Whispers and Megaphones is the solo project of James Staubes, a multi-instrumentalist who has been a part of a number of bands in Atlanta’s music scene since 1995.

Staubes cut his teeth on rock n’ roll in high school, forming his first band as a lead guitarist and singer with his brother Joey Staubes on bass and schoolmate Doy Cave on drums.

Calling themselves the Tribe of Ben, the band would rehearse for hours on end after school and on weekends, and though they performed only one gig (dubbed "The Final Premiere" as it was their first and last public performance), it nonetheless provided Staubes with an outlet to share and meditate on the music that moved him.

"The alternative music of the time influenced my guitar playing: REM, The Cure, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Replacements and Hoodoo Gurus," James says. "However the classics were my greatest teachers: Led Zeppelin, Rush, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and The Beatles. As a child of the 80’s I must admit some Hair Metal made its way in as well: Ratt, Iron Maiden, Van Halen and Whitesnake. Say what you will but these bands were staples on MTV."

As the three friends parted for college, the Tribe of Ben dissolved, but James says his move to Athens, Ga. (home both to the University of Georgia and to a long-established and growing music scene) was a great education in music as well.

"Being from Georgia there is a certain amount of pride in the state’s musical legacy," James explains. "I think I went to the University of Georgia for the music scene as much as I did for an education. I had seen the film Athens, GA Inside Out and knew about what was going on. I was thrilled to live there and be a part of it."

James involvement in the scene not only included stints in bands such as Victoria’s Secret, Ezra’s Pound and Sail, but also as a DJ on WUOG, UGA’s college radio station, a place that encouraged playing local talent as well as national independent music.

It was not until 2001 that Staubes rejoined his brother and recruited a new drummer to start a new rock project called Redshirt Freshman. The group allowed the Staubes brothers to perform the new songs they were writing and finally led to the release of their first CD, "Rendirse."

The band continued to play venues around Atlanta until band commitments started to erode, and in 2005 they joined guitarist friend Marcus to form Morning Lights, a project that not only widened the brothers’ musical horizons but also saw James pursue another instrumental passion on the drums. James and his brother are still working with Morning Lights and play at venues in Atlanta.

It wasn’t until 2006 that James became more serious about being a singer. As a friend listened to his music, she suggested that he stop burying his vocals behind effects and delays and see a voice teacher.

He took his friends advice, and by 2007 he had also built a small recording studio in his basement to both track his progress and record some of the songs that he’d been working on. The songs from the Whispers and Megaphones album were recorded as he took voice lessons from teacher Tracy Taylor.

Not content with simply making a rock record, James says he has even more plans on the horizon. In the meantime, however, this first self-titled album is free for download to share with friends and give feedback.