The Bellwether

With over 25 million albums sold over a longstanding career, James are amongst the most commercially and artistically successful alternative rock bands of their era. Having gathered a cult following around art rock gallops like Johnny Yen in the ’80s, they broke through to mainstream success with their major label debut Gold Mother (1990), followed by a slew of euphoric anthems: Come Home, Sit Down, and Laid. Their fifth album Laid saw them break the US charts, while Whiplash (1997), Millionaires (1999) and Pleased To Meet You (2001) cemented their standing as a classic 1990s act with Tomorrow, She’s A Star and Just Like Fred Astaire. James returned from a 6-year hiatus with 2008’s Hey Ma, followed by Girl at the End of the World (2016), Living in Extraordinary Times (2018), and All The Colours Of You (2021) – returning to a sustained period in the upper echelons of the album chart. Their 40th anniversary in 2023 was celebrated with orchestral reworkings via Be Opened By The Wonderful – but this was far from a full stop. James released their 18th album Yummy on 12 April 2024, which reached #1 in the UK Albums Chart – their first studio album to do so. One of their most prescient releases, Yummy deals with politics, AI, and conspiracy theories, and documents the creative process of a band who continues to evolve and defy expectations. Best described by MOJO: “after 18 LPs and over four interrupted decades at the coalface, James are still re-inventing themselves.”

This year, the band will be releasing the album and Blu-ray James: Live at The Acropolis on May 2nd, which was recorded on the 10^th July 2023 at the iconic Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens. They will also embark on a summer of live shows across the UK, Spain, Portugal, and beyond.