Shawn James (musician)


Shawn James is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He performs both solo and with his backing band, The Shapeshifters.

Early life

James was born in Chicago on September 23, 1986, and grew up on Chicago's South Side. As a child, he attended a local Pentecostal church, where he sang in the choir. He also took orchestra and singing lessons in high school.

Career

James started his career working as a sound engineer at music studios in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2012, he moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to pursue his own career as a musician. In the beginning, he busked around downtown Fayetteville. From there, he started playing in local venues and recording his own songs in a bedroom studio. Later in 2012, he released his first studio album, Shadows. In 2013, he began working with his backing band, The Shapeshifters. He has since released three more solo albums, a live album, and five albums with The Shapeshifters. He also maintains his own record company, Shawn James Music.
James achieved some notability in October 2015 when his cover of A. A. Bondy's "American Hearts", filmed in a wolf sanctuary, went viral after being posted on Reddit. In December 2016, he had his biggest breakthrough when his 2012 song "Through the Valley" was covered by the character of Ellie in the reveal trailer for the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II. This led to the song being streamed over 3 million times on Spotify, topping the Spotify viral chart in the UK. On June 5, 2020, he released a re-recorded version of the song in the run-up to the game's release on June 19.
James' music has also been featured on Discovery Channel's reality show Yukon Men, the CBS legal drama series Reckless, and the Showtime comedy-drama series Shameless. He currently has a publishing deal with Raleigh Music Group, and signed to Parts + Labor Records in 2018.

Discography

Solo