Brady James

By Julia Corrie

At 13 years old, Brady James discovered rap artists like Lil Wayne and Mac Miller, and started making cover songs as a creative outlet. Since 2017, Brady has been building a strong fan-base, releasing albums, singles, and features with other artists. 

His most recent single, TRY YOU, dropped on Sept. 17, and the weeks leading up to it were surreal. “I was constantly meeting with producers and magazines to talk about the drop, it was a crazy 3 weeks,” James said.

Mixing genres and creating captivating visuals, Brady James makes music for every music taste. “During COVID, I was writing one or two songs every single day for three weeks straight,” James said. “There was no specific album idea or conceptual narrative for it, I was just writing as many songs as possible.”

Growing up in Long Island, NY, he was first interested in sports. His parents weren’t musical, yet there was something missing when he came into teenage years. James wanted a creative outlet, and found it through music. 

“I was in a really dark place when I was 14, and I later learned that it ran in my family,” James said. “I ended up connecting with a youth pastor at an open mic night near where I lived at the time, and that definitely brought me out of my shell.”

There was a long period of time where he could not discuss the music he was making with his fans, so now the goal is re-engagement. Brady has released the music video for his latest single, and it was obvious how much work was put in, in order to bring it to life. The visuals were incredibly original, and it only left viewers wanting more. 

“Whenever I start working on a song, I want to get as many hands on it as possible,” James said. There are many different moving parts to the process, so he said that it’s always good to get constructive criticism on any new project.

One good thing about COVID was that Brady was able to focus on his music, and realized who was going to be the best support system. “I was living at my producer’s house in New York for a minute there,” James said. “I’m glad I’ve built a really strong, small circle of people who are always going to give it to me straight.”

On Friday, Nov. 12, James took the stage in Orlando, Fla. with Take Lead and Isaac Graham at an intimate venue with dedicated fans. The energy in the room was electric, and each artist had a unique sound that the crowd responded well to. Listening to Brady’s music since September, it was so surreal hearing some of the songs live. 

With his 24th birthday coming up at the end of the year, Brady is looking ahead to the next year with great optimism. “My goal would be to make music that resonates with people who I don’t know,” James said. “I want people to relate to my music and everything I’ve been through, that would be the best thing.”

Check out Brady James’ new single, TRY YOU, on all streaming platforms. 

Instagram: @Bradyjames.x