The White Buffalo and Shawn James

The White Buffalo BioFor The White Buffalo aka singer / songwriter / guitarist Jake Smith, Oregon-born, Southern California-raised it was time to take the less travelled path; to assemble notions for studio album Number 8, the follow-up to On The Widows Walk (Snakefarm, 2020), and embark on a voyage of discovery.Out with the old, the organic, the expected, the tried; in with the new new producer, new studio, new location, no distractions, no looking backEnter Year Of The Dark HorseYou think were a country band? A folk band? Americana? Rock? What the fuck are you gonna say now?! laughs Jake. With this album, I wanted something outside of what Ive ever done. I wanted to open up. Do something dangerous. Im hard to put into a singular genre as it is, but now I really wanted to take away any kind of preconception or pigeon-holing.And dont ask me, cos I dont know what it is! Its a genre-bending thing theres elements and influences from ELO, Daniel Lanois, Tom Waits, The Boss, circus, pirate music, yacht rock, and Im driving and pushing some of these numbers in a way Ive never done before.Shawn James BioHey there, this is Shawn James,Ive had way too many writers think they could sum me up m about from an hour long conversation so they could write my bio but Ive had it. Screw that. Ill tell it in my own words.I was born & raised In Chicago, Illinois. I grew up on the south side of the city where I attended a gospel church. I was always around a lot of heartfelt soulful music & hardworking, real, down to earth people. Although I no longer abide by any religion, I value the times I had and how they shaped me to be what I am now.Ive moved around quite a bit living in all different parts of the US. While absorbing all sorts of different cultures from here ve developed my own sound.I started releasing my own music in 2012 and havent stopped since. I play a wide range of music from folk to blues, rs all done with emotion, feeling, heart & a lotta soul. I mean what I say & deeply feel what I play.I play covers of songs I dig sometimes and although some people may only know me because of those, Im hardly just a cover artist.If you come see me play live and expect just one style or aspect of what I do, you may be disappointed to learn that our shows are a roller coaster of emotions, musical styles, intensity & energy. I get bored easily & love to mix things up. Be ready & bring your ear plugs just in case..