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James has been dropped by Sony Music, but this story was written when they still believed in him. I personally think it is a dame shame. Watch the Video and see for yourself HERE | |
If James Bonamy
has proved one thing since appearing on the country music horizon with What I
Live
To
Do, his Epic debut, it's how in sync one person's heart and soul can be with their
music. In a genre filled with acts making hit-driven music, the Florida-born artist
has remained committed to adding that extra dimension to the songs he records
-- and in the process, songs like his #1 smash "I Don't Think I Will" struck a
chord with country music lovers across the nation. "Taking my music on the road
gave me a chance to connect with people in a way I couldn't even imagine," Bonamy
explains. "When you stand in those autograph lines and have people come up to
you and tell you these powerful stories about how something you recorded affected
them, it's humbling. And you don't always know what to say. "When we were recording
What I Live To Do, I was looking for songs that represented the different
aspects of who I am. But when I got out there, I was shocked to see how many people
care about the same things I do -- the silly stuff as much as those heartfelt
ballads. "So when it came time to start recording Roots And Wings, the stakes
for me were higher. I'd seen directly how important the songs were
to people, so I wanted to make a commitment to the fans as well as myself. I think
all the people at the label really went out of their way to help me find those
really special songs that I wanted. "There's a lot of competition for material.
But there are great songs out there, if you're willing to take the time to really
think about what you want and be dedicated to finding those things. I think we
did." Certainly Roots And Wings shows a great deal of growth for Bonamy. There's
a new confidence that's evident as he tackles some emotionally complex ballads
-- the achingly vulnerable "Naked To The Pain," the powerful definition of what
love should be "When God Dreams" -- with a passion that
burns. And there's also a diversity at work on Roots And Wings that reflects the
breadth of both Bonamy's personal taste and his longtime love of country
music. From the hard-core traditionalism
of the steel-drenched tale of faltering and redemption "Daddy Never Had A Chance"
to the Conway Twitty-esque soul country of "Little Blue Dot" and even the raucous
twang of the turbo-billy "The Swing" and the loose-jointed blue collar jauntiness
of "As Long As I Got You," James Bonamy explores all kinds of country with a joy
that's positively infectious. "
Growing
up in Daytona hanging around the dirt tracks with my dad, country music was the
stuff -- and I gotta tell you, I loved it," Bonamy laughs. "Sure, I listened to
some rock as a teenager, but there's something about the way country music just
always went for it -- whether it was whooping it up or just being honest about
telling someone you cared -- that got me. "You know, the kids at school used to
call me 'Redneck,' but I didn't care.
I
knew what I liked, and I wasn't not gonna like it because some kids didn't. I've
never been much of a follower, so I certainly wouldn't give up on something I
liked so much." It's that commitment to himself that's allowed Bonamy to continue
to grow, in spite of the encroaching demands of being an emergent star. Not only
did he find himself juggling a mass of commitments, ranging from maintaining his
relationship with radio, concert promoters and the fans, but he also found the
time to be profiled in a two-page People magazine spread and on "Entertainment
Tonight" as the Hot New Country
Male,
perform "I Don't Think I Will" on "Live With Regis & Kathie Lee" and being nominated
by the Academy of Country Music as their Top New Male Artist. But it remains,
first and foremost, the music. "What was so exciting about this album is how much
more I knew going in! I'd been through the studio process last time and was really
trying to learn how to make the most out of that environment. Just as importantly,
I'd spent the last year and a half on the road singing for people, really learning
a lot about my voice, how to reach inside myself and draw on the things I feel
and then share that with people in a way that they get it, too. "One night
when my dad was out on the road with us, I decided to sing him 'That's My Job,'
one of our favourite Conway Twitty songs -- and since the band didn't know it,
I did it with just me and my guitar.
To
be standing in a honky-tonk with just you and your guitar, it's a little scary...but
there's something about that connection that's so direct. You get right inside
people, which showed me how far people are willing to go. "That's what set the
standard for Roots And Wings, knowing that people are not only willing, but want
to hear those kinds of things. That gave me a much better sense of what I wanted
to say this time and what I wanted this album to be. Like the last one, it's still
about who I am and what I believe in life. But it digs a little deeper and shows
a more complex set of emotions. "When I first heard Roots And Wings, I was so
in love with everything that song was trying to say that I started doing it in
the show -- and it really stood out. Whenever I'd play it, and again it was just
me and my acoustic guitar, people would really respond. They'd come up to me in
the autograph lines and ask how they could buy it -- and I'd say we were thinking
about recording it. "When you see a song being as important to other people as
it is to you, it reminds you of that bigger reason for doing this." While
the 25-year-old singer has always been interested in dealing with what lies in
people's hearts, he's also always been one for having a good time. It's a facet
of his personality that's certainly evident in his stage show, just as it's been
a large part of his song selection process. "Who doesn't want to have a good time?
Photo: Kikin' Country
"
he says with a laugh. "I know I do. There are
so many records I love just
because they make me smile or laugh or stomp. To me, that's one of the other great
things about music: it's ability to take you somewhere else, to get you into a
happy place. If I can help get somebody's Friday or Saturday night off to a great
start, that's cool! That's why I'm doing it." Among the other growth points for
Bonamy on Roots And Wings is his debut as a songwriter with the revved-up romp
"I Knew I'd Need My
Heart Someday." The raver tackles the limitless extent of young love in terms
that are, in no uncertain terms, Bonamy's own. As he leans into the outright confessions
of "I didn't have to climb the water tower and paint your name in cherry bomb
red" and "standing in the pouring rain, singing 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Sweet
Home Alabama'," it's obvious James Bonamy is a boy eat up with the whole populist
romantic lexicon. Grinning Bonamy confesses, "Yup, I'm a good ole boy. I can't
say that I've done all those things, but let me tell you they're not beyond me.
I did some pretty crazy things to let my wife know how I felt...and I think that's
part of the fun of it. "You know, the whole love thing can be pretty exciting
and fun. Sure, it's deep and meaningful, but it's pretty nuts, too." Balancing
those two aesthetics is what sets James Bonamy apart. He recognizes the inherent
dichotomy in us all -- and lives to embrace both parts of who people are. Sure,
he can stomp and rave with the best of 'em, but he's also not afraid to expose
the part of him that feels. "If you're being honest about
what the songs need, it's all there. Different songs are like different people,
they all need different things. When you start to accept people and situations
on their own terms and respect them for what they are, that's when
life become rich. At least, that's one of the bigger
lessons I've learned this year. "Take a song like 'The Swing.' It's basically
a story, but one that's got a lot of excitement because you can't help getting
caught up in it, the way the words fall and the incredible playing. You put it
next to a song that has a huge passion like 'Naked To The Pain,' then you get
a sense of how broad the spectrum can be. "I mean, it took a lot to get the performance
of 'Naked To The Pain,' because it was very vulnerable. But it was a strong emotion
and as long as you were willing to make the commitment to go there emotionally,
it's so powerful, it holds its own. "Listening to all these songs together, they
couldn't be more different. You have the wounded ache of 'Naked To The Pain' and
that real classic country of 'Daddy Never Had A Chance' all the way to the more
rocking stuff like 'I Knew I'd Need My Heart Someday.' But that's all of who I
am, and it's a lot of the people I've met, too. "To be able to grow musically
like this, to reach out even further in terms of the playing, the singing and
the emotions and still have all these elements work together, well, that's what
growth is.Photo: Bill Dabney
"It's truly what having roots and wings is all about." UPDATE
10-11-2005
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