The late great Leonard Cohen once said that “being a songwriter is like being a nun: you're married to a mystery.” James Houlahan has been deeply engaged with that mystery for all of his creative life. Over the course of seven albums, he has sought to explore and reveal this mystery through his craft, rooted in a wide spectrum of folk and Americana sounds.

On a Wing, his latest album, features contributions from stellar musicians such as Danny Frankel (k.d. lang, Lou Reed), Greg Cohen (Tom Waits, John Zorn) and John Kruth (Ornette Coleman, Violent Femmes) among others. It was produced with Fernando Perdomo at Forward Motion Studios in Los Angeles, California.

Influenced by writers such as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Tom Waits, Houlahan’s music is a vast net cast in a sea of musical possibility. Bringing to the surface sonic treasures from the depths of an old yet vital collective American spirit. An odyssey of exploration, bent on unlocking the transformative powers of music. One song at a time. 

Based in Topanga, California, Houlahan has been active on the L.A. music scene since arriving from his native Boston in 2012. His music has found its way into commercials, television, and movies such as 2015’s “Little Pink House,” starring Catherine Keener. He tours regularly throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Glide Magazine wrote that Houlahan is “near the top of must-see and hear indie singer-songwriters.” Climbing all the time, one step after another. Sometimes wrestling, sometimes dancing with that ineffable mystery of songwriting. Houlahan’s music straddles both the personal and the universal, transporting the listener to realms of enigmatic wonder and delight. A music of restless, roving, imminent possibility for mind and spirit alike.