James Bay, a 25-year-old guy from Hitchin, England, has literally gone from playing at local bars to touring the United States in less than two years time. A YouTube video posted after one of his local gigs brought him to sign with Republic Records and produce his debut album, which was released this year.
His start to fame began after playing for BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge after Lana Del Ray had to cancel because of illness. A trending hashtag went worldwide and brought more people to know his music. James Bay won BBC Critics’ Choice Award in 2015, which is one of the most prestigious awards to win. Since then his popularity has grown like wildfire.
The album titled Chaos and the Calm is James Bays’ debut sound. Not too long after the album’s release it went straight to Platinum. He released an EP titled Let It Go in 2013, which had five songs that eventually transferred over to his debut album. One of his first songs “Hold Back The River” started out on his EP and now has over 68 million views on YouTube. The single “Let It Go” off his new album has over 36 million views as well.
James Bay has toured several places with North America and Europe being the main focus. His last live performance of 2015 was the last stop of his North American tour in Cincinnati. He announced tour dates for Japan and Australia in the upcoming year alongside more dates in the UK and Europe. All four of his London shows are sold out.
BBC Music Awards invited James Bay to play during the show on December 10 alongside artists like One Direction, OMI, and Ed Sheeran. His set included “Hold Back The River” with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
The Grammy Award nominees were announced early in December and James Bay is up for three, one being Best New Artist. His other nominations include Best Rock Album for Chaos and the Calm and Best Rock Song for “Hold Back The River”.
One of the newest artists over the past year, James Bay has grown immensely since his start in late 2013. Just two short years later he has three Grammy nominations and a Platinum record to be proud of. We cannot wait to see what James Bay will accomplish in 2016!