James Johnston, the country boy from Wingham, will be performing at some of Australia's largest music festivals this month, including the Gympie Music Muster on August 26.
Last year James' debut single, 'Raised Like That' reached number one on the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay chart.
Recently he has been breaking records by becoming the first independent country music artist in more than 21 years to have a single certified "gold" by ARIA. (the Australian Recording Industry Association). Every track that's followed has been a hit for James.
His latest single, 'Same Songs' featuring Kaylee Bell, hits airwaves today (August 12). Known for his strong relationship with his fans, it was them who decided Kaylee should be his co-star.
"Grown from a single Tiktok video, Same Songs' is my first collaboration," James says. "When I reached out to fans on who they'd like to see me collaborate with I was inundated with requests to partner up with Kaylee."
Kaylee is a New Zealand-born singer/songwriter who even wrote her own verse for the tune, tipping her hat to country legend Dolly Parton as well as pop queens Beyoncé and Britney Spears.
Similar to James, Kaylee has been kicking career goals lately. She is already the most streamed female country artist in Australasia - a mantle she's held for the last four years - and now after performing her original song 'Keith' to coach Keith Urban on The Voice Australia, the song has become a global hit.
When it came to producing 'Same Songs', the two singers were on opposite ends of the globe. Collaborating once again with long-time friend and producer Justin Wantz, James recorded his vocals in Sydney whilst Kaylee recorded hers in Nashville.
After graduating high school over a decade ago, James Johnston took a year to 'give music a crack'. He bought a van and set out on the great Australian road trip, playing in every little town and pub he could find.
Not much has changed years later, however he's traded the sticky pub floor for the bright lights of some of Australia's largest festivals.
The singer/songwriter has built an impressive career with a swag of songs that celebrate life in Australia.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark our website
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram: @manningrivertimes
