James Walsh (musician)
Encyclopedia
James Walsh is an English
singer, songwriter
, guitarist
, pianist
and frontman of the band
, Starsailor
.
In 2009, he started recording his first solo album, working with American songwriter and singer Suzanne Vega
, and making his first film collaboration with Powder.
Including his work with the band, Starsailor, he has sold over three million albums globally
and by the time he was 14 he wrote his own song
s; he enjoyed listening to groups like The Charlatans, Oasis
and Jeff Buckley
.
A shy and lonely personality, he looked for artists
that had, or have, an influence on the musicians of his generation.
Eventually he got attracted to artists and bands such as Neil Young
, Bob Dylan
, Nick Drake
and The Beatles
. Walsh was so impressed by the music
of Tim Buckley
, that he decided to name his own band after the title of Buckley's 1970 album
Starsailor
. He met fellow band members, James Stelfox
and Ben Byrne, when he studied music at the Wigan and Leigh College in Wigan
.
Some rumours said that Starsailor members Ben Byrne and James Stelfox were in another band. One day,when their vocalist did not turn up, Walsh asked them if he could sit in with them and sing for this rehearsal. This was the first incarnation of Starsailor as a band. Walsh decided to play the guitars for the band after the "frustration over not finding a musician right for the group".
On 31 March 2009 The Sun
announced that Walsh will appear in the movie adaptation of controversial rock and roll novel Powder by Kevin Sampson
. He will play the role of the singer of The Grams. On 3 April 2009, Starsailor's website administrator, confirmed part of the information stating that "James had been in talks with the Powder author about providing the vocals for the actor in the film" and else adding that "James himself won't be acting or appearing, but might provide the vocals for the songs in the film". The film will be released in Autumn 2011, after a premiere on 19 May.
In 2009, he started recording his first solo album, working with American songwriter and singer Suzanne Vega
. His first solo EP, Live at the Top of the World was recorded in Tromsø
with a chamber orchestra from Norway, and was released in November 2010. He has also contributed to a mini-album Robotic Heart Foundation by Nikolaj Torp Larsson and Andreas Olson, after he met them at a studio when working on a film. Larsson and Olson have continued to work with Walsh on his debut album, which is expected to be released in 2011.
Recently, Walsh has worked together with Belgian band Andes
on the song "één dag meer" ("One More Day").
During June 2011, Walsh supported Simple Minds
on their "Greatest Hits Forest Tour
".
of Oasis and James Walsh (who was initially musically inspired by the sound of Oasis
). Gallagher had called the Starsailor singer a 'cock' in an interview for NME magazine; something denied by the accused. However, when Walsh confronted Gallagher at the T In The Park festival in 2002, Gallagher claimed that if he said it, then it must be true. Noel's brother Liam got involved, allegedly squaring up to Walsh on the same day. In live shows following this, most notably at the 2002 V Festival, the Starsailor front man announced 'it is nice to be good, and good to be nice'. Gallagher went onto declare that the incident was 'the most fun Walsh has had in his life'. The feud was resolved at Glastonbury in 2004.
Walsh has been married to Lisa McNamee since 2003 and has a daughter called Niamh (born 8 August 2002). On June 30, 2008 he became a father again when his second son was born. The baby was named Cillian James.
He is a supporter
of Liverpool F.C.
and used to play concerts for the other supporters and leave comments about the development of the team in his Myspace and twitter.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and frontman of the band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, Starsailor
Starsailor (band)
Starsailor is an English post-britpop band, formed in Leigh, Warrington and Greater Manchester. By 2009, they had four charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since 2001.-Early history:...
.
In 2009, he started recording his first solo album, working with American songwriter and singer Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
, and making his first film collaboration with Powder.
Including his work with the band, Starsailor, he has sold over three million albums globally
Biography
When Walsh was aged 12 he started to play the pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and by the time he was 14 he wrote his own song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s; he enjoyed listening to groups like The Charlatans, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
.
A shy and lonely personality, he looked for artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
that had, or have, an influence on the musicians of his generation.
Eventually he got attracted to artists and bands such as Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Walsh was so impressed by the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of Tim Buckley
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III was an American vocalist, and musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years; his first album was mostly folk oriented, but over time his music incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument," sound...
, that he decided to name his own band after the title of Buckley's 1970 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Starsailor
Starsailor (album)
Starsailor is a 1970 album by Tim Buckley , released on Herb Cohen's Straight Records label. It marks the moment Buckley's folk rock origins became invisible as he fully incorporated jazz rock and avant-garde styles in to his music. Although it is often regarded as not being accessible to many...
. He met fellow band members, James Stelfox
James Stelfox
James Stelfox best known as Stel is a member of the British group, Starsailor, and one of the first members of the band. He plays bass guitar. Stel produced with John Kettle, Kingsway's debut EP....
and Ben Byrne, when he studied music at the Wigan and Leigh College in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
.
Some rumours said that Starsailor members Ben Byrne and James Stelfox were in another band. One day,when their vocalist did not turn up, Walsh asked them if he could sit in with them and sing for this rehearsal. This was the first incarnation of Starsailor as a band. Walsh decided to play the guitars for the band after the "frustration over not finding a musician right for the group".
On 31 March 2009 The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
announced that Walsh will appear in the movie adaptation of controversial rock and roll novel Powder by Kevin Sampson
Kevin Sampson (writer)
Kevin Sampson is a British novelist, best known for his novels Awaydays and Powder . Sampson is from the Wirral, England and was educated at Birkenhead School.-Career:...
. He will play the role of the singer of The Grams. On 3 April 2009, Starsailor's website administrator, confirmed part of the information stating that "James had been in talks with the Powder author about providing the vocals for the actor in the film" and else adding that "James himself won't be acting or appearing, but might provide the vocals for the songs in the film". The film will be released in Autumn 2011, after a premiere on 19 May.
In 2009, he started recording his first solo album, working with American songwriter and singer Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
. His first solo EP, Live at the Top of the World was recorded in Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
with a chamber orchestra from Norway, and was released in November 2010. He has also contributed to a mini-album Robotic Heart Foundation by Nikolaj Torp Larsson and Andreas Olson, after he met them at a studio when working on a film. Larsson and Olson have continued to work with Walsh on his debut album, which is expected to be released in 2011.
Recently, Walsh has worked together with Belgian band Andes
Andes (disambiguation)
Andes may refer to:In places:*Andes, the world's longest mountain range, along the western coast of South America*Andes , New York, a town in the United States*Andes , New York, a hamlet in the United States...
on the song "één dag meer" ("One More Day").
During June 2011, Walsh supported Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
on their "Greatest Hits Forest Tour
Forest Tour
Forest Tour is an annual United Kingdom live popular music event held nationwide, in their forests.-History :...
".
Personal life
In the middle of 2002 there was a feud between Noel GallagherNoel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
of Oasis and James Walsh (who was initially musically inspired by the sound of Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
). Gallagher had called the Starsailor singer a 'cock' in an interview for NME magazine; something denied by the accused. However, when Walsh confronted Gallagher at the T In The Park festival in 2002, Gallagher claimed that if he said it, then it must be true. Noel's brother Liam got involved, allegedly squaring up to Walsh on the same day. In live shows following this, most notably at the 2002 V Festival, the Starsailor front man announced 'it is nice to be good, and good to be nice'. Gallagher went onto declare that the incident was 'the most fun Walsh has had in his life'. The feud was resolved at Glastonbury in 2004.
Walsh has been married to Lisa McNamee since 2003 and has a daughter called Niamh (born 8 August 2002). On June 30, 2008 he became a father again when his second son was born. The baby was named Cillian James.
He is a supporter
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
of Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and used to play concerts for the other supporters and leave comments about the development of the team in his Myspace and twitter.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Powder | Keva McLuskey | James Walsh puts his voice on the songs for the role lead singer of a fictional band called The Grams |