Jessica Rose James was born April 12,1988 on a military base in Vicenza, Italy, James relocated to central Georgia during the 1990s. She used the new location to her advantage, making weekly trips to Nashville to hone her songwriting amidst likeminded musicians. Her demo recordings soon made their way to David Massey, president of the rejuvenated Mercury Records, who subsequently brought her to the attention of Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid. James soon inked a contract with Island/Def Jam, and the label partnered her with songwriting guru Kara DioGuardi to help craft material for a debut album.