Deep Cuts

Once people find out I write songs for a living, the next inevitable question is, “have you written anything I would know.” It is always safe for me to answer “probably not” in this sea of 6,000,000 songs floating around iTunes. Most of the songs I’ve written have stayed in relative obscurity. And depending on the musical pool you normally swim in, some of these songs will confuse or surprise you. Truth is, some of them I am proud of, others, less so. Regardless, it is still infinitely cool that something I helped write has been recorded by someone else. Even more cool if you have heard one of these. AND even cooler if there’s one you’ve sung along with.

I’ve never actually put the songs in one place but here are some of the songs I’ve written or co-written that have been recorded by someone other than me over the years. They’re in alphabetical order by Artist with links to iTunes.

• Abandon – “Known”
• Rob Blackledge – “Your City My City”
• Aaron Blanton – “We Are the Hands”
• Branch – “Louder”
• Branch – “Up, Down or Inbetween”
• Branch – “Sink My Heart”
• Chris and Caleb -”Unstoppable”
• Chris and Caleb -”Yesterday’s Rain”
• Chris and Caleb -”How Great a Love”
• Imperials – “Wrap My Arms Around the World”
• Alexa James – “More Than More”
• Jaime Jamgochian – “God Unchanging”
• Kari Jobe – “We Are”
• Shannon Labrie – “Some Kind of Rescue”
• Shannon Labrie – “I Remember A Boy”
• Shannon Labrie – “Headlines”
• Shannon Labrie – “Muddy Water”
• Chris Lee – “Braid”
• Adam Levy – “Jukebox”
• Me In Motion – “Yes We Can”
• North Point Live – “God Is With Us”
• Michael Olson -”If You Can Stop The World”
• Michael Olson -”God Is With Us”
• Michael Olson -”Tell Me Again”
• Michael Olson -”Look Among the Lowly”
• Matt Papa – “Open Hands”
• Matt Papa – “One Thing”
• Alvin Slaughter – “Tell Me Again”
• Stand & Shout – “God Unchanging”
• Arkin Terrel – “Strength to Surrender”
• Sammy Ward – “Right On Time”
• Heather Waters – “Jukebox”
• Waves of Grace – “Beautiful Redeemer”

I know this isn’t a complete list but it’s at least a few that I could find on iTunes. And of course, all of the recordings I’ve released so far are HERE.Got a favorite song from the list? Leave a comment and let me know.

Peace,
James

Saints & Martyrs

Merry Christmas everyone. This month has been a blur running around with Josh Wilson and Wes Pickering bringing a little Christmas joy to Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Home at last, I want to give a Christmas gift to all of you who have prayed so consistently for me…who have checked in on me here and sent encouraging notes along the way. You’ve driven hours to come see us and sing along with us. 2010 has been a tough but fruitful year full of singing, writing, teaching and driving…endless driving.

We released an EP of worship songs at the end of June called “Open Hands.” You have bought more copies of these few songs than anything I’ve released to date. We recorded one song that didn’t make it to the record and I want to share it with you now.

“You Alone Can Save” was written in January of this year in a hotel in Mumbai, India. Seth Condrey, Matt Papa and I were in a room together worshipping long after it was appropriate to be singing in a hotel room. Our neighbor finally knocked on the wall at 1AM and we quieted down. This is a song for the morning, lyrics meant to ride the back of the dawn. You can click HERE to download the song (along with a chord chart and a bonus remix of Open Hands) or click on the cover art for the EP at the beginning of this post.

Merry Happy Jingle Ho Ho.

Open Hands

The new EP has finally released and I can’t wait for you to hear and use these songs. Some we’ve been using in worship for a while and some are brand new. You can find it on iTunes HERE.

If you purchased a download of “Open Hands” you can click on the album art to the right to get to the login page. Once there, enter the password from your download card and begin downloading the new stuff! If you have problems with the process just send us a note from the CONTACT page and we will respond as soon as possible.

To the Nations

Hi everybody. Sorry for the long silence on the website. Much has been happening even though the blog hasn’t reflected it. The Right First Step tour is close and we’re getting amped to play you these new songs. In the meantime, some of you have requested chord charts and help playing the song “To the Nations” in your worship gatherings. So tonight I recorded a tutorial and an acoustic version of the song on youtube. If it helps, you can download the chord chart right here (TO THE NATIONS). Here are the videos as well:

…Yes, I discovered that the video was reflected after it was posted. Makes it look like I’m left handed. By the next video I had magically learned how to play right handed…

…hope that helps. See you along the road.

New Tunes

I just added some new songs to THE MYSPACE PAGE. This record is WAY more pop than I’ve done in the past. I’m extremely proud of it but nervous too. I kept it cheap and did most the production, engineering and mixing myself. That leaves me feeling a bit self-conscious about “The Hardest Step to Land.” There’s no one to blame but me! The lyrics on this record are really important to me and I’m stoked to share them with you.

“Known” is a challenge to the way we posture and pretend. It’s a call to shine some light on “all the hurt and shame you carry, all the tears and pain you’ve buried, every broken dream and every doubt.”

“Hands” is a response to some quotes that stunned me. Oswald J Smith said “We talk of the Second Coming; half the world hasn’t heard of the first.” Currently more than 56% of the world’s population has little or no access to the story of Jesus. Crazy! Jim Elliot said “He is no fool who gives up what he can not keep to gain that which he can not lose.” Love is the language the whole world speaks!

“Teach Me How to Pray” is one of my favorites on the new record. As a professional wordsmith, I am so often left wordless when I pray. I think I’m learning how to listen.

“To The Nations” is a rich worship tune I’ve been using for the last few years. My friends, the Espy brothers gave birth to this simple gem a few years back and it remains my anthem. “Send us to the nations, to the broken. Lead us to surrender. We will go.”

So I may rotate out the songs as I get a clearer sense of what you want to hear but I at least have started with a few of my favorites. I’m still aiming to have product at shows by June 2nd. That seems less and less likely with each passing day but I’m still trying! HERE’S THE LINK AGAIN.Enjoy the new tunes and spread the word.