THELMA & JAMES CAN’T STOP “CHAINSMOKIN MEMORIES”
NEW SONG OUT NOW
A MILLION LISTENERS EACH MONTH ACROSS PLATFORMS AFTER ONLY FIVE MONTHS AS DUO
Unfolding another layer of their artistry as a rising duo, Thelma & James today release the dusky new song “Chainsmokin Memories.” It’s the third-ever from the pair who’ve racked up a million listeners each month across platforms just five months since their first release.
“Going into our third song release we wanted to switch up the energy a little bit. Bring the tempo up (just a little) but keep it honest and still sound like us,” shares Thelma & James. “We were writing a completely different song when someone described a feeling of remembering an ex like ‘chain smoking memories’ – one after the other, snapshot after snapshot of that relationship. We wrote it about knowing it’s not healthy to go back down memory lane with that person, but you can’t help it… just like an addiction.”
The musical partnership between married Nashville-based singer-songwriters MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge is an undeniable force that created viral “Happy Ever After You” and “First Love.” Adding to their growing catalog, the new song is marked by western flair and co-written by Porter and Etheridge alongside Jordan Minton, Jordan Reynolds and Parker Welling, and produced by Lonas.
Porter and Etheridge’s haunting harmonies deliver a smoky, infectious chorus:
Good God, it’s bittersweet
It’s like cinnamon and nicotine
And I don’t care if it’s killing me
Can’t stop chainsmokin’ memories
Doubling down on the fortuitous new musical chapter, Thelma & James are currently in the studio with plans for more new music soon to follow. In the meantime, fans can catch the pair at CMA Fest this summer with more touring news to come.
ABOUT THELMA & JAMES
An undeniable force, married Nashville-based singer-songwriters MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge form the new 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.” 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 listens since its release. The pair signed to Big Loud Records in 2025 and have since released “First Love” and recent “Chainsmokin Memories.” Doubling down on the fortuitous new musical chapter, Thelma & James are currently in the studio with plans for new more music to follow.
CONNECT WITH THELMA & JAMES