James started writing ‘rock’ songs at an early age in rural Ontario. Mesmerized by the sounds of Canadian bands like BTO and Rush, he eventually settled on guitar as an instrument for learning about song structure, harmony and soloing techniques.

Soon after his first sampling of Tales of Topographic Oceans album by Yes (a shared experience with drummer Mike Lacroix) he knew his calling would be to pursue more progressive styles of composition.

A few performance experiences with local pop rock bands eventually convinced him that the little art rock hobby band he developed with Mike, Ian Skinner and his brother, Jan, deserved his full musical attention. He contributed five original pieces to the band’s first efforts at recording, but the process was drawn out over years with all that was happening in their lives.