James Filkins is a fingerstyle acoustic guitarist, composer of acoustic guitar instrumentals, recording artist, and sonic meanderer. He creates organic instrumentals that are ambient, a bit new age, a bit Celtic, acoustically melodic, and infused with vibrant, resonant, moody atmospheres and sonic textures. His music is often inspired by the landscape and locations in Northwestern Lower Michigan and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, as well as places from his travels far and wide. His album Summer Sands and Sleeping Bears (2012), was inspired by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and both Leland Harbor and the Schooner Inland Seas make an auditory appearance in the tune “Foamfollower.” Similarly, his 2007 album Borderline Normal includes the tracks “Round Lake Leelanau” and “Autrain River.” It comes as no surprise that the new album, Cranes in the Moonlight, includes tracks inspired by Good Harbor
Latest News
New Album
Cranes in the Moonlight, James Filkins' first new album in over ten years was released in June. The 12 new original acoustic guitar-based instrumentals on this album are acoustically melodic, moody, as well as sonically textured and feature the talents of Polish cellist Josia Cieslak, accordionist Alex Somov from Turkey, Canadian guitarist extraordinaire Noah Zacharin on electric guitar, flutist Luis Vilca from Peru, Violinist Jess Townsend from England, Italian percussionist Silvio Centamore. Australian audio engineer Steve Reinthal adds additional acoustic guitar while also handling the mixing duties. The cover of the album is a visualization of the title track created by Northern Michigan artist Glenn Wolff.
James Filkins- Acoustic Composer
A fingerstyle acoustic guitarist and composer who uses primarily alternate tunings, James Filkins creates acoustic instrumental music that is a bit new age, a bit Celtic, acoustically melodic, moody and sonically textured. His music is often inspired by the landscape and locations around Northwestern Lower Michigan where he resides, as well as places from his travels far and wide. Both of the title tracks from his new CD, Summer Sands and Sleeping Bears, were inspired by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and both Leland Harbor and the Schooner Inland Seas make an auditory appearance in the tune "Foamfollower." Other tunes recall travels as far away England, Wales and Hawaii and as close his back deck in Traverse City, Michigan.
James' first CD, Borderline Normal, met with moderate success including:
-Several tracks being featured in both the fifth and eight seasons
of the PBS program Roadtrip Nation
-NPR's Open Mic
- Theme music for "Nature's Call" program on WIAA, Interlochen
- A Nomination by WYCE for a Jammie Award
- Honorable mention in the 2007 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest
and the West Coast Song Writers 2008 Contest
-Finalist in 9th Annual Great American Song Contest
-Charting on the Roots Music Report Folk Chart
-Charting on the Michigan Regional Roots Artists Radio Airplay Chart
-Airplay on WYCE, WEMU, WXDU, WIAA, WNMC, CKLN, KCUR, WWSP, WMHB, WSCS, HOMEGROWNRADIONJ, WWR-Whole Wheat Radio, Acoustic Accents, CLOUD365,RADIOnuages.com
-Songs from Borderline Normal are aired on the Instrumental/
New Age Channel at Galaxie of the CBC
-Several of his songs have been featured on compilation CDs
including the Hand Made Music CD