Flamboyant Illinois born, Nashville based singer-songwriter James Bruner announces the release of his debut album ‘Can’t Keep Wanting You‘, due for release on the 4^th of September, and shares the track ‘Wish I Could Stay‘ from it on May 29^th.

Pre-save ‘Wish I Could Stay‘ – here

This blues-infused slice of alt-rock gold was produced by Nashville’s Shane Weisman and sees James singing about the need to ‘keep moving on’ from toxic relationships with attention seeking people. James explains “it’s about coming to the realisation that someone is just loving the attention & while you can entertain their demands, you have to put yourself first. You may think it’s love but it could well just be infatuation & ‘Wish I Could Stay‘ suggests a way to navigate away from that situation to calmer waters. The track has plenty of space in the arrangement &, dare I say, a taste of funk in there, which has been a new & exciting territory for me to navigate musically. It really steps up when the chords hit in the chorus, giving the track much warmth & openness”.

Ever keen to be on stage, James is off on a tour of the US east coast as special guest for The Unlikely Candidates. Further live dates throughout the summer are being confirmed & he’ll be touring the UK & Germany in the autumn when the album hits the streets.

Having enjoyed playlisting on Planet Rock Radio for his singles ‘Switchblade’ and ‘Big Shot’, plus ‘Hot List’ and ‘The Dirt / High Hopes’ features in Classic Rock mag, 2026 looks set to be a breakthrough year for the artist, with the upcoming debut album firmly establishing James’s expressive & commanding presence within the rock community.

Upcoming Live Dates as Special Guest for The Unlikely Candidates)

27^th May – Montague Music Hall – Rochester / USA

28^th May – Mercury Lounge – New York City / USA

29^th May – 4th Wall – Boston / USA

30^th May – Silk City Diner – Philadelphia / USA

31^st May – DC9 – Washington DC / USA

About James Bruner:

Having come of age amidst skateboard culture in Springfield, Illinois, James was drawn towards artists like Roxy Music, David Bowie & Iggy Pop as opposed to what his friends were listening to at the time. Watching how skaters executed their craft on videos featuring Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust For Life’, Rod Stewart’s ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’ & Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ inspired him to get a guitar aged 15. He was soon to join local band Unchained as lead vocalist & rhythm guitar – but it was when he moved to Nashville that his focus on songwriting & working with topflight musicians began to bear fruit.

Full band shows as a solo artist began in 2023 & since then James has honed his craft as a live performer playing hundreds of shows across the USA, Europe and UK with the likes of Barns Courtney, The Romana Flowers & Yonaka as well as full European tours with Nashville singer-songwriter William Fitzsimmons and The Struts. James has graced the stages of legendary venues such as The Bataclan (Paris), Barrowlands (Glasgow), The Roundhouse (London), Irving Plaza (New York) and Fabrique (Milan).

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