I'm a professional keyboardist, musical director and songwriter. I can provide high quality audio stems quickly and easily from my live studio set up. My songs have over 4 million streams to date and my keyboard work appears on Jay-Z's Grammy award nominated 4:44, Kungz - 'I Feel So Bad', Ephemerals - 'You'll Never See Me Cry' among many others.
I work regularly with Defend Music and Bucks Publishing and I'm used to producing pitches to a deadline.
I've been internationally touring as a Hammond, Wurlitzer and Piano player for nearly a decade with soul group Hannah Williams and the Affirmations, of which I am the musical director and songwriter. Our collaboration on Jay-Z's title track 4:44 was nominated for two Grammy's. We've performed alongside David Byrne, Anderson Paak, Charles Bradley, Pete Rock and Sharon Jones.
My set up includes an upright piano, a Hammond B200/ Hammond M102, with a Leslie 145. A Wurlitzer 206A, and two state of the art Nord keyboards (Nord Stage 3/ Nord Electro 5d). Through my endorsement with Aston Microphones I have access to a wide range of high quality microphones, which I run through LogicPro X.
How it works:
Simply get in touch providing a downloadable link to your track. Provide me with a brief, this can either be a description of what you want played or a guide track. References are always useful too.
What I offer:
KEYBOARDS
Piano (Recorded with two Aston Starlights, two Aston spirits and a room mic)
Hammond Organ(s) (M102 and B200 models) and Leslie 145 Cabinet
Wurlitzer and Fender Valve Amp
SONGWRITING
Lyrics and Melody
Harmonic Structure
MUSICAL ARRANGEMENT
Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch :)
Send me a note through the contact button above.
26 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients
Endorse James Graham
check_circleVerifiedFinding musicians who truly understand your vision can be a bit like playing roulette. I'm delighted to have crossed paths with James. He's not only a lovely person but also a highly skilled professional. I highly recommend him!
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Great communication & collaborator, very happy with the product :)
check_circleVerifiedanother great experience working with James!
check_circleVerified2nd time working with James. Great parts and fantastic job recording stems sound amazing. A++
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Total pro! Delivered above what was expected and quickly responded with more takes/edits at my request. Great tone, great feel, and great sounding stems...organ, Wurlitzer, and acoustic piano...highly recommend!
check_circleVerifiedJames reply and work really fast. very good first collaboration ! Thanks alot.
check_circleVerifiedNothing but a HUGE recommendation for James. I've booked him for an upright recording. He understood the song, the feels and delivered high quality recordings and a high quality performance within 2 days.
check_circleVerifiedgreat！
check_circleVerifiedIncredible. Reached out to him and had the piano recorded within a few hours from placing the order.
amazing player and his piano sounds incredible! Very happy with the outcome!- check_circleVerified
James is a talented composer and keys player. Brilliant contribution to the song and we will work on future tracks together, thanks James.
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Had some work performed by James and was very impressed with the final product. James is extremely professional and courteous. Work was performed very quickly. Prices are reasonable and the service is top-notch. I would highly recommend to others!
check_circleVerifiedJames was great to work with, enthusiastic, efficient and put a lot of effort into recording a part in a variety of different ways - all at a very reasonable price. Recommended!
James is a real talent and has a very good knowledge of song structure, arrangement and got the feeling to put the right chord into the right place. To work with him is always a pleasure and i highly recommend his calm nature in every situation!
James is such a talented and humble musician, composer and human being. I could say that he is a proper Artist, because when he plays he creates magic, He turns sounds into colours, shapes and goosebumps. :-D, transcending the reality, and guiding you into his musical journey.
I feel so honoured and blessed for having played with him and shared moments of my life with this magical soulful creature.
James is an extremely talented and professional musician, all the more he is an aboslute pleasure to work with.
James is one of the most talented pianists and keyboard players we have worked with. He has incredibly high standards and always plays what is right for the song. He has played organ on a number of our releases and he brings flair and precision to all his parts. He can really lift a track with his ideas and that is what counts!
James is a passionate and highly talented musician, writer and performer - and a lovely chap, to boot. His involvement made my music so much better, and I learned a lot from working with him. Also has a great understanding of many styles/genres and is very versatile. Highly recommended.
Anything James touches turns to gold. He is the best musician I’ve ever worked with and I am honoured to be by his side so often. He is delightful to work with, extraordinarily versatile and somehow maintains a rare balance of confidence and selflessness. I would recommend him to anyone.
It is always a pleasure to work with James. He is such a complete, tasteful and talented musician. His positive energy always creates a beautiful and solid interplay in studio and especially on stage. He is also an empathetic, passionate and open-minded person - definitely the guy you want to work with!
James is an extremely professional musician both live and in the studio. Not only is he a fantastic musician, he is also a very skilled songwriter and arranger.
Interview with James Graham
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I've been musical director and chief songwriter for Hannah Williams & The Affirmations for 7 years. I'm proud of this project because we started as a local Bristol based band, and went on to headline Montreal Jazz Festival, Blue Note in Tokyo and Ronnie Scott's. Some of my fondest memories are with this band.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: A solo piano album and the third Hannah Williams & The Affirmations record.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Ruth Royall
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog. It will give your music character.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: Authenticity.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The freedom to be creative.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be clear about what your vision is for your track. The more information the better.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: A good piano would be all I need.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: It's always been music. Whilst studying music at Leeds I landed a residency performing regularly with a UK based agency called Genre Music. This gave me a regular income before graduating, which put me in good stead to start my career. That was 11 years ago.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Always soulful.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Be bold.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: In my role as Musical Director and songwriter for Hannah Williams & the Affirmations, it's predominantly soul music. My piano music is predominantly classical.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I have played the piano from the age of seven, and have a naturally good ear. This lead me to compose and improvise from a young age.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: The unique offering of authentic instrumentation. Many industry standard, state of the art keyboards provide samples of Pianos, Organs and Electric Pianos. I provide the real thing. I also have decades of experience writing, touring and recording internationally with these instruments.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Listen thoroughly. Think holistically. Record professionally.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My set up includes an upright piano, a Hammond B200/ Hammond M102, a Wurlitzer 206A, and two state of the art Nord keyboards (Nord Stage 3/ Nord Electro 5d). Through my endorsement with Aston Microphones I have access to a wide range of high quality microphones, which I run through LogicPro X.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Brittany Howard, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Radiohead, Debussy.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Recording authentic keyboard instruments. Specifically Piano, Hammond Organ, and Wurlitzer.
I was the Songwriter and Producer in this production
- PianoAverage price - $150 per song
- Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $150 per song
- Songwriter - LyricContact for pricing
- Songwriter - MusicContact for pricing
- String ArrangerContact for pricing
1 FREE revision (additional subject to a fee). Cancellation: 50% of fee No refunds after files have been delivered.
- Brittany Howard
- Michael Kiwanuka
- Nils Frahm
- Leslie 145 Cabinet
- Hammond M102
- Wurlitzer
- Upright Piano
- Nord Stage 3
