James Bruner – Wish I Could Stay (single)

FFO: YUNGBLUD, Lenny Kravitz, Palaye Royale

Label / Imprint: Maroon Records

Format: Digital Single

Press Assets (Google Drive | MP3s, images, press release, links, metadata etc)

“Audibly inspired by rock n’ roll’s classics, but making them his own…he’s one to watch” – Classic Rock

“Blues-rock prodigy… A 21^st century rock star in the making…” – Kerrang!

“Whiff of future rockstar in the air” – Rock Fiend

“James Bruner isn’t just arriving—he’s absolutely ready to take over” – Rock Today

Flamboyant Illinois born, Nashville based singer-songwriter James Bruner announces the release of his debut album Can’t Keep Wanting You, due for release on 4^th Sept & shares the track Wish I Could Stay from it.

This blues-infused slice of alt-rock gold was produced by Nashville’s Shane Weisman and sees James singing about the need to ‘keep moving on’ from toxic relationships with attention seeking people. James explains “it’s about coming to the realisation that someone is just loving attention & while you can entertain their demands, you have to put yourself first. You may think it’s love but it could well just be infatuation & Wish I Could Stay suggests a way to navigate away from the situation to calmer waters. The track has plenty of space in the arrangement &, dare I say, a taste of funk in there, which has been a new & exciting territory for me to navigate musically. It really steps up when the chords hit in the chorus, giving the track much warmth & openness”.

Ever keen to be on stage, James is off on a tour of the US east coast as special guest for The Unlikely Candidates. Further live dates throughout the summer are being confirmed & he’ll be touring the UK & Germany in the autumn when the album hits the streets.

Having enjoyed playlisting on Planet Rock Radio for his singles Switchblade and Big Shot, plus Hot List and The Dirt / High Hopes features in Classic Rock mag, 2026 looks set to be a breakthrough year for the artist, with the upcoming debut album firmly establishing James’s expressive & commanding presence within the rock community.

About James Bruner:

Having come of age amidst skateboard culture in Springfield, Illinois, James was drawn towards artists like Roxy Music, David Bowie & Iggy Pop as opposed to what his friends were listening to at the time. Watching how skaters executed their craft on videos featuring Iggy Pop’s Lust For Life, Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells A Story & Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, inspired him to get a guitar at the age of 15. He was soon to join local band Unchained as lead vocalist & rhythm guitar – but it was when he moved to Nashville that his focus on songwriting & working with top-flight musicians began to bear fruit.

Full band shows as a solo artist began in 2023 & since then James has honed his craft as a live performer playing hundreds of shows across the USA, Europe & the UK with the likes of Those Damn Crows, Orianthi, Barns Courtney, The Romana Flowers & Yonaka as well as full European tours with Nashville singer-songwriter William Fitzsimmons & The Struts. James has graced the stages of legendary venues such as The Bataclan (Paris), Barrowlands (Glasgow), The Roundhouse (London), Irving Plaza (New York) & Fabrique (Milan).

Highlights:

• PLANET ROCK RADIO: 8 weeks on B-List & Evening List for singles SwitchBlade & Big Shot
• CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE: ‘Hot List‘ & ‘The Dirt / High Hopes‘ features in Jan & Feb 2026 issues
• 200k+ MONTHLY LISTENERS during The Otherside EP campaign
• 500k+ STREAMS on single Big Shot
• GLOBAL TOURS WITH: The Struts, Barns Courtney, Yonaka, Those Damn Crows, Orianthi

Upcoming Live Dates (as Special Guest for The Unlikely Candidates)

26^th May – Beachland Theatre – Cleveland / USA

27^th May – Montague Music Hall – Rochester / USA

28^th May – Mercury Lounge – New York City / USA

29^th May – 4th Wall – Boston / USA

30^th May – Silk City Diner – Philadelphia / USA

31^st May – DC9 – Washington DC / USA

Connect with James Bruner

www.jameshbruner.com

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