I remember James Johnston as a contestant on Australian Idol and The X Factor. Since that time away from the reality TV spotlight, he’s carved out an impressive career as a country music artist. He’s amassed more than 5 million streams, topped country radio and the Spotify Fresh Country playlist, and had his song “Raised Like That” used on more than 8,000 TikTok videos. If, like me, you’re not across his latest tunes his current single “Small Town” is the perfect reintroduction.
“I wrote ‘Small Town’ on the drive back home to my hometown of Wingham. I had been spending quite some time in the city and I was just so excited to get back to my family farm. I wanted to capture that feeling of excitement and anticipation in the song – that build-up as I was on that drive to get back home,” James explained.
The video captures the simple pleasure of gathering with friends around a country bonfire. It was produced by Elijah Cavanagh (Cavanagh Films) and shot on the outskirts of Gatton, in Queensland.
“The storyline follows the journey of a young country guy who was working in the city returning to his roots,” James added. “We threw a big party with a bunch of friends and just captured the magic.”
James is earning a reputation for his live shows after sets at Bush to Bay Festival, Savannah in the Round, and Pro Bull Riding events. You can see him doing his thing at the following upcoming shows:
26 March 2022 – PBR Australia @ Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
9 April 2022 – Supagas Canowindra International Balloon Festival @ Canowindra Showgrounds, Canowindra
30 April 2022 – Road to Rodeo @ Longreach Showgrounds, Longreach
27 May 2022 – Beach & Boots Festival @ Breakwall Holiday Park, Port Macquarie
2 October 2022 – Savannah In The Round Festival @ Kerribee Park, Mareeba
Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity