Rising British RnB artist James Vickery releases 'Turn Me On' Live From London video
‘OVERTURE EP’ OUT NOW THROUGH TH3RD BRAIN
Featuring collaborations with SG Lewis, Kenny Beats, Maths Time Joy, Louis Mattrs, Sad Money and Pomo
“The texture of Vickery's voice resembles a shark's scales, smooth and yet rough at the same time. While most of the tracks are "dim the lights and light candles" tempo, there are slightly more upbeat songs such as the breezy "Tear It Apart" and Justin Timberlake-esque "Spanish Rose." – The Fader
“London-based singer James Vickery is making a splash from across the pond.” - Okayplayer
“Vickery showcasing breathy, harmonious vocals while capturing the bliss of a romance that has found its stride.” - Vibe
“The face of British new wave R&B…he’s a soulful musician on the rise” - Flaunt
“South London’s James Vickery isn’t just a talented recording artist with gorgeous vocals – the soulful artist prides himself on delivering stunning performances of his already captivating discography. Vickery enunciates every lyric as his smooth vocals complement the acoustic instrumentals.” – Ones To Watch
“James Vickery's voice will grab you from the very first note. It is rich, powerful, and incredibly soulful, echoing the likes of Rag'n'Bone Man and Sam Smith (but with a lot more soul).” – Complex
Following the recent release of his outstanding new EP ‘Overture’, which has received plaudits from The Fader, Complex, Okay Player, CLASH, This Song Is Sick, Earmilk to name but a few and currently the face of Spotify's R&B UK playlist, today rising British R&B artist James Vickery shares his latest LIVE From London take of EP track ‘Turn Me On’. The clip was filmed in The Record Store at The Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes, London. The 'LIVE From London’ series see JV perform his songs with a full band in unique locations across his hometown, expect more content around his videos and his creation process.
Watch Turn Me On (LIVE From London) HERE
South London's James Vickery is the new face of UK R&B. With his hugely popular COLORS session amassing 17 million views, James caught the attention of many admirers internationally, subsequently leading to the London-born songwriter inking record and publishing deals with LA-based TH3RD BRAIN and Roc Nation respectively despite being born deaf in his left ear.
On March 25th Vickery released ‘Overture’, his first body of work since becoming a signed artist. The six-track EP features collaborations with Kenny Beats (Dominic Fike), SG Lewis (Clairo), Pomo (Anderson .Paak), Sad Money (Sabrina Claudio) and Maths Time Joy (Mahalia). The project showcases the full spectrum of Vickery’s R&B capabilities from sultry bedroom slow jams to uptempo electronic hits. Listen to ‘Overture’ HERE
Speaking about his pre-existing medical condition Vickery told Fader:
“Growing up in and out of hospital with a hearing impairment was extremely tough for me... If I hadn't started going to speech therapy at a young age, I’m not sure I would have ever found my voice. The truth is I found out I could sing, almost accidentally - because of speech therapy, and never looked back since…”
This incredibly personal work includes previously released singles; ‘Pressure’ (with SG Lewis), his most recent single ‘Spanish Rose’, ‘Tear It Apart’ (with Kenny Beats) and ‘Something Good’, alongside two brand new tracks ‘Turn Me On’ and ‘Perfect Company’.
Speaking about the EP and the artwork’s very personal meaning, James gives us this insight, “I decided to call the EP 'Overture' as it means 'an introduction to something more substantial'. I wanted to tell people that this is just the beginning of what they can expect, that an album is soon around the corner. I'm not afraid to talk about my hearing impairment anymore, I'm proud of it, and that's why the tattoo of the mute icon behind my deaf ear is the main feature in the singles and EP artwork. It is who I am today, and a full representative of why this music is the way it is today.”
It’s clear that James Vickery has conquered more struggles than your average singer, but isn’t letting this hold him back as he releases regular unique content (see his LIVE from London series on Youtube) and continues working on his debut album due for release in early 2021.
So what can we expect from Vickery moving forward into the album campaign? He tells us: “I look up to artists like Nao who has stuck with her sound from day one, and has crafted her own lane. I'm definitely trying to do that myself as a UK Male R&B Singer. I want to cover all bases of R&B and experiment with all the subforms with it, keep people guessing what they can expect from me next- with the one thing that ties it all together, the vocal.”
Last week James Vickery released the candid official video for his single ‘Pressure’ (with SG Lewis). The track premiered on Jamz Supernova’s BBC Radio 1Xtra show late last year, it went on to be featured on BBC Introducing Mixtape of The Year 2019 and picked up 15 Spotify New Music Friday placements amongst many others. ‘Pressure’ has already amassed over 5 million streams online. Directed by Cameron Turnbull and produced by Lizzie Roderick of MDRNLOVE, it’s a playful video that show’s Vickery at his optimum. Watch ‘Pressure’ (with SG Lewis) HERE
JV's distinctive voice and look, combined with his incredible vision for how his voice fits into a song allows for a completely unique take on R&B and landed him as one of Complex’s British R&B/Soul Artists to watch out for in 2020.
‘Overture EP’ Tracklisting
1) Tear It Apart (with Kenny Beats)
2) Spanish Rose
3) Pressure (with SG Lewis)
4) Turn Me On
5) Perfect Company
6) Something Good
‘Overture EP’ is out now