James Levy Signs With Side Hustle Records

Nashville-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, James Levy. announces his new signing to Side Hustle Records / The Orchard, with a new album, Solider, due out on March 12, 2021. Associated acts of Levy's include Reputante (Cult), James Levy &The Blood Red Rose (Heavenly), LEVY (OLI), Lolawolf (Innit), Charles Bradley, The Pierces, and this new record follows Levy's debut solo record, Somebody (Innit), which came out in 2019 and was produced by Paul Defiglia (The Avett Brothers).

The forthcoming LP's first single is also the title track and "Solider" is streaming everywhere today, along with a video that debuted yesterday on American Songwriter. Levy recorded the record at home, where he wrote, produced and mixed it himself, in the span of two weeks. It is his first guitar record in over a decade. The surge of inspiration came from watching the show "Normal people."

He tells American Songwriter: "I was watching the show 'Normal People' and out of the blue the song came to mind... I wrote it very quickly and recorded it. It ended up being the catalyst to make a full record," adding, "I sang whatever came to mind knowing that I wouldn't edit it...It felt like no matter what I said the feeling would come through."

The video, directed by Levy's former LOLAWOLF bandmate Jimmy Giannopoulous. "[He] shot the video in downtown [Los Angeles]," Levy tells American Songwriter, adding, "He felt we needed something that felt like old New York." The video's wry sense of human is classic James Levy, and the font plays a character, as he roams LA.

Levy worked with Julian Casablancas, Coldplay and Tim Wheeler of Ash on his last two records. He wrote songs with Zoe Kravitz, Jordan Lane Price, Zuri Marley, The Pierces and currently, he is working in Nashville writing with multiple artists. Levy recently recorded a duets EP with Herman Dune in LA and an EP produced by Richard Gottehrer in NYC. Levy's collaborations with Charles Bradley on "Lucifer" and "Lonely as You Are" are out now and have received critical acclaim.