Inspired by the night he met his now-wife Talia, the high-energy track is shaping up to be the country star’s next anthem for a big night out.
“I knew from the minute she walked in the room I was done,” Johnston recalls. “I was playing in the house band, and she walked up and requested a Keith Urban song. After seeing her spinning around on the hardwood, I couldn’t take my eyes off her.”
Recorded in Nashville, “Blame” is packed with harmonica, steel guitar, and Johnston’s signature twang. It’s got cold beers, rhinestone-studded boots, and maybe a few impulsive decisions you’ll regret come morning.
That’s not all from Johnston this week – he’s just signed a record deal with Warner Music Australia, with a thumbs up from Warner Nashville.
“I see my team, from my band to my manager as part of my family,” Johnston says of the signing. “Regardless of the highs or lows we are in it for the long run, and we support each other. So, I knew when it was time to partner with a label, I wanted to find a team that embodied the same values as the people I surround myself with now.
“After I got to sit down and have a beer with Dan Rosen, met with Ben and Chris in Nashville, and got to shake hands with the wider Warner team, I knew I had found my people! I’m so excited to work with them in this next chapter of my career and to take my music to the world!”
Dan Rosen, President of Warner Music Australasia, adds, “I am very proud to welcome James Johnston to the Warner Music family and am incredibly excited to work together on the next phase of his career. James has already achieved so much through his creativity and work ethic, winning fans around Australia and around the world.
“He has a unique talent and is an authentic singer and songwriter, and has the global country music world at his feet. We cannot wait to help him take his music to every corner of Australia and the globe.”
Johnston, a 2x Golden Guitar winner, is also set to co-host the Toyota 53rd Golden Guitar Awards with Max Jackson on January 25th at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre (TRECC).
In 2023, Johnston released his 20-track debut album RAISED LIKE THAT, completed a sold-out Australian regional tour, and became a leading streamed Australian country artist. With six #1 airplay hits, multiple Golden Guitar Awards, and certified ARIA platinum, he’s a current standout in the Australian country music scene.
Following performances at CMC Rocks, Savannah in the Round, and other notable festivals, Johnston is preparing to support Kip Moore on his Australian arena tour in September/October and to perform at the Cape Town Country Music Festival in late October.
James Johnston’s “Blame” is out now via Warner Music Australia.
