Thelma & James have quickly turned an unexpected musical partnership into one of country music’s most talked-about new acts. Formed by married Nashville-based singer-songwriters MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge, the duo recently earned their first ACM Award nomination and wrapped their first stadium tour with Luke Combs. Not realizing the best writing partner was right under their noses the whole time, their first co-write in over a decade produced “Happy Ever After You.” Evolving organically from an impromptu video that earned praise from fellow artists like John Mayer, Brandi Carlile and more, the song has garnered over 30 million global streams since its release. The pair signed to Big Loud Records in 2025 are doubling down on their fortuitous musical chapter with the release of debut EP Starting Over and more new music on the horizon.