The former Sussex Inlet resident is currently studying a Bachelor of Music at the University of New South Wales and has just released his first EP, A Lazy Sunday Afternoon,  which he describes as “easy-listening sort of music”. 

James started to learn guitar when he was eight and trained in classical guitar for about five years.

He picked up the bass shortly after beginning guitar, and mostly developed the skills on that instrument while playing in the church band at St. Marks Anglican Church, Sussex Inlet.

Following his natural interest in all areas of music, he ended up teaching himself to play drums, piano and vocals. His influences are very folk based and include artists such as Andy McKee, Passenger, Ed Sheeran and especially Lior. 

“I started to take the idea of writing music seriously when Lior released his third album, Tumbling Into The Dawn, in 2011.

“I realised how much I loved this kind of music and wanted to write similar sort of stuff. My first album has been through a lot of different forms, with only two pieces really still on there from the beginning stages of my writing,” he said.

This EP is actually the first of three records that James intends to release over the next couple of months.

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon is now available on iTunes, Amazon Mp3, CDBaby, and on Bandcamp - simply type in James Donald.

The second release Jazzified, a Jazz EP and the full album From Dawn ’til Dusk, will both be released later in the year.

“Basically I’m releasing everything I’ve recorded over the last four years in a four-month period,” he said. 

James is currently studying to be a music therapist and wants to use music to help people going through certain debilitating problems.

“Music has that power to reach people on a subconscious level, and I’d love to be able to tap into that to help the people that need it.” 

You can follow James on Facebook at James Donald Music.