At just 5 years old, Greylan James’ papaw gifted him his first guitar. From that moment on, whenever anyone would ask what he wanted to do in life, he responded, “I’m going to be a Country Music star.” Shortly thereafter, Greylan met his hometown hero, Kenny Chesney, who told him to “stay in school and learn how to write songs” – which is exactly what he did.
After High School, the Knoxville, Tennessee native moved to Nashville in pursuit of his dreams. Shortly after, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) signed Greylan to a global publishing deal. While writing he was also featured on NBC’s The Voice and ranked one of the best guitarists in the world under 21 by Guitar Center Magazine’s Brotherhood of the Guitar Top 100.
“I write songs about the stories from my life and the stories I’ve seen others live. I just want anyone who’s listening to my music to be able to relate to them,” Greylan says.
His songwriting is proven to be relatable, often ending up in the hands of notable names such as Chris Young, Blake Shelton and Chris Janson. In 2020, Kenny Chesney personally called Greylan to inform him he was recording his song “Happy Does,” which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
In 2022, Greylan released his debut EP I Hope She Hears These followed by a brand new single co-written with NBA superstar Jimmy Butler called “Old Truck, Young Love.” The song, along with his latest release “My Future” are just a taste of what is to come on his forthcoming full-length album due out later this year.
The songs can be heard live as Greylan opens for Old Dominion on the No Bad Vibes Tour which kicked off in January 2023 and runs through July. With support from People Country, American Songwriter, CMT, Billboard – who just named his forthcoming record one of the New in 2023 projects to look out for – and more, Greylan continues to win over his rapidly growing fanbase with his authentic storytelling, undeniable talents and genuine passion for his craft.