about
James Graham
James got started as a songwriter as part of the “anti-folk” scene that sprang up in the East Village of NYC around 1990. That scene was a kind of antidote to the West Village folk scene that no longer seemed relevant in a world ravaged by the politics of Reagan and Thatcher and seemingly given up on racial justice. Anti-folk didn’t exactly take the world by storm but it provided a creative and inclusive community of songwriters, poets, and comedians testing the boundaries of talent and good taste–the perfect crucible for disaffected young adults looking to create and have fun.
The connections made in that scene led James to stints in the rock/pop band FlatDog and the Irish acoustic cabaret project Sodom and Begorrah. Solo shows also continued in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn until the business of child-rearing took over.
In 2004 he moved with his family to Lyme New Hampshire, a picturesque little village in the Upper Valley region straddling the Connecticut river between Vermont and New Hampshire. Resisting the pull of Bluegrass and old-timey Americana that pervades the popular local music scene there, James stayed true to the influences that inspired him from the beginning: rock, soul, reggae, and punk — a love for all kinds of music seeking to make sense out of the complicated human condition while creating sounds that move the spirit. In 2022 he finally got himself into a recording studio (The Underground) and produced Every Day Is You with his friends Jim Musty, John Foster, Noah Oltman, and Toby Summerfield as well as studio musicians Titien Tolbert, Alex Kelly, and Bob Sparadeo.
James continues to record, play live, and be a dad (complete with jokes). He believes in the power of music, especially live music, to spread love and understanding and move the creative spirit.
Latest posts:
- EclipseWe drove our little rig up route 5 to 10 to 25 to 302 and through Groton and on to …
- the listening room show was……so fun. Such a special night. We’re so grateful to @rootedentertainment and all who came out to enjoy the community. …
- Live @ The Listening RoomThe whole band will be in the house for our last gig of 2023. Come with some holiday spirit of …
- Upstairs at Dan & Whits with Jenny KimChad Finer recorded us playing 3 songs on October 1st.
- Another Loch Lyme BeautyWe love playing at the side of the pond. This night (9/3/23) Matt Musty sat in with us and John …