James Johnston (Australian musician)
James Johnston | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 November 1990 Wingham, New South Wales Australia |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Website | jamesjohnston |
James Johnston (born 26 November 1990) is an Australian singer. In 2009, Johnston placed third in the seventh and final season of Australian Idol. In 2014, he made the top 24 of the sixth season of The X Factor (Australia).
In July 2021, Johnston released his debut single "Raised Like That". It became the fastest ever debut single by an Australian-based country artist to reach 1 million streams.[1] "Raised Like That" was certified gold in Australia by mid-2022, and in doing so, Johnston became first independent country artist to achieve the milestone in 21 years.[2]
Early life
James Johnston was born on 26 November 1990 in Wingham, New South Wales. Johnston spent his early years travelling farm-to-farm with his dad, selling and servicing tractors and was introduced to artists like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Garth Brooks from an early age.[3] Johnston performed for the first time at four years of age, singing "Friends in Low Places" in front of his kindergarten class.[3][4]
Throughout his teens, Johnston busked on the streets of Tamworth and performed in various bands and on many stages.[3][5]
He was a part of the Star Struck school spectacular event in Newcastle, NSW in 2005.[6]
Career
2009: Australian Idol
In 2009, Johnston auditioned for the seventh season of Australian Idol, singing John Mayer's "Your Body Is a Wonderland" at his audition, receiving praise from all four judges.[7] Johnston eventually placed third behind Stan Walker and Hayley Warner.
| Australian Idol performances and results (2009) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Song | Original Artist | Result |
| Audition | "Your Body Is a Wonderland" | John Mayer | Through to Theatre Week |
| Theatre Week 1 | "You'll Never Walk Alone" | from the show Carousel | Safe |
| Theatre Week 2 | "No Such Thing" | John Mayer | Through to top 24 |
| Top 24 | "Crazy" | Gnarls Barkley | Through to top 12 |
| Top 12 (Contestant's Choice) | "How to Save a Life" | The Fray | Safe |
| Top 11 (Rock Night) | "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" | Fall Out Boy | Safe |
| Top 10 (Top 10 Hits) | "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" | Train | Safe |
| Top 9 (1980s) | "The Power of Love" | Huey Lewis and the News | Safe |
| Top 8 (P!nk Hits) | "Who Knew" | P!nk | Safe |
| Top 7 (Big Band) | "Fever" | Peggy Lee | Safe |
| Top 6 (Movie / Theatre Night) | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" | Queen | Safe |
| "You'll Never Walk Alone" | from the show Carousel | ||
| Top 5 (Contestant's Choice) | "Mercy" | Duffy | Safe |
| "Use Somebody" | Kings of Leon | ||
| Top 4 (Noughties Week) | "Daughters" | John Mayer | Safe |
| "This Is How a Heart Breaks" | Rob Thomas | ||
| Top 3 (Power Anthems) | "More Than Words" | Extreme | Eliminated |
| "This Is How a Heart Breaks" | Rob Thomas | ||
| "Learn to Fly" | Foo Fighters | ||
Following his Idol experience, Johnston bought a van and travelled around country Australia, living show-to-show for a number of years.[3]
2014: X Factor
In 2014, Johnston auditioned for the sixth season of The X Factor (Australian TV series). He made the top 24, but was eliminated before making the live shows.[8]
| The X Factor performances and results (2014) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Song | Original Artist | Result |
| Audition | "Roar" | Katy Perry | Through to Super Boot Camp |
| Super Boot Camp 1 | "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You" (Group performance) | James Arthur | Through to Super Boot Camp 2 |
| Super Boot Camp 2 | "Hold On We're Going Home" (Solo performance) | Drake | Through to Home Visits |
| Home Visits (Top 24) | "Something I Need" | OneRepublic | Eliminated |
Following The X Factor, Johnston travelled through Nashville, Tennessee with a friend. Johnston told Country Town in November 2021, "We were staying in this hostel that had this old piano. Everyone would go to bed at one o'clock in the morning, and I just stayed there for three or four hours writing songs … I've never been so inspired to create and truly, from that moment on, I was like, 'country music, that's where my heart', just songwriting and telling stories."[5]
2020-present: "Raised Like That" and "Small Town"
In eighteen months between 2020 and 2021, Johnston wrote over 200 songs.[1] On 9 July 2021, Johnston released his debut single "Raised Like That" which tells the story of community, integrity, and a celebration to a way of life of people who grew up in a small close knit community.[3]
On 21 July 2021, Johnston reached out for his social community to create a video showing themselves "Raised Like That". Johnston personally edited the video and released it on 1 September 2021.[1][4] In October 2021, the song peaked at number 1 on the Countrytown Music Network Hot 50 Country Airplay Chart[5][9] and number 4 on the Australian Independent chart.[citation needed] It was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2022.[10]
Johnston released his second single "Small Town" on 19 November 2021.[11] On the writing of the song, Johnston said "I wrote 'Small Town' on the drive back home to my hometown of Wingham. I had been spending quite some time in the city and I was just so excited to get back to my family farm. I wanted to capture that feeling of excitement and anticipation in the song – that build up as I was on that drive to get back home."[12]
Style
In November 2021, Johnston said "I grew up singing country music up until about 16. But I feel I truly developed my style when I went off and tried lots of different genres (played in a funk band, wrote indie acoustic music, played rock 'n' roll covers). So when I finally came home to country at about 25, my upbringing was rooted in country music and songwriting but I got to pull from all different genres to craft my own unique sound."[13]
In November 2021, Johnston further elaborated with Country Town saying "When I did Idol and The X Factor, I always felt like I was kind of playing a character of sorts and it felt so disingenuous. I was young when I did Australian Idol. I didn't know myself, and I would never have called myself an artist at that stage. I was a singer that loved to sing songs. So, for me, I didn’t mind getting pushed and pulled in different directions."[5]
Discography
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS indie[14][15][16] | ||||
| "Raised Like That"[17] | 2021 | 1 | TBA | |
| "Small Town"[18] | 1 | |||
| "Anything Like Me"[19] | 2022 | 5 | ||
| "Country Boys"[20] | 1 | |||
| "Same Songs"[21] with Kaylee Bell) |
2 | |||
| "My People" | TBA |
Awards and nominations
Country Music Awards of Australia
The Country Music Awards of Australia is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They commenced in 1973.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | "Small Town" | Single of the Year | Pending | [22] |
| "Small Town" | Song of the Year | Pending | ||
| "Small Town" (Directed by Elijah Cavanagh) | Video of the Year | Pending | ||
| "Same Songs" (with Kaylee Bell) | Vocal Collaboration of the Year | Pending | ||
| James Johnston | New Talent of the Year | Pending | ||
| Male Artist of the Year | Pending |
References
- ^ a b c "James Johnston Raised Like That". amnplify.com.au. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ a b "James Johnston Lands First Gold Single: 'I'm truly humbled'". The Music Network. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "James Johnston "Raised Like That" inspired by growing up in Wingham". Manning River Times. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ a b "James Johnston's debut single smashed Aussie records!". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Arbour, Mallory (17 November 2021). "James Johnston On Reinvention To His Number One Debut Single". countrytown.com.au. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ Campbell, Tess (7 October 2009). "Star-struck singer has Idol moment in limelight". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "James Johnston Audition". YouTube. 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Series 6, Episode 11: Home visits". The X Factor Australia. 5 August 2014. Seven Network.
- ^ "COUNTRYTOWN HOT 50 by Radio Monitor Issue 1364". The Music Network. October 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ "STUDIO DIARY: Behind The Scenes Of James Johnston's New Single, "Small Town"". themusic.com.au. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "James Johnston Drives Home His New Single "Small Town"". amnplify.com.au. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Q&A: Apple Music Up Next Local, James Johnston". tonedeaf. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Singles Chart (Independent Labels)". Australian Independent Record Labels Association. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Singles Chart (Independent Labels) 7 March 2022". Australian Independent Record Labels Association. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Singles Chart (Independent Labels) 25 July 2022". Australian Independent Record Labels Association. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ "Raised Like That – Single by James Johnston on Apple Music". Apple Music. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Small Town – Single by Single by James Johnston on Apple Music". Apple Music. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Anything Like Me – Single by James Johnston on Apple Music". Apple Music. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ "James Johnston Reveals New Single "Country Boys"". Amnlify. 8 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ "James Johnston Recruits Kaylee Bell for First Duet Release". Kix Country. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ "Tamworth Toyota Golden Guitar Award Nominees Announced". The Music (magazine). 22 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.