Amanda & James Release A Lighthearted New Single

A new release from Amanda & James just dropped, and this track portrays such a great sentiment when it comes to relationships. Even though they know they're not making a comeback anytime soon, it's very light-hearted, and it focuses on such a great storyline between two people that sort of know things have ended, and they're not making that come back, but it's okay.

I definitely dig the sentiment because it speaks volumes for the duo and how they're able to be open in terms of their lyrical approach, and still keep things very warm and welcoming in terms of their tones.

This track definitely has an Americana feel behind it, but comes through lush and alive, putting you there in the moment with the song quickly and easily.

This had a particular kind of warmth to it that doesn't just come from the guitar tones, but also from the way the vocals are approached and performed.

They both put their two cents in when it comes to singing. They sound amazing together with brilliant harmonies, but also have their bounce back and forth in terms of certain lyrics, and I really liked that they combined the back and forth styles with the harmonies as well because it speaks to how they're able to focus on delivering the message while keeping things again come light-hearted, bright, and loaded with personality and character.

I think that is the biggest appeal to the track, as a whole. It's got this sort of sentimental and relatable set of characters behind it, and it just feels good to listen to.

The guitar work on this track is outstanding. It's got a lot of twang, it's vivacious, and certainly brings that brightness

The rhythm has a slight swing to it, and I dig that too because it calls back to the southern undertone and Country and Americana approach that they deliver oh so well.

There's also some great lead guitar work on this that showcases loads of soul.

Both of them really sing with gusto. They're able to keep things mellow during certain verses, but then during the chorus, they really are more together, giving things a full-bodied feel.

They also have very close vibratos with each other. Their vocals sink up naturally, and I think that has a lot to do with them writing songs together and being able to be aware of arrangement, composition, and how the puzzle pieces fit.

To that effect, you can tell that they are both experienced and seasoned songwriters and musicians,

To me, this feels like a summer song. It's got that warmth and color to it that is very infectious, and starts right from the top of the song.

They throw in little elements of humor, which I loved, acoustic guitars in the beginning of the song before things really pick up, and they lay out the storyline for you so well that you can kind of picture it all in your head as the song unfolds.

All of this comes together with such a natural flow as well. Both Amanda and James are able to input their personalities into the track and give it life.

I feel like this is a song that came from some real place. It has a certain kind of authenticity behind it, and you can also hear a slew of classic country influences coming into play, as well as some rock ones.

I dig that set of influences completely. None of this is over the top, but instead very well balanced dynamically, musically, and energetically.

It's been a while since I've heard a song that boasts this much thickly laid character and comes across again, so light-hearted and welcoming.

With the release of such a well-woven single, we wanted to have a chat with the duo to find out where this all actually came from and what might be coming up next for them.

So, while you listen to this single, have a read through of our interview with both of them below.

Remember where you heard this first.

Q) Let's talk about "Comeback"! This song is an absolute classic, breeding that southern Country tonality and a thriving rock undertone!! Where did this song come from?

A) “Comeback” was pitched to us by Sam Daviau, who co-wrote the song with Ali Dutton and Joey DePaiva. The original version had plenty of attitude but lived in a slower lane, so we did what felt right: hit the gas, punched up a few lyrics, and fully made it our own. There is no shortage of sad breakup songs in the world - what we love about “Comeback” is that it’s upbeat, and just a little cheeky. It’s a chapter-closing, door-locking, don’t-text-me-at-3am anthem for anyone who is done with the will-they-won’t-they cycle. “Comeback” is about reclaiming your power with a wink. No reunion. No revival. No sequel. Absolutely no Ross-and-Rachel energy. It celebrates that glorious moment when you realize you’re worth more than another ride on the relationship rollercoaster.

Q) I'm hearing a few different approaches to this single! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

A) You hear a few different musical worlds colliding in this single - and that’s very much on purpose. Amanda has a lifelong love of big voices like Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Adele, and P!nk, so she leans hard into “Comeback”’s bold, bluesy melodies. James loves the vocal intensity - the moments where the song climbs right to the edge of his range. He’s had many lives as an artist (he loves singing Pearl Jam just as much as Tim McGraw, which tracks, considering he spent over 12 years touring North America in a professional Tim McGraw tribute band). Put it all together and you get a song that rocks out, tips its hat to country and rock, and is just an absolute blast to perform.

Q) Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?

A) We recorded “Comeback” at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, a beautifully converted church that somehow manages to feel both grand and historic, and cozy and casual at the same time. Everyone plays together in the same room, with the singers tucked into an isolation booth, so it feels incredibly collaborative and almost like a live, off-the-floor moment with just enough control to keep things tight. Bringing a song to life takes a small village, and we had the dream team. “Comeback” was produced by Matt Koebel (CMAO & CCMA nominee) and mixed and mastered by Brandon Unis (7x JUNO nominee). Together, they helped us bottle the raucous energy, sharp wit, and playful confidence that makes this song hit exactly the way we hoped.

Q) How did this all start for you as a band?

A) It all started in an online songwriting club in 2021 (proof that positive things can come from the internet and a global pandemic). We were randomly paired up and ended up co-writing the song “We’re Okay” with Matt Koebel and Carrie DeMaeyer. We loved the song so much that James released it with Amanda as the featured artist, and that’s where the trouble began (the good kind). What followed was a steady escalation: more writing, more duets, more shows together … all while insisting we were still very much still solo artists. By mid-2024, it became obvious we were kidding ourselves, so we finally asked the big question: should we just make this an official duo? We took the leap in September 2024, and less than a year later found ourselves nominated for Group or Duo of the Year at the CMAO Awards. It’s been a total whirlwind, and we’ve been having an absolute blast creating, performing, and growing together ever since.

Q) How does it work in terms of writing songs? Do you mostly write together?

A) Our songwriting process is a bit of a mix-and-match adventure, and that’s part of the fun.

We’d been writing together long before we officially became a duo (Amanda even co-wrote Full Speed Ahead on James’ 2023 record). We genuinely love writing together and feel like our styles complement each other really well. Sometimes we write side by side, sometimes we bring in ideas we’ve worked on separately. We’re always open to collaborating with other writers to keep things fresh and push ourselves creatively. We’re also big believers that the best song always wins, even if we didn’t write it ourselves. Ego stays at the door and great songs get invited in.

Q) Are you performing live right now?

A) Um…we are sitting at our desks on a Zoom call right now typing these answers ��… We had a pretty busy 2025 performing, and we’re hoping to make 2026 a banger of a year. We’ve got some gigs lined up in Mexico in February and March, which is going to be so much fun! And we hope to be busy this summer - there’s nothing like performing outside during the summer Festival season! Alongside our Amanda & James live performances, we have a tribute show called Time of My Life: The Greatest Duets in Concert. It’s a show packed with all the popular duets people know and love from past and present - everything from Islands In The Stream, Jackson, and From This Moment to Shallow, Need You Now, that iconic song from Dirty Dancing (have you heard our country version of I’ve Had The Time of My Life?!), and even a few of our originals. We’ll be performing that show as well next year. There’s a lot of great stuff to look forward to.

Q) Now that this is out, what's next for you?

A) The next few months are going to be busy in the best way - lots of performing, songwriting, and time in the studio. We’ve been writing consistently with the goal of recording our debut album later this year. It’s funny, we knew exactly who we were as solo artists, and now we’re in that slightly chaotic but exciting phase of figuring out who we are as a duo. We both love such a wide range of styles and genres that picking a single lane can feel a little limiting. So for now, we’re embracing the freedom to try things. We’ll be recording a real mix of sounds as we follow whatever feels right and see where the music wants to go. And hey, if Taylor Swift can bounce between genres and make it work, we figure we’re in pretty good company.

Q) Who's in your headphones right now?

A) Amanda: Right now I’m obsessed with three songs - Backup Plan by Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs, You Should Probably Leave by Chris Stapleton, and Hold My Horses by Madeline Edwards.

James: Amanda and I just wrote a song that we’re pretty excited about so I’ve been listening to that demo a lot. As artists, we are always writing and recording the next thing.

Q) What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

A) What we love about the songs that we’ve released is that they’re all very different. Both the musical expression, and the emotion. This one isn’t like any of the others we’ve released. It’s fun and playful - and totally relatable. It’s that relatability that made us want to record it. It’s universal, really. Who hasn’t gone through a break-up and thought, “Never again with that person.” Everybody’s been there!

Q) Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?

A) If you love artists like Lady A, Chris Stapleton, Adele, or Teddy Swims, - and you miss powerful vocals - then you’re absolutely our people. Music moves in cycles, and for the last few years things have been living in a pretty chill vocal moment in country. But we’re calling it now: we’re heading straight back into a big-voice era, very 90s-coded, very belt-your-face-off. As the lyrics in “Comeback” say, everything 90s is coming back … and yes, that includes powerhouse vocals. So if you like soaring harmonies, emotional delivery, and songs you can sing along to way too loudly, we think you might like what we’re putting out. Please check out our music on your favorite streaming service!

SPOTIFY

INSTAGRAM

WEBSITE