Recently, and after more than two years' worth of work, James released his first full-length CD with the help of his father.
"It's called 'Labor of Love,' and indeed that's what it is," James says. "It's nine songs written by my dad, there's co-writing by me and my producer Joe Puerta and one song written by three Nashville writers."
Besides being credited as a writer, Famularo appears on the record as a musician.
"He is a guitar player and plays on the whole CD, background parts, slide guitar and background vocals," James says. "I do all the lead guitar and lead vocals, obviously."
As for classifying his music, James is hesitant.
"I'm not sure what genre to classify it in. Some people say country, kind of pop, kind of country, urban country; it's a little different." But he also says that rock music has been a major influence for the record.
James plays double duty as both a solo artist and a member of a band, as his Web site and Myspace.com account are both under the name the Brandon James Band.
"On the CD I'm a solo artist, locally. Live, we're a band. The live band played on some spots of the record," James clarifies.
He's no stranger to being in a band either. He was in his first band at the age of 14, which later evolved into Brandon James and Crossfire. The band didn't last but it led James to bigger and better things.
"I flew down (to Nashville) when I was 17 and auditioned for RCA," he says. "RCA passed on the project but asked me to keep sending songs. I also recorded a demo in Nashville in October of 2005."
Local music label Third Ward Records picked up the Brandon James Band after James met the Good Luck Joes -- another local band whom the label was originally created for -- in the recording studio.
"Ken Krei started the label for them and signed me to it as well. There's only two acts on the label," James says. "The Good Luck Joes got back from a four-week tour. At some point I'll be on same route as them, (but) how it happens and when it happens, I can't say."
James already has the next step for himself in mind: Get known.
"Next is just trying to keep building the name locally and regionally -- sell as many CDs as I can. Keep booking as many dates as I can, fill up the schedule more and more," he says. "I'm hoping to be back in the studio in the winter, late 2006, early 2007. Being in the studio is kind of like a drug. It costs you money but you can't stop. I really want to go back but I can't afford it. If I sell enough CDs, go back and do another, whether it's and EP or an LP."
James says he plans on writing more, but his father has enough of a catalog to play around with and get the sound that he wants. If time permits, he says that he'll mostly be co-writing.
After playing Summerfest earlier this week, the Brandon James Band moves on to the Thiensville Street Party at 3 p.m. on Saturday July 8.
Originally from Des Plaines, Ill., Heather moved to Milwaukee to earn a B.A. in journalism from Marquette University. With a tongue-twisting last name like Leszczewicz, it's best to go into a career where people don't need to say your name often.
However, she's still sticking to some of her Illinoisan ways (she won't reform when it comes to things like pop, water fountain or ATM), though she's grown to enjoy her time in the Brew City.
Although her journalism career is still budding, Heather has had the chance for some once-in-a-lifetime interviews with celebrities like actor Vince Vaughn and actress Charlize Theron, director Cameron Crowe and singers Ben Kweller and Isaac Hanson of '90s brother boy band Hanson.
Heather's a self-proclaimed workaholic but loves her entertainment. She's a real television and movie fanatic, book nerd, music junkie, coffee addict and pop culture aficionado.
