Gavin James

Straddling acoustic pop and folk, Gavin James has developed in Dublin a songwriting style focused on voice and guitar, producing melodic ballads with restrained arrangements that at times lean more pop. Born Gavin Wigglesworth in 1991 in the Irish capital, he started on the local scene—playing small clubs and bars—before gaining attention online and as a support act. His early discography includes EPs in the early 2010s and a live album, Live at Whelans (2014), which captures his songs in an intimate venue setting. The debut studio album Bitter Pill appeared in 2015 and established a sensitive pop register influenced by soul and Anglo-Irish folk, continued by Only Ticket Home (2018) and The Sweetest Part (2022). On stage, Gavin James has opened for artists such as Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith and toured across Europe and North America, while also performing numerous solo shows. Occasional collaborations—most notably the 2017 track “Tired” with Norwegian producer Alan Walker—brought him into an electronic pop aesthetic, without losing the central focus on melodic writing and the intimate nature of his lyrics.