Brent Grunow & The Bandits

In 2009 a few of Brent James raw acoustic demo's fell into the hands of Grammy Award winning producer Skidd Mills via Brent's manager. The pair hit it off immediately and began recording his debut full-length album at the Sound Kitchen in Nashville, Tennessee. "We moved so fast and it felt so easy, it was a no brainer for me. You just know when you connect with someone musically and this was a live wire," says James. With 23 songs recorded so far, Brent is ecstatic about the future.
Brent James grew up in a small tourist town just north of working class Flint, Michigan called Frankenmuth. The town, "primarily known for chicken, Christmas and beer was an interesting place to grow up," recalls James. His earliest memory of singing was in the backseat of his parent's car as a kid. However it wasn't until he was 16 that he first grabbed the microphone in his high school band. Just a year later, he came down with a severe case of mononucleosis and was ordered by doctors to stay home that summer and recover. Since he was confined to the house, he begged his parents for a drum set so he could learn timing. After learning the basics of drumming, Brent picked up the guitar and began concentrating on songwriting. " I think any singer should learn the drums first, very important," comments James.
A couple years later Brent made the move to New York City and began touring up and down the east coast with a band called MYTVS. He also did a short stint in a band he co-founded with former Kid Rock guitarist Kenny Olson, called The Flask. He left both of the groups amicably and made the decision to focus his energy on his ever-growing catalogue of solo material. "I had all of these songs that I pretty much only played for my friends. "Their reaction was overwhelming so I decided to throw them on the fire and see if they burned," remembers James. On July 6, 2010 Brent signed a deal with publishing giant Primary Wave. "When you find a company that is truly passionate about the songs, that's all that matters" says James. The same can be said for his deal with booking agency Buddy Lee Attractions, who have been equally energetic from the beginning about getting Brent James the road. Brent's hard work, dedication and true commitment to the craft of songwriting is undeniable. Look for a 2011 tour and single to impact radio soon thereafter.