Julian James – Prey to the Crow special Blues on the Mountain night CN981

Coming up at Mangrove Mountain on March 6

Prey to the Crow special Blues on the Mountain night

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Julian James performs the new album “Prey to the Crow” at a special Blues on the Mountain night with Melbourne duo White Lightning joining us as special guests.

Julian James and Beci Kate are bringing the ‘Prey to the Crow’ Album Tour to Mangrove Mountain for a night of groove-driven Americana and hill country blues. Written on the road and shaped by years of constant touring, Prey to the Crow explores themes of movement and living in the now, delivered through songs built to breathe in a live room.

As a road-hardened duo, Julian and Beci blend gritty guitar, driving percussion, and soulful harmonies into a performance that moves between quiet intensity and deep, rolling grooves.

Opening the night is Melbourne’s own White Lightning. Known for their raucous, old-school blues-rock with a modern punch, their set features heavy rhythms and gritty slide guitar that always gets the room moving. This is a proper night of live music on the Central Coast—real songs, big grooves, and an intimate atmosphere.

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JULIAN JAMES & THE MOONSHINE STATE CHANNEL HILL COUNTRY GRIT ON NEW LP: PREY TO THE CROW

Featuring Blues Legend Charlie Musselwhite

A sonic travelogue forged on the endless highways of Australia and Europe, arriving February 6, 2026.

There is a profound difference between playing the blues and living them. For award-winning singer-songwriter Julian James, that distinction has dissolved over years spent living full-time in a bus, traversing the asphalt veins of Australia and Europe.

On February 6, 2026, James and his band, The Moonshine State, released Prey to the Crow, a record that doesn’t just reference the road—it sounds like it.

The Sound of the Road

Produced by ARIA Award-winner Matt Fell, Prey to the Crow is a masterclass in modern Hill Country blues—a style defined by hypnotic, driving rhythms and raw, unvarnished storytelling. While the record captures the thunderous groove of The Moonshine State in full flight, its soul is rooted in James’s reality: the intimate, high-wire act of touring as a duo with his wife and musical partner, Beci Kate. That tension—between the solitude of the highway and the sweat-soaked energy of a festival stage—fuels the album’s 11 tracks.

The Torchbearer Moment

In a career-defining collaboration, the album features a guest appearance by Blues Hall of Famer Charlie Musselwhite on a reimagined version of the Muddy Waters classic, “Catfish.” Musselwhite’s harmonica acts as a stamp of authenticity, bridging the gap between the Delta’s history and James’s distinctively Australian interpretation. It is an upbeat, swampy reinterpretation that honors the past while pushing the sound forward.

Sonic Texture & Collaborations

The record’s “roots-first” production is bolstered by:

• Pete Denahy: Fiery fiddle performances.

• Hussy Hicks: Rich, layered vocal harmonies.

• Matt Fell: Capturing the atmosphere of a juke joint late at night—gritty, communal, and alive.

Artist Statement

“This record comes from years of living on the road,” says Julian James. “Beci and I live in a bus and we’re almost always on tour. These songs didn’t come from a writing room; they grew out of real places, real nights, and real people we’ve met along the way. Having Pete, Matt, and the Hussy Hicks involved felt natural, and getting Charlie to play harp on ‘Catfish’ was a dream come true.”