Mitch James

Mitch James (born 26 June 1995) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and guitarist from Auckland. He is best known for his songs "Bright Blue Skies", "Sunday Morning", "No Fixed Abode", "Move On" and "21" which have featured in the Official New Zealand Music Charts. His self-titled first album debuted at No. 2 on the New Zealand chart, No. 1 on the NZ Artist Album Chart and has since been certified Platinum by Recorded Music NZ.

James announced his retirement from music following the release of his third studio album in 2024.

Life and career

Early life Mitch James was raised in Auckland, New Zealand, where he attended Saint Kentigern College. James taught himself how to play the guitar at the age of 14 by studying YouTube tutorial videos. James has stated that school "wasn't fun" for him and that music became something of a refuge. At age 16 James found inspiration in the likes of Ben Howard and Ed Sheeran. At age 17 James finished school and travelled to London on a one-way airfare in pursuit of a break into the music industry.

2015–2016: Breakthrough and early releases In 2015, while in Europe, James began recording and editing cover videos on his phone and sharing them on Facebook and YouTube. In 2016, New Zealand musician Maala spotted one of the videos and shared it with A&r staff at Sony Music New Zealand. James returned to New Zealand and signed with the label shortly after.

On 1 December 2016 James released his first single "No Fixed Abode" along with its accompanying music video. On 9 December 2016 James released his second single "Move On.

In March 2017, James completed The Humble Roadie Tour, a ten date national tour of New Zealand. James and his crew travelled the entire length of the tour in a custom Kombi van.

In September 2024, James published an open letter to his fans stating he would be "taking an extended break from music" following the release of his third studio album in May 2025, aptly titled This is Not What I Had in Mind. In media interviews following his announcement, James described becoming disillusioned with the music industry, and previous experiences trying to appease his previous record label had left him questioning his talent and integrity.

James performed a final time at Homegrown in March 2025, and held his last concert, The Final Show, in the Christchurch Town Hall on 24 May 2025.

Discography Albums Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications NZ Mitch James Released: 14 September 2018 Label: Sony Music NZ Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 2 RMNZ: Platinum Patience Released: 4 November 2022 Label: Sony Music Australia Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 13 This is Not What I Had in MindReleased: 16 May 2025 Label: Massive Records Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays Title Details Sunday Sessions Released: 7 August 2020 Label: Sony Music Australia Formats: CD, digital download

Singles

Awards and nominations

Tours Humble Roadie Tour (2017) NZ and Australia Album Tour (2018) ÷ Tour with Ed Sheeran (2018) Bright Blue Skies UK and NZ Tour (2019) Drax Project and Mitch James Tour (2021) Bridges World Tour w/ Calum Scott (2022) The Long Road Home World Tour (2023) The Final Show (2025)