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Nate James
James, Nate (Flickr).jpg
James performing at the 2006 Digital Music Awards ceremony
Background information
Birth name Nathaniel James Speas
Born (1979-09-15) 15 September 1979 (age 45)
Lakenheath, Suffolk, England
Genres Soul, R&B
Years active 2005–present
Labels Frofunk

Nathaniel James Speas, known as Nate James, is an English singer and songwriter. He was born on September 15, 1979, in Lakenheath, Suffolk, England.

Nate James released his first album, Set the Tone, in 2005. This album earned him two MOBO nominations. He was recognized for Best Newcomer and Best R&B Artist. He released his music through his own label, Frofunk. This made him one of the most successful independent soul artists worldwide. Nate James has sold over 1,000,000 albums. His songs have been played a lot on the radio in Europe and Japan.

In 2006, he won the Festivalbar, a popular Italian music contest. The next year, in 2007, he won two Urban Music Awards. These were for Best Album (Kingdom Falls) and Best Neo-Soul Artist. Nate James also performed on the BBC show Later... with Jools Holland in 2008. He was a contestant on The Voice UK in April 2013 and The Voice of Holland in 2018.

About Nate James

Early Life and Music Start

Nate James has both UK and US citizenship. He was born in 1979 on a U. S. Air Force base in England. His father was American, and his mother was English.

He became a recognized songwriter and signed with Universal Publishing in 2004. This was before he released any of his own songs. Unlike many young artists, he kept the rights to his recordings. He owns his own music videos and manages his own music choices. He released his music through his Frofunk label. This helped him become a very successful independent soul artist around the world. His albums have sold over 1,000,000 copies. His songs have been popular on the radio in Europe and Japan.

Set the Tone Album (2005-2007)

Nate James released his first album, Set The Tone, in 2005. This album was inspired by famous soul artists like Marvin Gaye, Prince, and Stevie Wonder. The album received great reviews and earned him two MOBO nominations. He was nominated for Best Newcomer and Best R&B Artist.

Nate James wrote most of the songs on the album. The music shows many different styles:

  • Bassy R&B in "Set The Tone"
  • Upbeat pop in "Universal"
  • Classic soul in "The Message"
  • A beautiful ballad in "Justify Me"
  • A rock feel in "I'll Decline"

He also sang a duet with Dawn Robinson from the group En Vogue. Nate James worked with many talented co-writers on this album. These included David Brant, Eg White (who wrote Adele's "Chasing Pavements"), and Jake Gosling (who worked with Ed Sheeran).

Nate James has performed many sold-out shows. He played at the Jazz Café in London and other places in the UK. His big show at Shepherd's Bush Empire was moved because of the 7 July 2005 London bombings. It happened later in October 2005. He also performed at Fruitstock 2005. He has been very successful in Europe and Japan. He won the Festivalbar in Italy in 2006. This is a singing contest held in big Italian city squares, like the Piazza del Duomo, Milan.

Kingdom Falls Album (2007-2008)

Nate James paid for his second album, Kingdom Falls, himself. He used the money he earned from his first album. This album features a live orchestra on many songs. It also has more studio production than Set The Tone.

The album's title song, "Kingdom Falls", was inspired by Nate James's trip to Rwanda in 2006. He went there for a charity mission. He saw both joy and sadness as the country and its many orphans were recovering from the terrible events of the genocide in 1994. The album was mixed in Los Angeles by Neal H Pogue, who has won a grammy award. It was first released in Japan, then in the UK and Italy.

In 2007, Nate James won two Urban Music Awards. He won for Best Album (Kingdom Falls) and Best Neo-Soul Artist. In February 2008, Nate James and his band performed two songs from the album on the BBC show Later... with Jools Holland. The songs were "Choke" and "Back To You".

In spring 2008, Nate James went on his first tour in North America. He played shows in New York City, Toronto, San Diego, and Los Angeles. On July 4, 2008, he was the main performer on the outdoor stage at the Montreal Jazz Fest. He played for over 120,000 people in Quebec city.

Revival Album (2009)

While working on his next album, Nate James recorded some cover versions of other songs. These were released as the album Revival on March 30, 2009. The album was produced by David Brant, who also produced Nate James's Set The Tone album.

SugaSmak! (2010)

In 2010, Nate James started a group called SugaSmak! He was the lead singer, known as 'SugaJack'. The other member was Matt Gooderson from the band Infadels, known as 'Clyma'. They had a new ElectroSoul sound. Their first song, "We Are", was released on November 22, 2010.

"Back Foot" (2012)

In 2012, Nate James worked with the duo HeavyFeet from Manchester. They recorded the song "Back Foot". This song was released on March 25, 2012.

TV Appearances

The Voice UK (2013)

In 2013, Nate James appeared on the popular UK TV show The Voice UK. He sang "Crazy". Two judges, Jessie J and Danny O'Donoghue, turned their chairs for him. He chose Jessie J as his coach. He was eliminated during The Battle Rounds of the competition.

The Voice of Holland (2018)

In 2018, Nate James appeared on the TV show The Voice of Holland in the Netherlands. He sang "Issues". All four judges turned their chairs for him. He chose Waylon to be his coach.

Nate James's Music

Albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
UK
Indie
UK
R&B
FRA
ITA
Set the Tone 96 33 39 68 43
  • IMPALA Sales Certification: Gold (30,000)
  • Worldwide sales: 125,000
Kingdom Falls
  • Release Date: 18 June 2007
Revival
  • Release Date: 30 March 2009

EPs

  • 2007: Funkdefining EP

Singles

As Solo Artist

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
BEL
(VL)

FRA
ITA
"Set the Tone" 2005 69 Set the Tone
"Universal" 72
"The Message" / "Get This Right" 9 46 28
"Pretend"
(Download-only single, packaged with B-side "Cut a Rug")
2006
"Justify Me" 21 41
"Back to You" 2007 49 Kingdom Falls
"Kingdom Falls"
"High Times"
"Choke" / "Back to You" 2008
"Because I Love You" 2009 Revival

With SugaSmack!

  • "We Are" (2010)

With Heavyfeet

  • "Back Foot" (2012)

Collaborations

  • 2005: Poker Pets featuring Nate James - "Lovin' You" No. 43 (UK)
  • 2005: Natalie Williams featuring Nate James - "Conversation"
  • 2006: Sway feat. Nate James "Still on My Own"
  • 2006: Pe'z v Nate James – "Live for the Groove EP" Top 40 (JAP sales chart)
  • 2007: Paolo Meneguzzi & Nate James 'Music' / 'Musica' Top 30 (Italia Airplay)
  • 2012: HeavyFeet & Nate James – "Back Foot"
  • 2024: John Galea & Nate James – "Old School Love"

Also Features On

  • 2004: Shapeshifters "Lola's Theme" No. 1 (UK single)
  • "Funkdefining" is featured in the Hollywood movies Run, Fat Boy, Run and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

Awards and Nominations

  • 2005: MOBO AWARD Best Newcomer nominee
  • 2005: MOBO AWARD Best R&B Artist nominee
  • 2005: CHANNEL U Best of British nominee
  • 2005: SCREEN NATION AWARDS Best Video nominee
  • 2006: MOBO AWARD Best UK Male nominee
  • 2006: BT DIGITAL MUSIC AWARDS Best Urban Artist
  • 2006: FESTIVALBAR Best International Artist winner
  • 2007: URBAN MUSIC AWARDS Best Album (Kingdom Falls)
  • 2007: URBAN MUSIC AWARDS Best Neo-Soul Artist winner

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Nate James para niños

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