You can check his Facebook page out here, and his Record Union profile here.
Below is a statement from James...
I'd always set out to give any proceeds raised from gigs or recording to charity - something I have vehemently made clear. From the moment I picked up the guitar at the age of 14 I'd found a miraculous escape from a tortured reality of bullying, depression, anxiety and general existence of being somewhat different to the "Average Joe." Sitting down and listening to music made me feel that everything was going to be okay - like the only light at the end of tunnel that seemed to only be a dwindling star in the deepest of space. But regardless, it gave me hope. Music gave me everything I could have asked for - hope.
It has been no secret that since drawing the curtains on the comedy acoustic shows under the alias of Rage Against Genital Herpes just less than a year and a week ago that the recording and writing process has been nothing short of what is known within the industry as "development hell". That isn't anything to do with Aliki, the genius that has turned the smallest of sparks into the brightest of lights - in comparison to myself throwing out an EP myself. We want this to be nothing but perfect, who wouldn't?
The reality is that this has both our names on it. We never expected Don't Look Back (my debut release) to hit over 9,000 plays on SoundCloud is well under a year. We could have chucked out what was "finished" four track EP, but we new we could do better so scrapped it, re-wrote it, amended it, re-recorded it and now we are on the cusp of finishing it. We both wanted to throw out a finished, and totally awesome EP - the best we could have done. This was the point of myself taking a hiatus out of my performing schedule. I wanted to find the enthusiasm and writing ability that Aliki deserved. We're so close I can't begin to express it enough. We're talking weeks, not months.
However, if you have any sense of humanity or any inkling of compassion your heart would sink every time you open a newspaper, BBC news, whatever. It is a devastating time to be human. We are face to face with the biggest humanitarian crisis of our generation. Arguably the worst since 1938 in which millions of Jews escaped ethnic cleansing. What has been most shocking as a British citizens has been the appalling media bias towards these people being "scroungers", painting them as criminals, vermin and subhuman. I am embarrassed, ashamed and sickened by this. I have to almost apologise for being British - we aren't all like this and I point to the glorious attempts of many Brits to take to the streets and make their voices heard. Whether it by protest or donation, well done for being human. The rest of you who are stuck behind your xenophobic "Britain First" bullshit or newspapers like the Daily Mail that persecuted these refugees (and note, not "migrants" - these are refugees) until publication of a child dying put them in the light of evil, to which they belong. Don't be fooled by this flippant change in attitude - they did the same with the Nazis in the build up to World War II.
What I am saying is this; we can't choose where we are born. Why should you persecute and judge someone for this. Did the reign of the Third Reich not end this? Or slavery? Obviously not. But sadly, the narrow minded bigots will always have a voice. That is freedom and democracy, I wouldn't change it for the world. But for those of you who have nodded your head along to what I've said - listen up!
I'm chucking out a brand new song called "Can We Come Back to This One"along with my previous single (that was chucked out for free), Don't Look Back. I'll be listing these on both iTunes and Spotify with direct links to the British Red Cross. Every penny raised from these will go to the people who need our help. The people who took their families to escape certain death, who risk everything each day to save their wives, husbands, kids, parents, grandparents, whatever.
Spend less than £2 to go to these people on two songs - I want NOTHING from them. Not at all.
The "Save the Refugees EP" will be online ASAP.
I'll be playing my first show of this year at the Junction, Cambridge on the 19th September where I'll be bringing along hard copies of the "SaveTheRefugees EP" for sale for £2. I'll happily take any donations of clothes, food, tents, money or whatever.
Lets do this people.
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