James Riley

London-born, half-American troubadour James Riley treads a fine line between timeless songcraft reminiscent of Sting, John Martyn or Joni Mitchell & soulful, modern vibrancy. His songs exude both cinematic narrative & ageless fable, told through a soaring & candid folk voice. After 2 years writing & recording his debut album 'Transatlantica' in Nashville, James returned to London in 2020 for its release tour. When COVID-19 wiped out his summer shows, he improvised by playing rooftop concerts for his locked-down neighbours, raising funds for food banks. These impromptu performances gained national media attention & grew into live-streamed, full-band concerts, funded by the Arts Council, whilst also leading to the creation of his folk-grime fusion project, Rooftop Assembly. Since lockdown James has returned to more conventional stages, playing to audiences at UK festivals including Glastonbury & The Great Escape, while steadily growing his coterie of supporters, champions & die-hards, many of whom claim that his rooftop shows ‘kept them sane’ during their own lockdowns. James most often performs live with his trio, where his percussive guitar style is augmented by James Patrick Gavin’s transcendent fiddle, & anchored by the sonorous & fleet-fingered stylings of Tim Fairhall on upright bass. After spending early 2024 writing new material in Florida, James is back on the UK circuit & set to return to the US ahead of his sophomore album release in Spring 2026.