An undeniable force, married Nashville-based singer-songwriters MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge form the musical partnership Thelma & James. Not realizing the best writing partner was right under their noses the whole time, their first co-write in overa 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 31 million global streams since its release. The pair signed to Big Loud Records in 2025 and earned their first ACM nomination for Duo of the Year just over a year after forming. Doubling down on their fortuitous new musical chapter, Thelma & James released their debut EP Starting Over as well as a string of resonating new singles including “Alternate Ending.”