James Walbourne (born 2 February 1980) is a British singer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the current lead guitarist in
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are a British rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (ba ...
as well as one-half of
The Rails
The Rails is an English folk rock duo from London, England, composed of husband and wife James Walbourne and Kami Thompson. Thompson and Walbourne first met during the recording sessions for ''Versatile Heart'' by Thompson's mother Linda T ...
.
Biography
When he was young he wanted to play in clubs around America. To fulfill his dream, he left school to go on a US tour with
Peter Bruntnell and there he became a member of the bands
Pernice Brothers and
Son Volt. He became a member of
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...
’ front-man
Ray Davies
Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the Rock music, rock band the Kinks, which he led, with his younger brother Dave Davies, Dave pro ...
’s solo band and of
The Pogues
The Pogues are an English Celtic punk band founded in King's Cross, London, in 1982, by Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer. Originally named Pogue Mahone—an anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish phrase :wikt:póg mo thóin, ''p� ...
. In 2008, he was recruited to The Pretenders by
Martin Chambers just before the Break Up the Concrete tour.
In 2005 he formed a band, Royal Gun, with his brother Rob Walbourne but that disbanded after a short tour of England and the US. In 2010, he started working on his first solo album ''The Hill'', and it was released in 2011 by
Heavenly Records
Heavenly Recordings is a London-based independent record label founded by Jeff Barrett in 1990. Heavenly released the first albums from Saint Etienne, Beth Orton and Doves, and early singles by Manic Street Preachers. Current Heavenly artists ...
.
Family and music
In 2007, when
Linda Thompson
Linda Diane Thompson (born May 23, 1950) is an American songwriter, former actress and beauty pageant winner.
Thompson began her acting career as a " Hee Haw Honey" on the American television variety show ''Hee Haw''. She was also a girlfrien ...
was working on her album ''Versatile Heart'', the author
Nick Hornby
Nicholas Peter John Hornby (born 17 April 1957) is an English writer. He is best known for his memoir '' Fever Pitch'' (1992) and novels ''High Fidelity'' and '' About a Boy'', all of which were adapted into feature films. Hornby's work frequen ...
introduced Walbourne to Thompson where he met
Kami Thompson for the first time. In 2011, they accidentally met in Los Angeles at the 50th-anniversary show for
McCabe's Guitar Shop
McCabe's Guitar Shop is a musical instrument store and live music venue on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, California, United States. Opened in 1958 by Gerald L. McCabe, a well-known furniture designer. McCabe's specializes in acoustic and folk i ...
and this time their relationship grew and the pair eventually married in 2012.
They founded The Rails and released their first album ''Fair Warning'' on
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
.
Discography
* Peter Bruntnell - Normal For Bridgwater
Slow River Records 1999
* Dust - A Dirt Track Odyssey Bar De Lune LUNECD16 2002
* Peter Bruntnell - Ends Of The Earth Back Porch, Virgin 2002
* Death In Vegas - Scorpio Rising Concrete 2002
* Peter Bruntnell - Played Out Loose 2004
* Peter Bruntnell - Ghost In A Spitfire Loose 2005
* Bap Kennedy – The Big Picture 2005
* Pernice Brothers - Discover A Lovelier You Ashmont Records 2005
* Pernice Brothers - Nobody's Watching Ashmont Records 2005
* Saint Etienne - What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day? (Original Soundtrack Recording)
* Foreign Office 2006
* Pernice Brothers - Live A Little Ashmont Records 2006
* Edwyn Collins - Home Again Heavenly 2007
* Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart Rounder Records 2007
* Pretenders - Break Up The Concrete Shangri-La Music 2008
* Pretenders* - The Best Of / Break Up The Concrete Rhino Records 2009
* Joe Pernice - It Feels So Good When I Stop - Novel Soundtrack One Little Indian, Ashmont
* Records 2009
* Jerry Lee Lewis - Mean Old Man Verve Forecast 2747091 2010
* Pernice Brothers - Goodbye, Killer Ashmont Records ASHM012 2010
* Pretenders - Live In London Strobosonic 2010
* Shane MacGowan & Friends - I Put A Spell On You Independent Records Ltd. 2010
* Peter Bruntnell - Black Mountain U.F.O. Manhaton Records Hatman 2027 2011
* Dead Flamingoes - Habit EP AED 2012
* Bap Kennedy - The Sailor's Revenge (2012)
* Linda Thompson - Won't Be Long Now Pettifer Sounds 2013
* Peter Bruntnell - Black Mountain U.F.O. Manhaton Records Hatman 2027 2011
* James Walbourne - The Hill Heavenly HVNLPC84 UK 2011
* James Walbourne - Drugs And Money EP Heavenly – HVN230CD 2011
* Linda Thompson - Won't Be Long Now Pettifer Sounds 2013
* Edwyn Collins - Understated – AED Records, 2013,
* The Rails - Fair Warning Island Records 2014
* The Rails - West Heath EP Island Records 2014
* The Mark Radcliffe Folk Sessions (The Rails) – digital download only 2014
* Thompson - Family Fantasy 2014
* Jerry Lee Lewis - Rock & Roll Time Vanguard 2014
* Edwyn Collins - Studio Live Session Liechtenstein Society of Sound Music, Real World Records 2014
* Dave Gahan & Soulsavers* - Angels & Ghosts Columbia 2015
* Soulsavers* - ''
Kubrick'' San Quentin Recordings 2015
* Sarah Cracknell - Red Kite Cherry Red 2015
* The Rails - Australia E.P Rails EP002 2015
* Peter Bruntnell - Nos Da Comrade Domestico Records DMR1962 2016
* Juliette Lewis - Future Deep No Label (Juliette Lewis Self-Released) 2016
* The Rails - Other People Sony/Psychonaut Sounds 2017
* The Pretenders - Alone/Alive 2017
* Mother’s Little Helper - Live At The Boogaloo 2017
Solo albums
Albums with The Rails
References
External links
*
Launch of The Rails
Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walbourne, James
Living people
1980 births
British folk guitarists
British rock guitarists
British male guitarists
The Pretenders members
Thompson family