Natasha James

Natasha James has utilized a variety of influences to sing a diverse style of pop music within the contemporary singer/songwriter genre. Born an Aquarius in San Francisco, CA, she was two weeks premature and frail as a baby, abandoned by her parents, so was raised initially by her grandmother. Moving around where she grew up in Southern California, learning to read and play guitar on the beach, James reunited with her mother. They moved to Mexico City briefly, and returned to west Los Angeles where James began playing and singing in L.A. jazz or blues night spots at age 14, and folk clubs of San Francisco. She also pursued modeling, and acting in Los Angeles studying with Lee Strassberg while landing small roles as a character actress. By 18 she and her mother, who was working on screenplays, headed for Europe, specifically Switzerland, Italy, and England while young Natasha studied for a degree in multiple languages and literature. In London, James joined a reggae band playing regularly upstairs at Ronnie Scott's and touring northern England. While in London, she ended up writing lyrics to a song composed by Jeff Hunter, which resulted in a move back to L.A. She stayed briefly in New York City, playing local clubs with her band, Good 'n' Dusty, and while merging into a roots music arena with her personal style, James was writing for other artists. James eventually purchased a home in Sonoma county back west, and raised two children as a single parent. Her debut recording from 2003 on the Music in the Vines label Restless Kind was followed by an out of the blue record deal in 2007 with the Highway One label, Bad Judgements, Her debut included the hit single "The Restless Kind," followed by a second album, Tequila Time, in 2009. Natasha James has become a Bay Area staple, covering country, rock, bluegrass, blues, jazz, Americana, and funk. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi