James Sant

James is a songwriter from Harrogate, UK. An active musician for 15 years, he started his career behind the keyboards in a high school band, wearing an ill-advised baseball cap and a smug self-satisfied grin. But the years were not kind, and the grin has gradually been replaced by a look of world-weary resignation and a furrowed brow, some of the outwardly visible results of a decade spent fighting to reconcile the internal cynic with the fatalist romantic, and failing spectacularly to do so....

James is a songwriter from Harrogate, UK. An active musician for 15 years, he started his career behind the keyboards in a high school band, wearing an ill-advised baseball cap and a smug self-satisfied grin. But the years were not kind, and the grin has gradually been replaced by a look of world-weary resignation and a furrowed brow, some of the outwardly visible results of a decade spent fighting to reconcile the internal cynic with the fatalist romantic, and failing spectacularly to do so. The war rages on. Motivated by an addiction to performing live and by a deluded sense of cosmic purpose, James co-founded and co-wrote for 1999 Bright Young Things regional finalists Candy Filter Tip. Playing extensively across the region, from The Duchess in Leeds to Bradford Rios and the Manchester Roadhouse, they recorded and self-released two albums before disbanding to allow members to pursue careers, further education and other such meddlesome trivialities. Since then, as well as writing and occasionally performing his own music, James has played drums, guitar and piano with several bands, both live and in the studio, and has produced/mixed albums for The Arc of Manapples and Croak Ditch. He has amassed a sizeable collection of different instruments down the years, some of which he can actually play. Never shy of adventure or a new experience, his solo work has taken him to a wide cross-section of dank cellars and bars all the way from Eli to Edinburgh, several charity gigs, fundraising events, and an appearance on Radio York. He never much liked his own singing voice, and figures he might be better off writing for other people. A self-recorded 5 track EP has just been completed with another one on the way, and James has recently been featured on MediaEssentials.co.uk and interviewed for JamCow Magazine.