I’m talking with multi-disciplinary artist Chris James as he comes home fresh from shooting a new music video in Croatia. Although his cheeks are slightly pink from the sun beating down on him all day, it seems like there’s not a thing in the world that could be bothering him. Similar to his music, the songwriter keeps things chill and fully authentic.

Whether he is writing music for himself or other artists, producing or shooting music videos – Chris James lives and breathes music. And it all started with the High School Musical 2 soundtrack. Something in that record hit a nerve with him and marks the beginning of his interest in music and singing. 

“I'm really proud of what I do. And I do think the moment people [listen to the songs], it's not my song anymore. It's the people's song and I feel like they will always decide what's better, or worse, in that case.”

James has seemed to forge his own path, even if it might not be the traditional route. He dropped out of university to start his career while busking on the streets in Germany, where he has remained without the pressures of a city like Los Angeles. He laughs about being free to walk wherever he wants to go in Berlin, instead of being stuck in three hours of LA traffic. From singing on the streets to singing on YouTube, he found fame by posting weekly covers with his friend and began building his fan base. It has been about 10 years since James started posting those YouTube videos, yet his love for music has only grown along with his creativity.  

“My manager always tells me I don't want a hit. Which I feel is probably a good thing for me, a healthy thing. And I just want to be able to do this in 10 years from now, the way I'm doing it right now.”

Three albums later, the Berlin-based songwriter is still going strong with his upcoming EP. Why Should We Turn Around? features six tracks that are authentically Chris James. All of the emotions he spills throughout the songs are accompanied by upbeat rhythms and leave you with the lasting feeling of his honesty. 

“When I made those three records, I was still building the tracks while the train was already rolling. I'm paving my way to the next thing right now. And I'm super, super proud of all the songs that already came out and are going to come out.”

He wants to get the message across with his music that it’s okay not to take everything so seriously. There will be moments where you’re down, but it is not the end of the world. Which, shortly after he said this, sounded like a paradox to himself as he revealed he feels stressed most times. 

“The Race” is James’ latest release in the string of tracks leading up to the EP. When everything feels overwhelming and that the walls are closing in, he comes in to remind us to enjoy ourselves and take a break. The melody keeps you swaying along and is the perfect song to listen to while watching a sunset. His collaboration with Gnash for “I Wanna Feel Good” revolves around the feelings of hopelessness, but continuing on and hoping for better times ahead. These tracks take listeners through the vulnerability of life's ups and downs. 

Collaboration is nothing new to James, as a singer or songwriter. He wrote “Life Goes On” by BTS, which was a smash hit and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. From that, he wrote on “Like Crazy,” the main single off Jimin’s upcoming solo release Face. 

“I feel like we did help create something really cool. This is the single track of this album that he's putting out … I'm just super happy to kind of be part of this really big, big project.”

The genuine reaction to the success of his career is refreshing and something that seems to have remained throughout the past few years. Although he is an established musician, there are examples that James is inspired by. He looks up to musical acts like John Mayer and The 1975, who have had consistent careers while maintaining their own mantra and style. He tries to be the most real version of himself, as a person and a musician.

“I've struggled with that in the past. You're surrounded by people that will always know better than you, but they don't. Nobody really knows anything at the end of the day. And it can get hard to trust your own gut in many ways.”

Despite him feeling as if he has imposter syndrome, James has done nothing but prove he is talented enough and worthy of his success as a musician. In the end, it comes back to this one part that James can’t go on without – his home base. He can write all the music in the world, but if he’s not shooting music videos with his family or touring with friends, none of it seems to matter. 

“I feel like that's probably my favorite part being able to share this whole experience with my friends and be able to do it all together.”

Why Should We Turn Around? comes out April 14, but his latest single “The Race” is out now!