In mid-June, Santa Cruz-born musician, James Durbin, kicked off his “All Over the Place” summer tour. The tour takes place throughout Santa Cruz County, with shows in Santa Clara and Sacramento counties, as well. The title also sums up the 36-year-old musician’s life so far–as a singer and guitarist who has played in numerous bands–spanning multiple genres–and toured in many countries
Durbin first garnered national attention in 2011 when he finished in fourth place on American Idol, performing classic rock staples from the likes of Queen and The Beatles. However, his love for onstage performance began years earlier, when he got involved with youth theater programs in Santa Cruz.
During high school, Durbin joined the community theater groups Kids on Broadway and All About Theater. He also played in the White Album Ensemble, where he met his mentor and lifelong friend, Dale Ockerman.
His American Idol success allowed Durbin to make a career out of his musical talents. “I didn’t know how to take the next step as a singer,” he said. He recalled that he hadn’t written much music yet, but sang a lot of covers, making American Idol an appealing next step.
Right after American Idol, he formed the James Durbin Band with several other local musicians.
In 2017, Durbin joined the heavy metal band Quiet Riot as their new lead singer. With Quiet Riot, he re-recorded their album Road Rage (2017) and made the album Hollywood Cowboys (2019). Durbin said that performing with them was fun at first, and cited playing for an audience of 30,000 at the music festival Heavy Montreal in Quebec as one of his favorite performances with the group. However, after a while, Durbin didn’t feel content with touring with Quiet Riot, recalling, “I realized you don’t have to do something you’re unhappy with.”
“I took a chance on myself,” Durbin said. He decided to fly solo, signing a record deal and beginning a residency show at the Hard Rock Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Durbin now plays in six different bands. Several of them are accompanying him on his summer tour–the classic rock cover band The Lost Boys, Songs with Friends/The Coastal Highwaymen, yacht-rock group Mustache Harbor, and his 80s tribute band Tainted Love. His other bands are a country group called Jim Willy and Metal Mouse. He’s also helping his wife, Heidi, record an album.
During the summer of 2024, Durbin joined forces with Dale Ockerman from the White Album Ensemble and the local musician Julian Colbeck to work with the legendary producer and musician Alan Parsons, who worked as a sound engineer on numerous iconic albums such as the Beatles’ Abbey Road and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
Durbin had worked with both Parsons and Colbeck before, in 2008, on Parson’s educational video series “Art & Science of Sound Recording,” which Durbin described as a “master class that people could purchase and then see how Alan Parsons sets up a session.”
He collaborated with them again in 2022 at Parson’s house, where they wrote and recorded an original song, “Give ‘Em My Love,” with Parson’s band. The track became a single on Parson’s 2022 album From The New World. The song was mastered by Colbeck’s son, who is a sound engineer at Abbey Road Studios.
At 36, Durbin has already worn many different hats and found much success as a musician. Through it all, he still chooses to call Santa Cruz his home. This has been a recurring theme throughout his career, even providing the basis for his 2018 album Homeland, which he wrote when he left Santa Cruz for Nashville to work with Quiet Riot. The album also marked a departure from his usual style– “I’ve always been the rocker guy…and I challenged myself and made an Americana/country album,” Durbin said. He called the album a “stark contrast” from the 80s hair-metal music that he played with Quiet Riot.
Durbin has fond memories of playing various shows around Santa Cruz county, including the Scotts Valley and Capitola Art and Wine Festivals and the Crow’s Nest Beach Party–where he performed last month. In 2016, the James Durbin Band played the 150th Anniversary Celebration of Santa Cruz near the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Durbin warmly recalled singing the chorus of his song “Santa Cruz” as fireworks lit up the night sky.
Durbin has Tourette’s Syndrome but the condition in no way impedes his musical career. He said that the rush of joy and excitement he experiences while performing “overtakes whatever is going on with my nervous system,” and called playing music a “beautiful distraction.” Durbin and his daughter enjoy watching the performances of the contemporary musical artist Louis Capaldi, who also has Tourette’s.
These days, Durbin lives in Watsonville with his wife and their three kids. He says he doesn’t find much trouble balancing his career and family life. “I basically work from home,” he said. He’s an active performer, but said for the most part, he returns home after every concert.
“Even if we finish at midnight or 1 a.m., I do the two or three hour drive home because there’s no place I’d rather be than home.”
Isabella Blevins
