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It wasn't until James moved to San Francisco in 2003 that he played solo for the first time. Born in Queens, NY and raised in New Jersey, he set out for California to try his hand at making music full-time. In the late 90's, while he was in college, James began to seriously write songs, recording them into an old tape recorder. He amassed a huge collection of demo tapes, but never really knew what to do with the songs. He planned on eventually pitching them to other bands and songwriters to record.
When James arrived in San Francisco, he realized he had to perform his songs himself. He dove right into the local music scene. He began going out to various open mics and networking with other musicians. He also recorded one of the songs he had written a few years before at a local recording studio called Last Stop Records. Soon he was being offered "feature" slots at open mics and in 2004 he played his first, paid solo show at the Hotel Utah Saloon in San Francisco. James was also chosen to participate in the videotaping of a songwriter showcase show, taped at the Canvas Cafe in San Francisco, that was pitched to PBS. A few months later, James was invited to come down and play a few songs on local San Francisco radio station KPOO.
James was also in the midst of recording his first self-released record with his friend and fellow musician, Guenther Schepers(aka "Songs from the Living Room.") They recorded in James' small, in-law apartment and used a digital 4-track. James also recorded the song,"Barely In Love", at Last Stop Records, as well as some additional overdubs on the tracks Guenther Schepers had recorded. In 2005, he self-released his first EP-Past Miles.
It was during this time that James struck up a friendship with local San Francisco songwriter Fred Odell. Fred has contributed guitar and backing vocals on two of James' songs, "Drunks and Fools" and "Crows." In addition to various solo gigs, James spent most of 2005-2007 playing opening sets for Fred and his band the Broken Arrows at Bay Area venues such as The Missouri Lounge, The Ivy Room and The Black Cat . In 2006, James recorded the song "Crows" with David Gale, the lead guitar player in the Broken Arrows, at David's MBR Studios in Daly City, CA.
James moved back to New Jersey in early September of 2007. Currently unsigned, he has since been writing new songs, booking gigs and playing the occasional open-mic. On November 30th, he played his first show in New York City at the 169 Bar.
James Moore's music conveys a real sense of sincerity and honesty. Drawing from a variety of folk-rock and alt-country influences, he effectively blends his intensely personal lyrics with a captivating, melodic sensibility. He just finished his latest EP "Crows", which is currently available on CD Baby and iTunes. In July, the title song, "Crows", was selected for airplay rotation on AmericanaOK radio, broadcasting out of Scotland. James is currently playing shows to promote the release of "Crows."
Influences: Sam Cooke, Neil Young, lots of 60's/70's folk-rock, R.EM., The Jayhawks, Wilco....
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