You might know talented newcomer Casey James from his appearances on the 9th season of American Idol. But, believe it or not, the Texan had never watched the Fox mega-hit before he appeared on the show in season nine.

“I had never seen the show in my life,” James admits to Roughstock.com “I was just taking a chance, I was completely unprepared for what lay ahead of me,” he says.

The 19 Recordings / BNA newcomer has been finding out just what it takes to build a career in 2011, as he has been meeting tons of radio executives and media to promote his first single for the label, “Let’s Don’t Call It A Night.” To say the song has a soulful undertone is something of an understatement.

“I’ve always really enjoyed the blues,” he states, “and hopefully that comes across in the music.”

James has had quite a few people in the industry in his corner for a while, such as CMA winners Sugarland, who had the singer open for them long before his single was released. When asked about the reception he has received from the industry, he said “It’s been good. Everybody has been good, kind, and generous. I couldn’t ask for more. The opportunity to be here and do this is more than I could ask for-especially in getting to go out with a great band and packed houses. It’s been a blessing.”

He found the tour to be quite an energetic one, as Sugarland is known for their high energy. “It’s a great crowd to be in front of, and anybody that is cont. evolving and changing, that’s great for me. I’m not down the center of anything, so it’s a good match.”

He has also gotten to know the duo rather well. “It was great. I’ve got to spend a lot of time with them, especially with Kristian. We’ve written some songs, and they’re all in my top favorites. One day we were somewhere, we wrote a song and I was opening. He came out and performed it with me. We had a kid out there holding up the yellow pad we wrote the lyrics on. You don’t get to do that with everyone that you open for.”

The debut single has an impressive writers’ pedigree, with James co-authoring the tune with Terry McBride and Brice Long. “Terry’s amazing,” Casey said of the writing experience. “We and Brice got together in a room. They’re great at what they do, and they’re a riot to be around. We just had a blast. You just know that things are going to be good when you get around those guys. I love the song we wrote, and I feel like it came out like we were hoping for.”

James is confident that if you like the single, you will love the album he is working on. “It’s a great example of a lot of the things I do. I play guitar  on it, so that’s one thing, but it’s a little bit of everything, but there will be a lot of different flavors on the album, so it will fit perfectly, but will stand on its’ own, as well.”

All in all, James is grateful for where he is right now. It wasn’t too long ago he was fighting for his life after a motorcycle accident. He ended up spending a year in the hospital, but made a full recovery. With that in mind, he’s not leaving anything to chance. “I’m thankful for everything I’ve got, and the opportunities I’ve got. This is an amazing place to be in my life. I’m just thankful!”

For more on this extremely talented newcomer, log in to www.CaseyEJames.com!

Watch: "Let's Don't Call It A Night" Performance Video

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