Out of the valleys of South Wales comes a Rock-n-Roll band known as James and the Cold Gun. Out of the region’s capital city, Cardiff, the band came together back in 2019 when Guitarists James Joseph (formerly of Holding Absence) and James Biss (formerly of Frown Upon) decided it was time they forged a new path. Initially working in different bands, they crossed paths in a Hardcore side project, soon realizing there was chemistry between them. With their hearts set on something else, the two returned to basics, jammed out guitar riffs in their garage, and thus a band was born.
A pure and simple beginning, you could also say this about James and the Cold Gun’s approach – raw, loud, and uninhibited Rock’n’Roll. A sound that could be labeled Garage Rock, the bottom line is that Joseph and Biss went into this with only wanting to crank up their amps and let the music guide them. A energy that caught the attention of Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard when he happened to hear them on the Seattle-based FM station KEXP, he immediately sought to find out more, going on to sign the band to his co-founded Looosegroove Records.
A label featuring other talented acts like Tigercub, James and the Cold Gun, moved forward to release their False Start EP in 2022 before the self-titled full-length debut in 2023. Received positively by critics and a growing fanbase, they also included themselves on Apple Music’s Rockstars of 2023 Predictions. Creating quite a buzz, they would receive even more exposure playing sold-out shows with Duff McKagan and Thunderpussy, but also supported Pearl Jam and Guns N’ Roses at London’s Hyde Park in 2022. Additionally, the band completed a killer round of shows in the USA this past January and February with Highly Suspect.
Factors that make them one of Rock’s most interesting up-and-coming bands, their adrenaline-driven distorted guitar sound now takes a significant step forward in 2025. At this point, configured as a trio with the addition of Gaby Elise on bass, James and the Cold Gun returned on April 25, 2025, with their second album Face In The Mirror. An album anchored by singles such as “Guessing Games, “Cut the Breaks,” “Above the Lake,” and “Twist the Knife,” some are comparing their sound to Foo Fighters, but in truth, that is selling them short. To explain this further, James and the Cold Gun’s style is far from contrived, but instead the product of a genuine love for the true essence of Rock-n-Roll. What is that? It is soul freeing without a premeditation of making something commercially viable.
Now, this is not to say there is no structure to what James and the Cold Gun are doing, but it is saying the emotion you feel with their songs is one of complete excitement as if they were a bunch of kids picking up guitars for the first time, but only with a more polished skill set. Laying this out and checking out their new album Face In The Mirror is vital to those who like it loud and with a more Punk Rock edge.
Recently, they have been wrapping up some live dates around the UK in support of the new album’s release. Hopefully, they will announce more shows soon. Only time will tell how everything unfolds, but they are pushing to land in the UK Top 40 with Face In The Mirror. Well deserving, the bottom line is if you enjoy being one of the first to know a band before they take off, now is the time to act on James and the Cold Gun.
No comment