homeGRown Music Series performance at The Intersection reviewed by Revue Magazine!

~Writtten by Robert Sullivan for Revue Magazine, May 2008 Edition ~ A few songs into Gabrial James' smooth, acoustic, folk-pop set, it became clear to me that, whether playing to an audience of ten pe...
Posted by Gabrial James on Thu, 01 May 2008 11:02:00 PST

Ann Arbor, Liberty, and Ryan Adams & The Cardinals.

Time to get the party started, so filled with adrenaline, drive a block and forget the tickets. A block and not 100 miles thank the stars. OK, are we heading east for good this time? Yes.&nb...
Posted by Gabrial James on Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:08:00 PST