=== 2011-2012: ''Sins by the Sea'' og ''The X Factor'' ===
I 2011 uploadede Arthur mange af sine egne sange til [[SoundCloud]] og [[YouTube]], samt et album med titlen ''Sins by the Sea''.<ref name="tumblr">{{Cite web|url=http://jamesarthur23.tumblr.com/|title=James Arthur Music – Tumblr|access-date=9. december 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130422071932/http://jamesarthur23.tumblr.com/|archive-date=22. april 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/JamesArthurMusic/videos|title=JamesArthurMusic's channel – Youtube|access-date=9. december 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://soundcloud.com/james-arthur-music|title=James Arthur Music – Soundcloud|access-date=9. december 2012}}</ref> Det uafhængige album indeholdt 16 spor.<ref>[https://open.spotify.com/album/1OXGqwjz75hY1O9nZWDkyG Spotify: Sins by The Sea - James Arthur]</ref> Arthur dannede sine egne musikalske projekter. '''James Arthur Project''' resulterede i indspillingen og udgivelsen af to EP'er, den ene pop-EP'en ''Hold On'', som The James Arthur Project i august 2012 lavede i samarbejde med John McGough.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0093IWGFC/|title=Hold On: The James Arthur Project: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads|access-date=9. december 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/TheJamesArthurProject|title=The James Arthur Project – Facebook|access-date=9. december 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCichjOB9Rkfx6mh54Vik2KQ/videos|title=John Mc Gough – Youtube|access-date=9. december 2012}}</ref> Sangene blev skrevet og arrangeret af McGough og mixet af Matt Wanstall med alle vokaler af Arthur.
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