James Mitchell and his guitar get along like a house on fire. After a decade of performing and recording, they’re old pals. Channeling everything from political folk rock to electronica, blues, and jazz, James is a poet, his music a conduit for serrated emotion. With vibrant, jangling guitar melodies combined with his passionate voice, James paints an image in sound of his history and beliefs. An insightful lyricist and master audio technician, he spends his days at his home studio on Chicago's North Side, happily pouring raw emotion into every note he writes.
James, in classic folk tradition, uses his music to express his political thoughts and his personal experiences. Using Often compared to the early recordings of fiery folk rocker Ani DiFranco, his work is dark, layered, and furiously yearning. His debut album, "Face First", was a collection of recordings put together when he was only 19. 2001 saw the release of "They", a polished effort with a strong lyrical sensibility. In 2005, he graduated Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio Arts and Sciences, and the next year released his first collaborative album, "Resemble". "Resemble" reflected his rewarding partnership with artists and musicians he met at school, and was hailed by critics as his most complex and perceptive work yet.
Currently, James and his merry band of musicians, artists, and roustabouts have just finished recording "Harvest 10", a retrospective of a decade of songwriting.
