5th November 2021
The story of Kris James is the compelling story of the underdog. A singer from birth, Kris James has had a long, uphill journey to get to this point in time – finally ready to release his debut solo album. From band break-ups to romantic break-ups, emotional turbulence and more, James’ perseverance as an artist has always shone through, and he’s now ready to reap the rewards.
Kris James’ highly anticipated self-titled debut album is out 5th November 2021.
‘Full of self assurance and maturity’ – Sunday Express
‘Kris James is the one to watch’ – Music Week
‘Kris’ tracks always feel very personal and introspective’ – 1883
Self-titled albums are always a statement, an announcement to the world that you have arrived. In the case of Kris James, it’s been a long time coming. Not that it hasn’t also been worth it – the dissolution of his band The Scheme left him free to follow the creative spark which was being curtailed by boy band etiquette. Recording the song he had written for the band as a solo artist instead, ‘Eyes Open’ went straight into the UK Top 30. That’s just the irresistible magnetism of James as an artist and persona, as well as a testament to his staying power.
Now, on the eve of his first big, triumphant step as a solo artist, Kris James has chosen ‘Dreamer’ as his focus track. A moody and cathartic break-up anthem, James pitches himself as a hopeless romantic in the Imagine Dragons-inspired song. “Dreamer is about never really getting over that one person who you thought you would be with forever, always thinking and going back to the good times. Dreaming of when times were amazing and you both thought it would be forever. It’s a first love experience once again. But for me Im always as mad about the first love as I am my last. I’m always writing about breakups and love”, James shares.
The attitude reflects his perseverance as an artist, constantly looking and hoping for more, even during the darkest days. The production is bombastic and dramatic, illustrating yet another side to Kris James’ chameleon-like approach to pop music.
Kris James is, by now, an absolute expert at hiding emotionally complex themes and boundless authenticity in catchy pop songs. In the past, themes of toxic masculinity, anxiety, and honesty in romance have peppered James’ uniquely sophisticated hooks and harmonies – ensuring that we have something to dance to and think about at the same time.
His approach to album-writing is also refreshingly sincere. “When I pick up an album, I want to love the whole thing, not just tracks one, four and eight. My mindset whilst writing was that if this proves to be the last thing I ever release, I want it to be a definitive statement; to be the best it can be. Each song on this album has all come from real life situations that I have been in, usually when I’m happy, sad, in or out of love”. True to form, Kris James has no fodder. It perfectly captures James as an artist, a songwriter and, above all, a person – someone who has a story to tell.
Besides his music endeavours, Kris James is the founder of Amanzzo, a brand-new luxury, sustainable menswear brand that launched its debut collection of swimwear, produced using recycled and repurposed materials such as ECONYL. Aware of the impacts of fast fashion, and plastics on our oceans, James aims ‘“to deliver luxury quality at affordable prices, and prioritise sustainability at every avenue, from production through to packaging and shipment without compromising on style or quality”.
Amanzzo’s debut collection of men’s swimwear launches on August 26, 2021, and is available to browse on www.amanzzo.com, with a new sustainable men’s underwear range coming in 2022.
Kris James will release his debut solo full-length album on the 5th of November.
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