McMaster & James

Long before they became a fixture of Canadian playlists, Luke McMaster and Rob James were two Winnipeg musicians whose paths crossed in 1997 through the producer Chris Burke-Gaffney. Working first as Two Face, they performed and recorded under their combined names, shaping a soul and pop sound that found a ready audience on Canadian airwaves.

Their gold, self-titled debut, released in February 2000 on the ViK. Recordings label, yielded the hits 'Love Wins Everytime', 'Thank You', 'I Understand' and 'Sweet Sensation'. They toured nationally, opening Canadian dates for NSYNC and Christina Aguilera, including Aguilera's show at the Winnipeg Arena on 13 July. They won Entertainers of the Year at the Prairie Music Awards by fan vote, and 'I Understand' took Best Song. In 2001 SOCAN named 'Thank You' among the most performed Canadian pop songs on radio, but the duo parted amicably in 2002. McMaster moved into songwriting and production, placing material with Rihanna, Nick Carter and Marc Jordan, whose 2010 hit 'Falling Man' he co-wrote. James finished seventh on the fourth season of Canadian Idol in 2006. The pair reunited privately in 2019 for 'Thank You', with McMaster announcing plans for a tour, and again in 2023 at James's wedding.