Local
Songwriting contest opens musical doors
By Jude Campbell
Friday, February 29, 2008

Gorden James is unplugged, and that‘s the way it‘s always going to be for the budding songwriter/guitarist.
When he‘s in front of an audience, it‘s “just me and my guitar,” the 39-year-old singer stated.
“My voice is my instrument. I‘m a vocalist who accompanies myself on an acoustic guitar. I don‘t want the audience to struggle to hear the words; they should be captured by the lyrics.”
Getting caught up in the lyrics and music isn‘t a difficult task when listening to James‘ first CD, Heart of the Matter, which represents a dream come true for the Kelowna songwriter.
Always a lover of acoustic guitar, he started plucking away as “a kid” and played for himself as “a kind of therapy, I guess,” he said.
Even friends and family were largely unaware of James‘ finesse in the musical department, and his “day job” in the lumber industry was far-removed from the music scene.
His musical talents played second-fiddle and sat on the back burner with his secret ambitions, until the day he noticed a Canada-wide singer/songwriter contest sponsored by CMT and country music radio.
He entered his original compositions, and, much to his surprise, was soon on stage performing and vying for first place in the Northern division contest.
“I had never, ever performed in public. I was sent into a panic. It was very scary on a number of different levels,” he recalled.
“But, I picked three originals and one cover song and got up there. Even my friends didn‘t know I could sing. So there I was, just me sitting on a barstool, no back-up, nothing.
“It was the most perfect moment, and if it had all ended right there and then, it would have been the most wonderful moment of my life.”
But it didn‘t end with a one-night wonder stand.
James won the Northern B.C. portion, and was on his way to the regional finals in Vancouver.
There, he competed against a touring show band, using the same simple method he‘d used up north, and came in runner-up.
But the taste of performing fanned old dreams and, instead of forgetting the whole thing, James decided to take the next logical, albeit somewhat intimidating, step. He started performing at coffee houses, wineries, restaurants, patio functions and even took on a casual wedding.
His style of play suits the locations, where easy-listening, relaxing music provides a perfect backdrop.
“Some people are captured by the music, others are captured by the lyrics. There‘s not a lot of stuff going on in the background to take away from the message of the song,” he said.
His CD, which will officially be released at a March 29 party held at Perc‘s Coffee in Glenmore, reflects a style he likes to call “urban country.”
“I‘m a cross-over artist in the best way,” he joked. “Sometimes I‘m adult contemporary, urban country, maybe a little folk rock, lots of easy-listening love songs,” he added.
“I‘m a hopeless romantic, a cavalier poet. Life inspires my songs – the love, the caring, the connections we make. I like love songs because it lets us escape. There‘s enough crap and garbage out there; I like thinking about nice things.”
Heart of the Matter represents all of James‘ longtime dreams, and his public singing gigs have been enthusiastically supported by friends, family and strangers alike.
One of his favourite memories is of busking at the local summertime farmer‘s market and being carefully scrutinized by a youngster clutching a handful of coins.
“Children are drawn to music, they really show how much they like – or don‘t like – your stuff,” he said.
“This one boy was listening very carefully to me. He‘d drop a coin, then listen, drop another one, then listen – I guess he was deciding whether I was good enough to get all of the money, which I finally did.”
James often joins fellow budding and well-established musicians at a coffeehouse jam session in Salmon Arm held most Saturdays where locals “pack the place to the rafters” to hear 12–14 bands play.
“There‘s everything from jazz to country, bluegrass, fiddles and accordions,” he said. “It‘s quite the experience, very grassroots, lots of fun and great talent.”
Of his own songwriting capabilities, James reflects that “every song has already been written,” he said.
“We just rearrange them.”
Locally, his CD is available at Leo‘s Video, Speedy Gas, Perc‘s and on his website www.gordenjames.com.