James Johnston

James Johnston (born November 26, 1990 in Wingham, New South Wales) is an Australian singer-songwriter. In 2009, Johnston was a contestant on Australian Idol, finishing third. In 2014, he made it into the Top 24 on The X Factor, however wasn’t chosen for the live performances, leading to the decision to travel around Australia and Nashville (Tennessee), where he returned to his country music roots. Upon his return, he wrote over 200 songs, releasing his debut single “Raised Like That” in September 2021, followed by “Small Town” in November 2021. “Raised Like That” became a viral hit, reaching Number 1 on the Countrytown Music Network Hot 50 Country Airplay Chart, peaking at Number 4 on the Australian Independent Chart and reaching one million streams; the fastest debut single by an Australian country artist. Johnston continued releasing singles in 2022 with “Anything Like Me” and “Country Boys”, reaching Number 5 and Number 1 respectively on the ARIAS Singles (Independent Labels) Chart. Named after his platinum single, the album Raised Like That followed in September 2023, featuring new singles "Same Songs" with Kaylee Bell and "Some Things Never Change" with Zac & George. In 2024, Johnston duetted with Lee Kernagham for "Who I Am". His sophomore album, Where You'll Find Me, was released in October 2025, featuring singles "Country Is for Me" with Appel, ranked number 30 on New Zealand Hot Singles chart.