User:MrZiggyJames/sandbox

Biography
Ziggy James (born Sep 03, 1997) is an American singer, guitarist and producer. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, he has grown to be one of the most popular artists from the city. At the age of four, Ziggy picked up guitar and has since become a multi-instrumentalist. He currently leads a commercially successful career as a solo artist having released his debut EP By Your Side in 2021. Exactly one year after his initial release, Keep On Shining, his sophomore project was released in September 2022. Ziggy records, mixes and masters all his own music at his own studio in Pittsburgh. He is currently working on his third release which will be released in 2023. Information regarding his newest projects are featured on his official website.

Early Life
Ziggy began playing guitar at the age of four. His brother had gifted him a Encore classical acoustic guitar for his birthday. He began taking guitar lessons shortly after at a local music shop. Ziggy had been in both the school bands and choirs up until high school. His first electric guitar was a Gibson faded series SG. At that point he had been exploring other avenues participating in many local bands and music competitions. At that time he began to learn how to record through Youtube. Using what he learned online he booked studio time at the biggest studios in Pittsburgh. Recording various projects with different bands allowed him to explore his interests hands-on and in a professional environment.

Ziggy began to study music more seriously in intermediate high school. He was able to begin to learn music theory and composition by taking every music class available to him. Before graduating high school he participated in many different Carnegie Mellon University music classes. Songwriting and music theory have always been key to Ziggy’s unique sound. While taking these classes he also played in their jazz band as well as guitar ensemble. Ziggy has said that George Benson, another native Pittsburgher, is one of his influences. Learning jazz guitar enabled him to play more complex styles of guitar. Other influences include AC/DC’s guitarist Angus Young and blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa.

Career
Ziggy began his early musical career as an Instagram influencer. Gaining over ten thousand followers in the first year he was able to quickly secure his audience. Promoting his music online became his main source of traction. Modeling for various boutique clothing brands, he was able to bring attention and awareness to his image. Maintaining that momentum was crucial to the success of his first release By. By Your Side is certified platinum with over one million streams across all platforms. Following this release he played many local shows around Pittsburgh to find and attract new fans. His second album Keep On Shining was released on Sep 03, 2022. This project featured nine original tracks that were recorded and produced entirely by Ziggy.

As an independent artist, Ziggy started Higher Fidelity to distribute and promote his own releases. Higher Fidelity is a privately owned production company that has exclusive rights over Ziggy's music. The company was founded in 2014 to be the first major music label in the city. Ziggy was the only founder and staff member when the company began. Based in Pittsburgh, the label is currently recruiting new local artists to be added to the roster. Ziggy is the owner and chief executive officer of Higher Fidelity. The company releases all genres of music and prides itself on being diverse and inclusive. Higher Fidelity provides a home and opportunities to up and coming artists around PIttsburgh to grow and achieve their potential.

Discography

 * By Your Side EP (Sep 03, 2021)


 * Keep On Shining (Sep 03, 2022)