RISING DUO THELMA & JAMES DREAM UP AN “ALTERNATE ENDING”
SUPPORTING LUKE COMBS ON HIS STADIUM MY KINDA SATURDAY NIGHT TOUR
“COUNTRY MUSIC FOUND ITS MODERN-DAY SONNY AND CHER OR THE WHITE STRIPES. EXCEPT THIS MARRIED DUO SINGS NOT OF DEVOTION, BUT OF THE QUIET, HARROWING THROES THAT BREATHE BEFORE HOLY MATRIMONY.” – COUNTRY CENTRAL
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Today, rising duo Thelma & James release “Alternate Ending,” adding to their “growing canon of tragedy” (Country Central). The new song follows their first heartbreaker of the year, “If You Ain’t In Love By Now.” The pair are currently on their first-ever tour run as a duo supporting Luke Combs‘ stadium My Kinda Saturday Night Tour – hitting Scott Stadium tomorrow night in Charlottesville.
“We wrote this song in our home studio,” Thelma & James share. “We were talking about how there is always two ways things can play out. The truth and the alternate ending. I think Maggie [Chapman] actually said that exact sentence. And the song started from there. We debuted it last weekend on the Luke Combs tour for a stadium full of people!”
Written by Mackenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge alongside Josh Jenkins and Maggie Chapman, the “much-needed new duo” (GRAMMY.com) dream up an “alternate ending”:
Some nights I drink too much
I think about us
I scheme up and I dream up some alternate ending
We’re still in love
And it’s messing me up
And I don’t know if I’m good or just good at pretending
Last fall Thelma & James released their debut EP Starting Over. The culmination of an unexpected whirlwind year. 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 noted as a “pared-back ballad of love undimmed by the time and miles between.” The impromptu song made waves online with support from Kendall Jenner, John Mayer, Brandi Carlile and more – which led to their record deal, invitation to open for Combs on his stadium tour and fast-tracked rise.
For more information or tickets, visit thelmaandjames.com.
Thelma & James 2026 Tour Dates
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 15 – Green Bay, WI – Lambeau Field*
May 16 – Green Bay, WI – Lambeau Field*
May 29 – Montreal, Quebec – Parc Jean-Drapeau*
May 30 – Montreal, Quebec – Parc Jean-Drapeau*
June 5 – Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Stadium*
June 6 – Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Stadium*
Aug 8 – Oro Station, Canada – Boots and Hearts Music Festival 2026
Aug 29 – Edmonton, Canada – Boots and Hearts West 2026
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 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 and most recent “Alternate Ending.”
CONNECT WITH THELMA & JAMES
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE
Media Contacts
Corey Brewer + Rachel Heatherly | Big Loud
corey@bigloud.com, rachel@bigloud.com
