James Mitchell

James Mitchell and his guitar get along like a house on fire. After over twenty years of playing and four albums, the two are old pals. Channeling everything from political folk rock to electronica, blues, and jazz, James is a poet, his music a conduit for serrated emotion. A prosaic lyricist and master audio technician, he spends his days in his home studio on Chicago's North Side, happily pouring blood, sweat, and tears into every note he writes.

Currently, James and his merry band of musicians, artists, and roustabouts have just finished recording "Harvest 10", a retrospective of a decade of songwriting.

The struggle in James' music is palpable. Often compared to the early recordings of fiery folk rocker Ani DiFranco, his work is dark, layered, and furiously yearning. In 2000, he released "Face First", a collection of recordings he put together in bedroom when he was only 19. 2001 saw the release of "They", a more polished effort with a strong lyrical sensibility. James graduated Columbia College Chicago in 2005 with a degree in Audio Arts and Sciences, and in the summer of 2006 released his first professional album, "Resemble". "Resemble" reflected his rewarding collaboration with fellow artists and musicians he met at school, and was his most complex and perceptive work yet.

Despite being raised in Chicago's provincial south suburbs, young James found musical inspiration all over. An autodidact, he taught himself piano and guitar. While most of his peers were still singing "Circle Circle, Dot Dot, Now You've Got the Cootie Shot", James was breaking into his brother's room to practice classical guitar chords. By the time he was 18, he was sneaking into Chicago bars to play his material in front of a live audience.