A native of East Lake Ainslie, Inverness County, James MacLean has played music for over 15 years. When he started lessons with Cape Breton guitarist Brian Doyle in his late teens, his love for traditional Cape Breton music began to blossom. After high school, James decided to pursue a degree in music, and under the tutelage of Scott MacMillan, earned his Bachelor of Music from Dalhousie University in 2015. James released his debut, self-titled album in 2018 with support from the Festival Volunteer Drive’ers Association through The Frank “Big Sampie” Sampson Award. Comprised of traditional Cape Breton tunes played on a flat-picked guitar, the album features accompaniment from some of Cape Breton’s finest musicians, including Mac Morin, Patrick Gillis, and Kenneth MacKenzie.