The song was co-written with The Killers’ Brandon Flowers
British artist James Bay shares “Easy Distraction” out now via Mercury Records. He co-wrote the song with Brandon Flowers of The Killers, marking their first collaboration. The song sets the stage for the release of his anxiously awaited fourth full-length album, Changes All The Time, now landing on October 4th.
“The song is about realizing too late that someone means so much to you, but you still want to show them and let them know. It’s exploring how, in the face of adversity we can still reach out, we can still connect,” Bay says of the song. “I found out from a mutual friend that Brandon was interested in writing with newer artists, so I jumped at the chance and went to work with him in Park City, Utah over in America. It was an unbelievable experience and insight into writing with one of my heroes. I hope we get to do more!”
“Easy Distraction” represents another “bucket list” moment for Bay. He cites The Killers among his biggest inspirations. Together, he and Flowers penned a powerhouse track bound to resonate with both of their respective audiences.
An upbeat guitar riff drives the song over a shuffling drum groove punctuated by his gritty delivery and swooning backup harmonies. It builds towards a hummable guitar solo drenched in reverb and emotion as he pleads, “For every mistake, I’ll give you my hand. Just promise to hold it wherever we land.”
It follows the recent fan favorite “Up All Night” with The Lumineers and Noah Kahan. The latter has already amassed over 22 million global streams. “Up All Night” notably stands out as his first official studio collaboration with Grammy Award-nominated superstar Kahan and Grammy Award-nominated group The Lumineers. Abounding with all the gusto of a last-call singalong, “Up All Night” surges to life as an upbeat, foot-stomping anthem tailormade for the best of times with friends and family. A percussive groove sets the tempo as Bay ignites a chant on the chorus, “Let’s talk about dreams, let’s talk about life, let’s talk about all the things that keep us up all night.” At the same time, Kahan and The Lumineers fuel the celebration with full-bodied backing vocals. Fittingly, “Up All Night” climaxes with a soaring guitar solo buoyed by a boisterous gang harmony.
Changes All The Time spotlights Bay’s elevated songcraft and dynamic vocals and his fret-burning guitar playing, highlighting his evolution from every angle. This time around, he crafted these eleven tracks under the watch of producer Gabe Simon [Noah Kahan, Koe Wetzel, Maren Morris] alongside co-writers such as Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Holly Humberstone, Dan Wilson of Semisonic, Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen, and Kevin Garrett.
“Making this album felt like my first taste of true musical freedom. With the help of my co-producer, Gabe Simon, I found the courage to make what I wanted to make in ways I never have before. That’s a very hard place to get to, I’m really excited to release this music,” says James.
Bay’s definitive breakthrough smash “Let It Go” first landed a decade ago in 2014. It cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, Top 3 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart, and Top 5 on the Year-End Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart. Thus far, it has tallied over three billion streams, claiming a spot among Spotify’s prestigious “Billions Club.” Not to mention, it achieved 6x-platinum status. Moreover, his total career streams are just shy of nine billion.
Last year, he opened up for Bruce Springsteen at London’s own BST Hyde Park and joined his friends The Lumineers on tour.
