A message of hope through song has opened doors for a North Augusta teen including singing on an upcoming recording with a GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter.
On Jan. 21, 2023, Angela James, a 17-year-old Aiken Scholars Academy student released her debut song, “Don’t Give Up Now,” about her battle with depression and anxiety and how her faith in God helped her overcome. She wrote it with the help of her father, Chris James.
“Getting it out was amazing,” she said. “It was the first time getting to record in a studio.”
Read more: Teen’s debut song gets radio play
Since then, she’s sung it for different audiences and had the chance to share her hope and faith with others. And she’s recorded additional songs including one with Grammy-nominated gospel singer Canton Jones. The two performed together in December as part of The Encounter at the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center.
“I’m a music junkie. I’ve been writing a project called ‘They Stole My Computer,’” said Jones, who serves as pastor of an Atlanta church as well as a performer.
Jones said the project title is based on actual events. His computer was stolen, and it contained all his music and his memories.
It was hard, but the message he felt God gave him was that it was time to let go of the past and believe for the future.
He started writing songs that he said he believes will impact a lot of people. Jones plans to release 61 songs on four albums on Feb 9.
“God MD” is all about helping those with depression and mental illness.
“Some are with a beat, but most are guitar and piano and are about getting in the presence of God,” he said.
Another album will take listeners through a time machine. He’s started with the sounds of music from the 70s, 80s and 90s and placed them in a church setting.
“What if James Brown did praise and worship at the local church. It’s the sound, but with godly lyrics,” he said.
Angela James will be featured on yet another of Jones’ album.
“I’m doing a song with her in the techno space,” Jones said.
James said she’s excited about the opportunity and is looking forward to the records dropping, and she’s focused on getting more of her own music out as well.
She hopes to release “Break-up Letters,” a song about breaking up with depression, fear and anxiety, in the spring.
Since she released “Don’t Give Up Now,” James has found a lot of people are dealing with those three issues. Often, people don’t want to talk about it, and that makes it even more isolating.
“You don’t realize other people are dealing with the same thing,” she said.
Recently she was part of a youth event at Old Frontier in Thomson and after she sang and spoke, about 20 young people wanted to share their own experiences. All but one, she said, told how they’d either attempted suicide or thought about it.
Others have told her that her song has helped them hold onto hope and faith when they were discouraged.
“A lot of testimonies have come out of this song,” she said.
To learn more about her music, follow her on Facebook or at her website.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
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