Artists

James Otto

Bio

Since the release of Sunset Man in 2008, James Otto has earned a reputation as one of country music's finest vocalists, writers and performers. Now, with the release of "Groovy Little Summer Song," the lead single from his yet to be titled, second album, on Warner Bros. Records, he establishes himself as the genre's chief proponent of Country Soul.
The awards and accomplishments that have marked the past two years would be impressive enough at any stage in an artist's career. At this stage in Otto's, they are particularly striking.
Sunset Man, for which James co-wrote nine of the eleven songs, debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, and its debut single, "Just Got Started Lovin' You," was the year's most played single at country radio and was Billboard's #1 Hot Country Song. It helped earn James a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, and for both the ACM's Top New Male Vocalist and the CMA's New Artist of the Year.
A sought-after writer for other artists, James earned the Song of the Year awards from both the ACM and CMA with Jamey Johnson and Lee Thomas Miller for Johnson's "In Color," and earned a second Grammy nomination for Best Country Song.
The transparent moment in the album resonates in "Groovy Little Summer Song," a rollicking look at beach life and a timeless celebration of wind and waves, icy drinks and summer love.
"It's got that spring break vibe, a groove and a feel that just says summertime to me," says James. "It's a feel-good song that lends itself to partying, and nights on the beach, or time out on the lake."
The song has got Ottomaniacs eagerly anticipating release of the album, which features songs produced by James and some songs co-produced by Paul Worley (Big & Rich, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride).
"This record is definitely a country soul album," he says, referring to the sound that has come to full fruition on yet to be titled album. "It's something that's always been inside me, because those are my two major influences. I've always heard that country soul sound when I listened to people like Conway Twitty and Ronnie Milsap. Growing up, I heard Hank Williams Sr.’s “Moaning The Blues” and it really impacted me musically. But I also loved and grew up listening to a lot of Memphis R&B and soul music."
James came by his own version of the sound organically, as he took his music to fans in city after city through the years.
"I think I developed my take on that sound out on the road, playing night after night and seeing what I gravitated toward as a writer and on stage. The ones that my fans like best are those kind of songs, and I found myself having a great time doing them. So it was a matter of transferring that to the studio, and we found the musicians and the approach that let us do it. Many of these songs grew out of the demos I was doing, and we were able to put that sultry sexiness into the album."
For all the recognition he's received as a songwriter, and for all the success he's had both in sales and on the charts, James is convinced that his development has come resiliently where he feels most at home—on stage.
"Opening for the big acts like Hank Jr., Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson and Trace Adkins gives you a feel for what it's like to play in front of those big audiences," he says, "but playing in clubs and bars is really what helps develop the sound, because I am able to play for an hour-and-a-half or two hours a night and really get into my repertoire. You get a chance to develop and a chance to grow in front of an audience and I think that was really the game changer for me."
And as he continues to step up his game, James Otto is drawing more and more fans who have found in him a unique and compelling voice in modern country music.