James Hersey grew up as the son of an American teacher and Austrian journalist in Vienna. His interest in music and composition started early and has since grown increasingly diverse and open to new genres. At 9 he played the Cello, at 11 the Drums, and at 13 he received his first electric guitar. In school he sang in choir and started forming bands and jam sessions with his friends in junior high. At 17 he decided to leave High School to study jazz at a private conservatory. There he discovered and honed his talent for songwriting, and produced his first EP. Released with no label, the “James Hersey EP” celebrated it’s first radio plays with “Promises”, and earned the attention of a few local clubs and promoters. With his first earnings, James decided to leave home and search for more inspiration overseas. As a sort of “urban gypsy” he spent time in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas, staying with friends or ...
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James Hersey grew up as the son of an American teacher and Austrian journalist in Vienna. His interest in music and composition started early and has since grown increasingly diverse and open to new genres. At 9 he played the Cello, at 11 the Drums, and at 13 he received his first electric guitar. In school he sang in choir and started forming bands and jam sessions with his friends in junior high. At 17 he decided to leave High School to study jazz at a private conservatory. There he discovered and honed his talent for songwriting, and produced his first EP. Released with no label, the “James Hersey EP” celebrated it’s first radio plays with “Promises”, and earned the attention of a few local clubs and promoters. With his first earnings, James decided to leave home and search for more inspiration overseas. As a sort of “urban gypsy” he spent time in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas, staying with friends or in short-term rentals, writing songs and playing in bars to spread the word about his sound.
When he returned to Vienna in 2012, James produced and released his Mixtape “Twelve”, his first foray into electronic production with lyrical and melodic sensibility rooted in a singer-songwriter background. National radio station and early supporter FM4 picked up on the indie-release almost immediately and named James Hersey “Artist Of The Month” in January 2013, landing four tracks in the top 10 of their charts that year. A nomination for the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards opened the door for more opportunities, but the fans and media were hungry for new music. So the summer of 2013 was spent writing and traveling in search of inspiration. A house in Holland, a suitcase studio, and a single-speed bicycle were the ingredients for the next creative phase.
With a growing repertoire in tow he hit the road again, and was invited to play support for established acts such as Left Boy, Seeed, and Will.I.Am. During the Ray Ban Polarized Tour he met Milky Chance, with whom he immediately connected on a musical and personal level. Pretty soon they invited him to join their self-made label-family “Lichtdicht Records”, and since then he’s been steadily gaining ground. His first headlining tour in May 2014 was a success, his first summer festivals included the Szene Open Air, Frequency, and Zelt Musik Festival, and his song “Coming Over” gained a lot of attention after being discovered and re-worked by producers in the EDM scene.
The “electro-pop-singer-songwriter” started his journey recording acoustic ideas on cassette tapes, and has grown to encompass many musical genres and their approaches to composition and technology. James Hersey brings this experience to every moment on stage and in the studio to give each note his personal timbre - a metamorphosis of diverse musical and lyrical influences. His constant quest, both musical and personal, is expressed thoroughly on his debut album “Clarity”, due for release in GSA in February 2015.
In March following his GSA tour, James Hersey will support Milky Chance on the first leg of their tour in the US & Canada, and is due to make a guest appearance at this year's Coachella festival.
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