Artiste du mois : James Downham
For a guy named Downham, there’s a lot of “Up” in his life lately.
James has not one, not two, but three Ontario hometowns: Pembroke, Picton and now, Stratford. James was the winner of Season 2 of The Shot – a web-based talent search show – and was selected from thousands of applicants as one of only 14 artists to participate in The Shot: Canada vs. USA. James also spent over a decade performing in a Tim McGraw tribute act before turning his attention back to original music.
In April of 2023, Downham released his “The Long Way Home” album, from which the singles “One Mile at a Time”, “Raised On”, “Wine & Whiskey” and “Unwind” were released. Yet, it was the single “We’re Okay”, featuring fire-thrower Amanda Kind, that was the precursor of a twist in the road for both of them.
Their vocal blend sparked a creative chemistry that fueled a run of creativity that led to the July 2024 release of their duet, “Another Round”. That song’s video is proof that there’s somethin’ cookin’ here… and what came out of the oven was “Amanda & James”.
The duo has brewed an interesting side project for both of them – a live concert series called “Time of My Life: The Greatest Duets In Concert”, featuring – you guessed it – some of the most iconic male-female duets in musical history. You can catch teaser videos of songs like Johnny & June’s “Jackson” and Dolly & Kenny’s “Islands in the Stream” on their Facebook pages, but why not go for the full meal deal? They’ve been touring the show around Ontario, and you can catch them at Kitchener’s Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, October 19.
That’s not to say that James has hung up the skates on his own venture – he’s been performing all around Ontario and showcased at CCMA week in Edmonton this past September.
Here’s how you can try to keep up with James Downham:
Site web : https://jamesdownham.com/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/jamesdownhammusic
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/jamesdownhammusic/
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZRNxd-37qBO2Ikz9TBkwJg
Contributing Writer: Matt Ersnaught