Music Monday Feature Artist: Greylan James

While you may not know the name Greylan James, you’ve definitely heard his music. The Nashville singer-songwriter is known for writing hits such as “Happy Does” by Kenny Chesney, “If That Ain’t God” by Chris Young, and “Real Friends” by Chris Janson featuring Blake Shelton, among others. “I fell in love with country music & songs when I was five. I was obsessed with it and remember telling my elementary school teachers ‘I’m going to be a country star when I grow up.’ My childhood weekends were spent in a car with my parents driving to wherever I could sing. Barn dances, restaurant patios, county fairs, bars, etc…fast forward to when I was 15, I went on The Voice and that sort of sped everything up. I moved to Nashville three years later to do the dang thing!” says James.

Now, at just 26 years old, James has made quite the name for himself among the Nashville community.

“Before I moved to Nashville, I didn’t know much about songwriting. When I got here, I realized it’s what country music is built on. I became captivated by it. I signed with Universal Music Publishing in 2018 and started writing around 200 songs a year. By the grace of God, a few of those songs got sent to guys like Kenny Chesney, Cole Swindell, Chris Young and more. Luckily they loved those songs enough to record them and put them out!”

Besides being an incredible songwriter, Greylan is putting in the work to cultivate his brand and put out his own music. His latest single, Walls, is relatable to everyone, painting a picture of the saying “if these walls could talk.” James says “Walls was a song that felt special as soon as we started writing it. It’s a good ‘ol classic story country song. I love writing those kinds of songs and seeing everyone love it has been super special. I started playing it live, just me and an electric guitar. The reaction from the audience was incredible. So I’m releasing a version that captures that kind of stripped down version of the song!”

While his newest song was just released on July 1st, James shows no signs of slowing down. He’s currently working on more music, including collaborations with other musicians who have recorded his songs. Be sure to check out his website for upcoming tour dates and more new music release announcements!

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