About
James
Singer| Songwriter| Storyteller| Hemp Farmer
THE RISE AND THE RIDE
Born and raised on the family’s sheep and cattle station near Stanthorpe in Queensland, James’s life changed forever when the then 23-year-old was crowned winner of 1987’s Starmaker Talent Quest. So began the arc of critical and popular acclaim, the sell-out tours, the Chart topping albums like Hand It Down (1990), This Road (1992) and the massive country crossover hit Way Out West (peaking at #2 on the ARIA charts) with James Reyne. James was the first young Australian country act to sign a major record label deal in Nashville, laying down a trail followed by Keith Urban, Catherine Britt and Kasey Chambers.
THE EXIT AND THE EXILE
In the late 90s James laid down his crown and walked away from the spotlight. For two years he lived the life of a travelling troubadour in Europe.
Returning to Australia in 2003, James began to write a remarkable body of work that that has informed the second phase of his career as a fiercely independent recording artist, singer |songwriter, commentator and mentor.
THE RETURN AND THE REKINDLING
In 2022 James Blundell emerged from the pandemic and the passing of his father and brother with a renewed sense of purpose. COVID was running rampant, and The Music Industry was a long line of out of work musicians, cancelled festivals and closed venues.
James met Aussie Legends Hemp main man, Peter Saunderson. The two men forged a deep and abiding friendship, and a shared vision for the many benefits and applications of hemp seed oil. James became an Aussie Legends Hemp Ambassador and Aussie Legends Hemp invested in the production of the World Don’t Stop album via the newly minted indie label Wonderwheel Music (MGM).
In July 2022 James left life down on the farm for the Clubhouse, one of the last great rural studios in America, to record “ WORLD DON’T STOP” with Larry Campbell and Justin Guip, the Grammy Award winning production team responsible for the late great Levon Helm’s post Band albums.
Sideways, the incendiary first single from the World Don’t Stop album dropped in late April, peaking at #16 on the national charts, #6 on KIX FM, and became an ABC Country Music favourite.
The second single, Queen of The Lost Highway dropped October 6th, as the third phase of James BLUNDELL’s remarkable career continues to unfold.
Historic Ray Martin Interview that launched James to the World (1987)
Hemp Ambassador
For the good oil, visit the Aussie Legends Hemp website