The White Buffalo + Shawn James: Tale of Two Guns Tour Show

Hey there, this is Shawn James.

I’ve had way too many writers think they could sum me up & relay what I’m about from an hour long conversation so they could write my “bio” but I’ve had it. Screw that. I’ll tell it in my own words.

I was born & raised In Chicago, Illinois. I grew up on the south side of the city where I attended a gospel church. I was always around a lot of heartfelt soulful music & hardworking, real, down to earth people. Although I no longer abide by any religion, I value the times I had and how they shaped me to be what I am now.

I’ve moved around quite a bit living in all different parts of the US. While absorbing all sorts of different cultures from here & around the world, I’ve developed my own sound.

I started releasing my own music in 2012 and haven’t stopped since. I play a wide range of music from folk to blues, r&b, Gospel to rock, metal & alotta things in between. The main constant amongst all the genres would be that it’s all done with emotion, feeling, heart & a lotta soul. I mean what I say & deeply feel what I play.

I play covers of songs I dig sometimes and although some people may only know me because of those, I’m hardly just a cover artist.

If you come see me play live and expect just one style or aspect of what I do, you may be disappointed to learn that our shows are a roller coaster of emotions, musical styles, intensity & energy. I get bored easily & love to mix things up. Be ready & bring your ear plugs just in case..

I’ve always been the underdog so to speak since I’ve never had the backing of a large record label, big marketing firm or massive PR company & I truly like it that way. I feel as though I’ve earned what I have through hard work, determination, a good bit of luck & the great relationships with people I’ve made along the way. I’ve learned a lot of lessons the hard way being in this “music business industry” and that’s alright by me. I’ve seen that with your support (the listeners out there) I can make my wildest dreams come true.

If you want to listen to an artist that’s authentic, genuine & original then you’ve come to the right place.

I hope you enjoy the music & will join me on this journey that I’m so extremely grateful to be on. Thank you all so very much.

Love,
Shawn James

For The White Buffalo – aka singer / songwriter / guitarist Jake Smith, Oregon-born, Southern California-raised – it was time to take the less travelled path; to assemble notions for studio album Number 8, the follow-up to ʻOn The Widowʼs Walkʼ (Snakefarm, 2020), and embark on a voyage of discovery. Out with the old, the organic, the expected, the tried; in with the new – new producer, new studio, new location, no distractions, no looking back…

When Jake, flanked by regular touring / recording compadres, bassist / keyboard player / guitarist Christopher Hoffee and drummer Matt Lynott, crossed the threshold of East Nashvilleʼs Neon Cross Studio, a converted Southern Baptist Church, he wasnʼt chapter anʼ verse prepared, as usual. The time before recording had been a crazy one, so there were a bunch of loose ends to be tied ("Iʼm a perpetual procrastinator" – Jake), plus only three of the 12 songs had been completely written. Jake had maps in his head, but most were mere bones of compositions with only a few key lyrics penned. This allowed producer / studio owner Jay Joyce – plus trusted assistant, Jason Hall – the wiggle room to really get involved, to guide and explore new frontiers …

With an impressive clientele numbering Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Fidlar, Ashley McBryde, Halestorm, Little Big Town, Cage The Elephant, to name just a few, multi-instrumentalist Joyce has a reputation for working at an intense level. Heʼs a Grammy Award-winning Producer of the Year (2018), has 4 CMA and 5 ACM Awards, and when it comes to making music, the Ohio native is never one to take the obvious route – perfect for an album featuring a dozen musical vignettes, individual yet constant in flow; an album loosely based around the shifting of the seasons and the shifting of a relationship; an album showing off the complete scope of Jakeʼs song-writing craft, from the stripped back to the fully loaded.