James

Biography

Tim Booth's elastic movement matches melodies that swing from acoustic prayer to rave-era pulse.

Sit Down became a generational singalong despite—or because of—its unapologetic earnestness.

Line-up iterations never erased the communal spirit that defines their best live recordings.

High-bitrate audio keeps percussion layers, violin lines, and gang vocals distinct.

James came out of Manchester’s Factory scene, with Tim Booth, Jim Glennie, Larry Gott, Saul Davies, and others. Booth’s soaring voice and the band’s mix of folk and funk gave them a singular style. Sit Down became an anthem for students and festival crowds.

Laid (1993), produced by Brian Eno, included Laid and Sometimes, while later albums such as Millionaires (1999), Hey Ma (2008), and Living in Extraordinary Times (2018) kept the band going. All the Colours of You (2021) and Yummy (2024) showed continued vitality.