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Photo Credit: Christian Modica @cmoddd [Download Hi-Res]
"St. Catherine Street is full of introspective, inquisitive lyrics and soft, melodic instrumentation. Eichman follows a highly individualized lyrical process, with each song driven by a commitment to the craft of narrative storytelling. His music explores fictitious tales supported by masterful acoustic guitar melodies. But at the heart of every song, it’s James."
- OFF THE RECORD PRESS
“Ethereal acoustic guitar ballads”
- LIVE FOR LIVE MUSIC
Nashville artist and multi-instrumentalist James Eichman is excited to share his debut album, St. Catherine Street, available everywhere now. After playing with artists like Annie DiRusso, Emma Ogier, and Hannah Cole and releasing a string of singles and EPs, today’s release arrives as Eichman’s first full-length effort. Recorded over a few scattered weeks in early 2026 at collaborator Josef Kuhn's home studio, the album was built during a stretch that included a Nashville snowstorm, leaving the two of them stranded indoors and walking to the gas station for food between takes.
Marking the first time Eichman has recorded with anyone other than himself and a laptop mic, the difference shows without ever losing the raw, unfinished quality that made his earlier bedroom recordings feel so lived-in. Room mics catch the space between the notes as much as the music itself, guitar, banjo, and fiddle bleeding into harmonies, tracing raw storytelling with a gentle hum.
“Throughout the record, I used imagery inspired by a small town in Mississippi I spent a lot of time in as a kid called Natchez. Natchez has such a complicated and dark history, and I feel particularly drawn to exploring that place in my songwriting as an embodiment of a hometown that feels oppressive yet strangely familiar. St. Catherine Street is a real street in Natchez, and one that was central to Natchez’s dark history,” James explains. “In the title track, the main character takes this street to go home from work and hates that he’s been driving down that road his whole life. I’ve felt this way countless times in my hometown, Nashville. I also think throughout the record you can hear me growing up and making sense of my life as I transitioned into adulthood, navigating relationships and social scenarios. A lot of the songs tell fictional stories that don't directly relate to my life but reflect my real emotions through the characters that I write about.”
LISTEN TO ST CATHERINE STREET
James spent this year previewing St. Catherine Street one character at a time. "4 am" arrived first, a portrait of internal battles and being disappointed in yourself. "Paper Plate" followed, channeling small-town restlessness with the Mississippi River standing in the way. "Daisy" came next with a music video, a mother and daughter story James spent a full year writing, one line at a time, until it found its shape. "Rolling Summer Thunder" closed out the run, contemplating depression and how quickly it can bring you underwater.
LISTEN TO “ROLLING SUMMER THUNDER”
WATCH “DAISY”
LISTEN TO “PAPER PLATE”
LISTEN TO “4AM”
Performing with artists like Oscar Lindsey, Truman Sinclair, and Hank Heaven, James Eichman is excited to bring St. Catherine Street across the country this fall. In October, he heads out on the road to support Renny Conti on a run of dates that begins October 9 in Chicago, IL, at Schubas Tavern, with stops across the U.S. For more information, see below and follow James on Instagram at @eichman.james.
★ JAMES EICHMAN LIVE 2026 ★
OCTOBER
9 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
13 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
14 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
16 – San Francisco, CA – Café Du Nord
17 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
23 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby's All Right
24 – Philadelphia, PA – Silk City Diner
25 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd Music House
* - w/ Renny Conti
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