New York, NY (Top40 Charts) YouTuber & musician RHETT JAMES MCLAUGHLIN-one-half of the comedy duo Rhett & Link from their popular daily show "Good Mythical Morning"—has announced plans to release his first solo music project, JAMES AND THE SHAME. Born in Macon, GA and raised in North Carolina, RHETT grew up surrounded by the sounds of his father's musical heroes such as Merle Haggard,
George Jones,
Roy Orbison and
Elvis Presley whose classic melodies inspired him to begin writing his own music. On his debut album, HUMAN OVERBOARD, due
September 23, RHETT captures his reverence for the foundations of country music while paying ode to his youth. With impassioned and deeply personal lyrics, HUMAN OVERBOARD details RHETT's journey away from Christianity.
JAMES AND THE SHAME's first single "BELIEVE ME" delves into his spiritual deconstruction and the reaction he received after making the announcement publicly on his podcast with LINK, "Ear Biscuits." With the song's chorus-"I'm not asking you to agree, I'm just asking you to believe me, You say my heart was never true, that might say more about you."
RHETT lays his truth bare with earnest conviction. The sentiment is further embellished in the music/lyric video which shows RHETT performing alone in a room while the track's poignant lyrics display throughout. Watch it streaming below or directly now. "
Believe Me" is out now across all digital platforms, stream it now at: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jamesandtheshame/believe-me.
"'Believe Me' sets the tone both musically and conceptually for my upcoming album," shares RHETT. "When I went public with my story of spiritual deconstruction in 2020, I was struck with the number of assumptions made about me. This song is my answer to those folks."
Influenced by artists including Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, and Sturgill Simpson, who've used conventional country music to carry messages that challenge viewpoints often associated with the genre, HUMAN OVERBOARD is a deeply personal musical exploration of RHETT's evolving worldview.
Growing up in a devout Christian home, RHETT's faith only deepened as he transitioned to adulthood, when he worked as a full-time missionary on college campuses in the South. Eventually, doubts about the truth of Christianity began to plague him, and after a long battle of attempting to piece together the remnants of his shattering faith, he began to embrace uncertainty and finally abandoned his traditional perspective.
