FOLLOWS RECENT DEBUT EP STARTING OVER
TO JOIN LUKE COMBS ON HIS MY KINDA SATURDAY NIGHT TOUR FOR STADIUM SHOWS THIS SPRING
“WITH A CREATIVE CHEMISTRY SO POTENT YOU CAN ALMOST SEE SPARKS, THELMA & JAMES ARE A MUCH-NEEDED NEW DUO IN COUNTRY MUSIC” – GRAMMY.COM
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Undeniable duo Thelma & James, comprised of married singer-songwriters MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge, today release their rendition of “White Christmas” ahead of the holidays. The song follows news of their joining Luke Combs for his My Kinda Saturday Night Tour hitting stadiums across North America this spring and the recent release of their debut EP Starting Over.
“Over Christmas last year we were at my family’s place in South Carolina and Mack and I were just messing with ‘White Christmas’ on the guitar for fun,” Etheridge shares. We ended up working up a version that felt very us and stripped back. We posted it online and people seemed to dig it and that’s when the idea of cutting a real version of the song first formed. We both love Christmas time. There is something beautiful but also sad about this time of year and this version feels like both of those things.”
The “harmonizing songbirds” (MusicRow) breathe new life into the beloved song penned by Irving Berlin, made famous by Bing Crosby. A tune most know, Thelma & James offer an achingly melodic version reflecting their artistry. A testament to their unforgettable dynamic as a pair, GRAMMY.com notes Thelma & James have “a creative chemistry so potent you can almost see sparks” and “are a much-needed new duo in country music.”
Not realizing the best writing partner was right under their noses the whole time, their first co-write in over a decade produced viral track “Happy Ever After You” that Billboard notes as a “pared-back ballad of a love undimmed by the time and miles between.” The impromptu song made waves online with support from Kendall Jenner, John Mayer, Luke Combs and more. From there the duo began forging a musical path that led Atwood Magazine to detail them as having “heartbreak in their harmonies and fire in their veins.”
Porter and Etheridge co-wrote every song on the new EP Starting Over alongside trusted collaborators including esteemed songwriters GRAMMY® Award-winners Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna, Josh Osborne and more. Emblematic of their impactful songwriting, Starting Over features songs like “Parking Lot Prayers,” “Nostalgic for Nothing,” “Canaries in a Coal Mine,” “Chainsmokin Memories” that Atwood Magazine defines as “swampy Americana and bluegrass” and the “aching ballad” (Holler) “First Love.”
For more information, visit thelmaandjames.com.
Tour Dates on Luke Combs’ My Kinda Saturday Night Tour
March 21 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium
April 4 – Charlottesville, VA – Scott Stadium
April 11 – Ames, IA – Jack Trice Stadium
April 18 – South Bend, IN – Notre Dame Stadium
April 25 – Columbus, OH – Ohio Stadium
May 2 – Knoxville, TN – Neyland Stadium
May 9 – Norman, OK – Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
May 16 – Green Bay, WI – Lambeau Field
May 30 – Montreal, Quebec – Parc Jean-Drapeau
June 6 – Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Stadium
ABOUT THELMA & JAMES
An undeniable force, married Nashville-based singer-songwriters MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge form the musical partnership Thelma & James. 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,” which just earned Gold certification in Canada. Evolving organically from an impromptu video that earned praise from fellow artists like John Mayer, Luke Combs, Brandi Carlile and more, the song has since garnered over 20 million streams since its release. The pair signed to Big Loud Records in 2025 are doubling down on their fortuitous new musical chapter with the release of debut EP Starting Over, available now.
CONNECT WITH THELMA & JAMES
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE
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Media Contacts
Corey Brewer + Rachel Heatherly | Big Loud
corey@bigloud.com, rachel@
