Presented by Barry Moore, The Qobuz Minute sweeps you away to the 4 corners of the musical universe to bring you an eclectic mix of today's brightest talents. Jazz, Electro, Classical, World music ... James Bay
Share
Bluesy English singer/songwriter James Bay crafts moving and evocative folk-pop delivered with a warm, raspy voice. Riding the success of platinum single "Hold Back the River," his 2015 debut Chaos and the Calm was a breakthrough, soaring to number one in the U.K. and landing in the Top 10 across Europe and Australasia. Incorporating fresh flair, he issued sophomore effort Electric Light in 2018.
Hailing from the North Hertfordshire market town of Hitchin, Bay honed his skills regionally, eventually landing high-exposure support slots with Tom Odell, John Newman, and Kodaline before inking a record deal with Republic/Universal in 2012. Bay soon began recording material, and charted the single "When We Were on Fire" in 2013. One year later, he landed a pair of songs in the British Top Ten; first, "Let It Go" peaked at number ten, and by the end of 2014, "Hold Back the River" hit number two (and charted in ten other countries). Bay's first full-length, Chaos and the Calm, appeared in March 2015, in time for him to play a handful of American dates, including showcases at the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas. The album hit number one in Great Britain and Ireland, and debuted within the Top 20 in the U.S. During 2016, Bay earned a Brit Award for Best British Male Solo Artist and Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Best Rock Album, and Best Rock Song for "Hold Back the River."
He returned in 2018 with the emotive single "Wild Love," which landed on his sophomore effort, Electric Light. Showcasing an evolved sound that incorporated polished production and experimental flourish, the album peaked at number two on the U.K. chart. The following year saw Bay issue the single "Peer Pressure," which featured American singer Julia Michaels. The song, along with three others, appeared on that year's Oh My Messy Mind EP. In 2020 Bay returned with the upbeat single "Chew on My Heart."
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
Similar artists
Albums
25
albums sorted by Most acclaimed
HI-RES£17.49
CD£12.49
Pop - Released March 23, 2015 | Universal Records
Hi-Res
HI-RES£18.99
CD£13.49
Alternative & Indie - Released May 18, 2018 | Universal Records
Hi-Res
Gone is the fedora hat and long hair, it’s a new look for James Bay, both musically and visually. After his debut album, Chaos And The Calm (2015), which included the Grammy nominated Hold Back The River, Bay has returned with his sophomore LP, titled Electric Light. However, this time around, Bay is creating something for a “bigger audience”, having been inspired by Florence & The Machine smashing the Glastonbury pyramid stage way back in 2015. The inspiration for this record does not stop there however, as the 27 year old began listening more to Prince, David Bowie, Lorde and Frank Ocean before going into the studio and creating something he could hang his fedora on. And it shows, with some more electronica influenced tracks (In My Head, Wild Love) and a hell of a lot more soul (I Found You). The lead single Pink Lemonade’s scratchy and rough guitar reminds you of a record from The Strokes, while heartfelt tracks like Us and Slide embody the James Bay that many fans fell in love with, as his novel voice pours onto the melody. Wasted On Each Other is a dynamic pop rock number and Stand Up contains auto tuned vocals that Bon Iver would be proud of. Overall, it’s an impressively diverse second effort from Bay, who has developed his sound and evolved. © Aidan Nickerson/ Qobuz
CD£3.49
Alternative & Indie - Released May 10, 2019 | Republic Records
CD£1.49
Alternative & Indie - Released February 23, 2018 | Universal Records
HI-RES£2.49
CD£1.49
Alternative & Indie - Released July 9, 2020 | Republic Records
Hi-Res
CD£3.49
Pop - Released November 17, 2014 | Universal Records
CD£1.49
Alternative & Indie - Released April 5, 2019 | Republic Records
CD£16.49
Pop - Released March 23, 2015 | Universal Records
James Bay is a young British singer and songwriter whose heartfelt songs and passionate vocal style suggest a greater maturity and experience than one would expect from an artist whose debut album was released when he was 24 years old. Chaos and the Calm, Bay's first full-length album following a pair of well-received EPs, reveals he has a precocious talent as a songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, and is just as comfortable with outgoing tracks like "Collide" as he is with intimate, personal numbers such as "Let It Go" as he winds together elements of pop, folk, rock, blues, and soul. Often compared to Ed Sheeran and Ben Howard, Chaos and the Calm shows James Bay has the style and the ability to stand on his own, and it's the work of a new performer with an impressive potential.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
CD£1.49
Alternative & Indie - Released April 27, 2018 | Universal Records
CD£1.49
Alternative & Indie - Released June 24, 2016 | Universal Records
CD£1.49
Alternative & Indie - Released April 20, 2018 | Universal Records
CD£12.49
Pop - Released December 15, 2014 | Universal Records
James Bay is a young British singer and songwriter whose heartfelt songs and passionate vocal style suggest a greater maturity and experience than one would expect from an artist whose debut album was released when he was 24 years old. Chaos and the Calm, Bay's first full-length album following a pair of well-received EPs, reveals he has a precocious talent as a songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, and is just as comfortable with outgoing tracks like "Collide" as he is with intimate, personal numbers such as "Let It Go" as he winds together elements of pop, folk, rock, blues, and soul. Often compared to Ed Sheeran and Ben Howard, Chaos and the Calm shows James Bay has the style and the ability to stand on his own, and it's the work of a new performer with an impressive potential.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
CD£3.49
Alternative & Indie - Released March 1, 2018 | Universal Records
CD£13.49
Alternative & Indie - Released May 18, 2018 | Universal Records
Gone is the fedora hat and long hair, it’s a new look for James Bay, both musically and visually. After his debut album, Chaos And The Calm (2015), which included the Grammy nominated Hold Back The River, Bay has returned with his sophomore LP, titled Electric Light. However, this time around, Bay is creating something for a “bigger audience”, having been inspired by Florence & The Machine smashing the Glastonbury pyramid stage way back in 2015. The inspiration for this record does not stop there however, as the 27 year old began listening more to Prince, David Bowie, Lorde and Frank Ocean before going into the studio and creating something he could hang his fedora on. And it shows, with some more electronica influenced tracks (In My Head, Wild Love) and a hell of a lot more soul (I Found You). The lead single Pink Lemonade’s scratchy and rough guitar reminds you of a record from The Strokes, while heartfelt tracks like Us and Slide embody the James Bay that many fans fell in love with, as his novel voice pours onto the melody. Wasted On Each Other is a dynamic pop rock number and Stand Up contains auto tuned vocals that Bon Iver would be proud of. Overall, it’s an impressively diverse second effort from Bay, who has developed his sound and evolved. © Aidan Nickerson/ Qobuz
CD£1.49
Alternative & Indie - Released August 24, 2018 | Republic Records
Artist
James Bay in the magazine
-
The Qobuz Minute #33
Presented by Barry Moore, The Qobuz Minute sweeps you away to the 4 corners of the musical universe to bring you an eclectic mix of today's brightest talents. Jazz, Electro, Classical, World music ...