24/06/2025
Thank you to Ian at Stargazer Music Magazine for this awesome review of James O'Hurley’s latest single Saint Jude 🚀
Twelve months ago, James O'Hurley was on the verge of leaving music behind for good. After a decade immersed in live performance, studio sessions and behind-the-scenes roles across the UK events circuit, the South London singer-songwriter had reached a creative and personal crossroads. But in a moment of quiet resignation, he picked up his guitar one final time—and something clicked.
What followed was an unexpected flood of inspiration. Within hours, James had written "Wolves" and "Evil", two gripping, soul-baring songs. By the next morning, he was hit by the same flood of inspiration, leaving him in awe as to what he had created as the final chord rang out to a full-blown artistic rebirth.
Rooted in Blues, Folk, and Alternative Rock, his sound is shaped by a broad spectrum of influences. The spirit of Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and The Beatles threads through his work, while the emotional depth of Nina Simone, John Martyn, Howlin' Wolf and Mary Black gives his songwriting a unique resonance with grit and grace in equal measure.
His debut album "A Certain Stranger"—featuring collaborations with Erim Ahmet, Pete Briley, and producer Graham Waller —is a richly textured body of work holding acclain from many music publications and platforms, resulting in streaming figures in the tens of thousands.
New single "Saint Jude," featured below, captures the momentum—a stomping Rock ’n’ Roll track with a Motown heartbeat, layered with atmospheric guitar swells and cinematic tension. Produced by Erim Ahmet, who also performed multiple instruments on the track, and features Pete Briley on pedal steel and electric guitar, it’s a statement of intent.
In a recent interview, I asked James to tell me more about the track, he told me:
"The lyrics in thisw song are my favourite on the album. They are incredibly personal words that I think everyone can relate to; the idea of being left to pick up the pieces and searching for answers. It's the axis of the whole album for that reason. What seems impossible might just be the thing that sets you free. You just have to keep believing."
And that brings me nicely to the featured single - "Saint Jude."
This track is about reckoning—with the past, with faith, and with the fragments of a former self. Drawing on sacred and mythological figures, it becomes a personal invocation, a search for strength in the unseen. The lyrics speak from the edge of transformation, where protection is offered but not imposed, and identity is questioned in the quiet between dreaming and waking. It’s a meditation on devotion, vulnerability, and the courage to begin again.
This summer sees James return to the stage for his "Midnight Moon Tour." Performing at intimate character-rich venues across the country—James is a songwriter renewed with fire in his veins and stories still to tell.
To close, this single won’t gather dust in any collection, and will keep heads bouncing and feet tapping from sofa to stage. So why not clear a space, and give James O'Hurley a try for 2025.
Star rating - 9/10
Ian Davies International Music Journalist – Stargazer Music Magazine.
www.stargazermusicmagazine.co.uk
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VIDEO: https://youtu.be/cVQ8IKpM4l4
SINGLE: https://open.spotify.com/track/2bLAvzDxhJ9ZgiVAJCNtwZ
ALBUM: https://open.spotify.com/album/7MzXSQ4Tm70qc98bJtY8cM
James O'Hurley was brought to Stargazer Music Magazine by Top Floor Music, UK.
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