Two Louisiana singer-songwriters who have found local fans through performances in McComb will be back in Pike County this week for a double dose of music.
James Dupré and Jodi James will be performing at 8:30 p.m. Thursday in Magnolia at 143 Railroad Blvd., next door to LaMariposa restaurant. On Friday, the two will perform at 7 p.m. at Southwest Mississippi Community College in a fundraiser for the SMCC Foundation.
James, 34, has two releases, “This Fire,” and her latest, “Far Between and Fleeting.”
She first sang in McComb at the 2012 Ironwood Market after an invitation from festival organizer Edie Varnado, who heard James in St. Francisville, La. In McComb, James caught the ear of Ralph Price, who already had welcomed Dupré to the city several years ago and helped him with bookings.
Price was impressed by the depth of James’ lyrics, her talent and her ability to churn out songs — she’s got some 60 tunes stockpiled.
Through Price, James and Dupré have become songwriting partners, and already, the collaboration has yielded two songs, “Up in the Air” and “Circumstance.”
Dupré became an overnight sensation when Ellen Degeneres featured him on her television show in 2010 after hearing him on YouTube.
In February 2011, Dupré signed a contract with Warner Music Nashville. Since then, he’s even done a bit of acting, just recently playing Randy Travis’ son in “The Price,” an indie short film. He released his CD “It’s All Happening” in 2010.
Price, who counts Dupré as a true friend, is proud to have a hand in bringing him back to Pike County. Price first heard Dupré on YouTube and traveled to Louisiana to hear him perform.
“I found out he’s the real deal,” Price said of that early listen.
Price has discovered that Jodi James is the real deal, too.
James, who sings with a clear, lilting voice, cites songwriting pros Patty Griffin and Sean Colvin as influences.
“I grew up listening to ’60s soul ... Otis Redding, and really like it,” James said. “I like the country-soul vibe of Dusty Springfield and Bobby Gentry, and the good singer-songwriters of the late 1960s and 1970s, James Taylor and Carole King.”
James draws from her rural upbringing when writing music.
“I grew up on a sugar cane farm. I had to learn how to entertain myself,” James said.
“First and foremost, I’m a songwriter,” she said. “I’ve been singing since I was 5 or 6 in church. At some point, I realized if I wanted to write songs, I better learn to play an instrument. I know enough on instruments to be able to write my own songs.”
Up until now, songwriting had always been a solo effort for James. Working with Dupré has been a new experience.
James is encouraged by the first few collaborations with Dupré and she looks forward to more good music to come.
“James and I write really well together,” she said. “I didn’t expect that. I’m spoiled now. He’s the first person I’ve tried co-writing with, and it’s worked out so well. Anything that challenges you and helps you grow, I’m into.
“I’m all about inner peace and self-awareness,” she said. “For the past two years, I’ve been music minister at a hospice. It’s tough emotionally. Music is really the best medicine.”
Being with patients in their final days and reaching them through music — even Alzheimer’s patients who don’t know their names but can remember lyrics — has been a blessing for James.
“There have been so many joyful and profound experiences working with hospice and music,” James said. “I’m not really concerned about being an artist. I’m more comfortable behind the scenes. I’ve tried doings other things, but it always comes back to music.”
Dupré is looking forward to coming back to McComb, where he feels like family.
“The very first time I came to McComb, I fell in love with the place. It feels like home, even though it’s not really my home,” he said.
Dupré is working on his first project for Warner Bros. and continues to focus on his writing and performing.
He lives in Nashville and splits his time between there and Louisiana.
“My kids are there, and I play a lot of shows down there. Louisiana is always going to be home to me,” he said.
Now that he’s got a few years of hindsight in the music business, Dupré is excited about the future.
“It’s different from what I expected, but definitely not less than expected,” he said. “I wake up every morning and get to do what I love for a living. Nashville is a great city to live in.”
For this week’s shows in Pike County, Dupré said he’ll do a little of everything.
“Jodi and I will play the things we’ve written, I’ll play some of my music and some of my old favorite covers,” he said.
Dupré is happy to be collaborating with James.
“Jodi just makes it really easy,” he said. “She is really talented, an incredible writer. I can’t compare her to anyone. She has a pure quality about her.”
Tickets for the Magnolia show are $10 each at the door, which opens at 8.
The concert at Southwest, part of the foundation’s Community Arts Series, will be held in the second-floor auditorium in the Horace Holmes Student Union. Tickets are $5 in advance for students, faculty and staff and $10 for the general public. Admission at the door is $15 for all seats, which are limited. The event is free for all active SMCC Foundation members.
To join the foundation, call 276-4809 or visit www.smcc.edu and click on Alumni and Foundation, then “join the Foundation.” Membership is $100 per year, with proceeds providing scholarships and campus needs at Southwest.
