James Cox, who has been playing bass for Virginia’s Nothin Fancy since 2016, has announced that he is leaving the group.
When he first came into the band, they described him as the quiet member as he mostly stayed still and rarely spoke, but over the intervening years, James has become active in the stage show with as big a personality as anyone in the group. If you’ve ever seen Nothin Fancy live, you realize that’s saying something.
Cox tells us that his reason for leaving is to focus on musical interests with his family.
“I have two projects I’m part of that demand more time and commitment for recording and playing live than I could give while remaining with Nothin Fancy.
One is The Jangles, which consists of myself and my twin brother, John. We focus on writing and recording original music that leans toward a 1960s sound, ranging from country and folk to surf rock and teeny bop. I play electric guitar, bass guitar, and harmonica in this project.
The other group is called The Mums. We play mostly original music that is influenced by 1980s and ’90s alternative rock, grunge, and shoegaze. I play bass guitar in this group, and John is on drums. There is also Lea Sharpe on guitar and vocals and her brother, Dan Sharpe, on lead guitar. I actually left this band in 2017 to play with Nothin Fancy, then rejoined in March of 2021 when Nothin Fancy was out of work because of COVID.
I am extremely grateful for the time I had with Nothin Fancy! I love those guys like family and I wish them all the best as we go our separate ways.”
Nothin Fancy returned the compliment, saying…
“Mike, Jacob, and Curt wish him all the best in his endeavors with the Jangles, and we encourage everyone to give James love and support as he starts this new chapter in his career.”
With the bass spot open, Nothin Fancy encourages anyone who would like to audition for the gig to please contact them by email.
