Rising star James Lee continues his road to recovery and healing with the release of his second EP ‘CASTLES’! Woven with sad boy/girl songs perfect for late-night summer drives, ‘CASTLES,’ consisting of seven tracks, is an intimate look into the mind of James, as he navigates through themes of heartbreak, goodbyes, and holding onto loved ones quickly slipping through your fingers like sand.
LISTEN TO JAMES LEE’S ‘CASTLES’ EP
Even though it was based on the thought of sand castles washing away, I still find myself reflecting on the process and journey of creating rather than sulking over what’s lost.
-James Lee
The EP’s underlying message is to embrace life to the fullest, with all its virutes and faults that it may bring. With ‘CASTLES,’ James compares life to a sandcastle — even though it won’t last forever, you can still treasure the moment, experience, and joy that came with building it. James shared, “Even though it was based on the thought of sand castles washing away, I still find myself reflecting on the process and journey of creating rather than sulking over what’s lost. I’ve become a realistic optimist.”
James hopes that listeners not only recognize the beauty in the intricacy of the album, but also the urgency in cherishing every moment, saying, “I hope people that listen to ‘CASTLES’ will hear everything, from the details in every single arrangement choice, to the way the words are expressed in each song. I decided to lean into the music I grew up loving so much. Though the tone of the album is emotional and sad, the greater takeaway for people is to appreciate the moments we have because nothing lasts forever.” Everyone goes through tragedy in their lifetime. But its your perspective and what you do with that experience that will help you grow move forward.
Launch Party and Patreon
In celebration of the release of his second EP, James announced that he will be holding an intimate launch party on Saturday, August 8 at 8:00 PM on the live streaming platform, Sessions. Drop by and sign up for the guest list here:
To make the release of his second EP even more special, James provided various offers on his Patreon for fans to have their names included in the credits of his upcoming music video for “Liar” as well as on the physical copy of the ‘CASTLES’ EP – a small gesture to show his fans that they are just as much part of this journey as he is.
In addition to his much-anticipated second EP, James most recently released collaboration track “Alright” with former f(x) singer Amber Liu and the lyric video for “Over Us,” putting him on track to become a playlist-favorite of Gen Z and Millennials alike.
Referred to as the “Lauv of Asia” for his emotionally-charged songwriting and on-trend beat production, James has had a number of successful collaborations with various international pop stars in the realm of K-pop and Asian pop music, including Sooyoung Choi of Girls Generation, Angelababy, Jannine Weigel, Kevin Woo, and Jason Zhang. In addition to his own music, James is also a much-sought-after songwriter/producer by Asian artists and has had two #1 singles (Angelababy’s “Takeoff,” Jason Zhang’s “Fast”) and one #1 EP (Gao Jia Lang’s ‘I Am Me’) in China since 2018.