Former Rugby League Captain Turned Country Singer To Release New Single

Professional rugby league player and former premiership-winning Captain/coach of the Belrose Eagles in Sydney Shield, James Keith, is set to release the second single titled, Say I Do, on February 10 from his forthcoming debut 13-track album, Life is Good Today.

Keith says, “Say I Do is a song about love. It tells a story about how two people share a special bond together as a couple, lifting each other up, and making each other complete, ultimately becoming husband and wife.”

He adds, “It’s catchy and it has a great beat. It pulls you in with its rhythm and bounces you around with its vocals. It’s fun, cool, moody and romantic. It captures the soulfulness, joy and storytelling of country music with the energy and rhythm of pop and rock.”

The accompanying music video captures the moment his friend proposes to his long-term partner in real life in front of Keith and his band during a live performance.

Keith adds, "The exciting thing is, that on the album there is a follow up song called She Said Yes with plans to capture their wedding day in this film clip."

Now channelling his passions towards music in his own brand of high-energy country pop rock, Keith’s 13-track album takes its cues from the playbooks of acts like Luke Combs and Zac Brown Band. His autobiographical music traces back to his childhood days in Orange, New South Wales, with foot-stomping songs like This Town and When We Were Kids, while ballads like Love of my Life explore the joys of fatherhood.

Keith began playing guitar at eight years old and developed his love of music whilst working on the family farm with his four brothers and dad. A trip to Nashville in 2011 ignited his love for country music and heavily influenced his musical high energy country rock style.

“Even though I spent several years playing rugby league, following in the footsteps of my father and uncles, in the end it was my passion for music that brought me back to it; and before long, I was back in Orange with my producer, Craig Honeysett, and recording my first album in Dotted Eighth Studios,” he says. “My younger brother and I used to play at live gigs together in our band, with him on vocals while I was on lead guitar. So, when I wrote the original music for the album, I’d intended for us to record together; but he had other plans and wanted to focus on his own music career, so we parted ways. I knew then, that if I ever wanted my music to be heard, I’d have to go it alone.”

“I am so glad it happened this way, because this album would never be here if my brother hadn’t knocked me back,” Keith adds.

His first single, also titled, Life is Good Today was the fourth most downloaded and streamed song on Play MPE charts and was nominated for ‘Best Video’ and ‘Best Song’ and at the Dotted Eight Music Awards in Orange.

“To be a country music singer-songwriter right now is to live out my dreams. I’ve been to every live concert I could go to and have always dreamed about people singing my songs back to me,” he says. “Ultimately, I see myself joining a country music festival circuit and reaching more and more people and I hope to one day break into the American market.”

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Keep up to date with James Keith on his Facebook page here.