The My Morning Jacket frontman will release his debut memoir One Wonders in April with reflections on his musical career and mental health journey
Jim James has spent the past few years working through decades of memories and experiences in therapy. The My Morning Jacket frontman’s breakthroughs inspired him to write a book, One Wonders, out April 13, 2027.
“Perhaps if I illustrated my journey, and how I began to deal with my own struggles with mental health, it could help people take a step toward getting out of their own darkness and depression,” James said in a statement about the origin on the project.
One Wonders will be released in all formats via Simon & Schuster and comes in at 336 pages. James will narrate the audiobook recording.
The memoir will span the musician’s life and career as he reflects “on finding my voice — both as a singer, songwriter and musician, and as a person wandering the earth wondering… what do I really want to SAY with my life overall?”
Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, the singer-songwriter formed My Morning Jacket in 1998. The band has released nine studio albums together, while James’ solo discography spans five albums.
“As I reflect on my own musical journey (from first learning to play the guitar to creating music in the present day) and navigating the complexities of life in general, I have been thinking a lot about my elders,” James said in a statement. “For so many of them, tradition was to never speak about yourself. You carried your victories and failures, your joys and horrors, quietly. A thought kept making its way into my mind: wouldn’t things be lighter for all of us if we shared more with other people?”
He added, “If nothing else, I hope the main thing someone takes away from this book (aside from learning more about the joys and challenges of being a working artist and musician) is that it’s okay to ask for help. Everyone is going through some sort of challenge in this crazy world. IT IS POSSIBLE to find your way out of darkness and despair, and begin to enjoy the subtle, beautiful, everyday victories of simply being alive.”
