Author: Sydney Haas
Photo by Sarah Piantadosi
With winter quarter coming to a close, what better way to kick off spring break and relieve that post-finals stress than enjoying the sounds of the Showbox? This Sunday, March 25th, singer-songwriter James Bay is gracing Seattle’s concert scene to promote his upcoming album Electric Light (out May 18) and to celebrate his latest single, “Wild Love”.
Based in England, Bay released his popular single “Let it Go” in 2014, which was eventually seen on his debut album Chaos and the Calm. His first album incorporates a variety of sounds, from edgier tunes in “Craving” to the softer, melancholic melodies of “Move Together” and, my personal favorite, “Need the Sun to Break”. While his second album won’t be released until late May, we have a sneak peak of it in his two latest songs, “Wild Love” and “Pink Lemonade”. Both recall some of the rock vibes of Chaos and the Calm, and there is also a well-defined evolution of his sound. “Wild Love” is a beautiful meshing of soft, soulful melodies with edgier instrumental tracks, where “Pink Lemonade” is dominated by drums and lyrics that examine the mental complexities and hesitation of love. On this record we can draw out echoes of Harry Styles’ self titled album and some similarities to the sounds of George Ezra and James Arthur, so if those are artists that you listen to, James Bay is definitely for you!
I am beyond excited to see him perform some of his new music this weekend! It’s a special opportunity to hear an artist’s unreleased music and to be a part of their album release process. Seattle is the second stop on this promotional tour, meaning that he is just starting to perform these songs live, and I’m thrilled to be in the audience that is a part of that! I am also looking forward to seeing Los Angeles based David Ryan Harris open the show. His soulful voice and emotional lyrics alongside James Bay’s will make for a great start to the relaxing spring break I’ve been waiting for.
To fulfill some of your James Bay “Craving”, catch his new music video featuring Stranger Things’ Natalia Dyer, and keep up with him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
You can preorder Electric Light here, and if you were lucky enough to get a ticket to this SOLD OUT show, remember that doors open at 6:30 PM for an 8:00 PM start!
SYDNEY HAAS | James Bay was right, I really do need the sun to break | KXSU Video Reporter