James Heather beautifully blurs the line between broadcaster and performer

James Heather is a contemporary pianist, inspired at an early age by his grandparents and composers such as Beethoven and Debussy. His sound is a free flowing, emotional driven take on a classical sound. Nearly every song is inspired by real events that Heather read about in the news; from wrongful imprisonment to guilt-ridden terrorists – Heather takes their sadness, hope and regret, and lets the mournful piano notes tell their stories. As he puts it, “The stories themselves are not the focus, but the piano assimilation is, as the album is about viewpoint, opinion and perspective.”

Reading a newspaper, you are never really given the full picture. You’re only given what the writer wants to tell you. Heather’s songs give you more than that, they give you a different stand point - a choice.

Stories from Far Away on Piano is a fragile, beautiful album – reminiscent of modern composers such as Nils Frahm and Max Richter. Similar to his peers, you can imagine Heather being inundated with calls from film directors and producers desperate to use his music for their soundtracks. The bond between audio and film is an art form in itself, and listening to this album you can’t help but imagine breath-taking images in your mind.

Music has always been a form of escapism; a way to express yourself, or a vehicle, helping you to leave everything behind. When everything around you is getting too much; fall between the lines on the page, and drift off with this seamless soundtrack of intricate melodies.