Meet Sebastian James, a vibrant singer and songwriter, proudly hailing from Kansas City, MO. He writes “feel good music” reminiscent of a time when music stood on its own merits and had little to do with likes or reposts. His latest single, “American Made,” is a timeless ode to classic Rock n’ Roll mixed with musical Midwestern sensibilities dipped in Country flavored roots.
2024 will bring Sebastian James to the world stage with his highly anticipated solo album, Old School Cool, slated for release this summer on Tungsten Records, an independent label that James co-founded. The album was mastered by Dave Collins, a Grammy Award winning, mastering engineer who’s worked with a laundry list of iconic superstars; Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica and many more. Holding true to its name, the magic of Old School Cool is derived from the vintage approach that James followed when creating the record. “We wanted the album to be recorded exactly how it would be performed live, so we tracked everything together and stayed true to our process. I’m talking 100-watt Marshall’s cranked to 11, big drums with no retriggering or quantization, an Ampeg SVT classic with a thunderous 8×10 cab, all topped with raw, powerful, organic vocals.”
The full-production music video for “American Made” gives viewers a glimpse into the life of Sebastian James, centered around a close knit family enjoying one another’s company and being completely present. No devices or screen time, just hands on fun, riding motorcycles, cruising around in muscle cars, and creating genuine memories. Sebastian explains, “It’s a personal story about how I was raised and how I’m raising my kids.” Putting emphasis on the fact that the album has no political messages or overtones. With so much happening in the world right now Sebastian chooses to use his musical platform to share his message. “I’m a 5th generation Kansas Citian and midwesterner, so I am very proud of where I am from. It’s been a lot of fun watching our city come into the spotlight as of late. There’s something special about being raised here, it feels like there is more emphasis in our upbringing on spending time with each other and creating those special moments. My music is a reflection of that, it’s about unity and trying to be better people.”
