Jake Bugg Set To Release Fifth Album

Jake Bugg is eyeing releasing his fifth studio album in the autumn – if he can tour the record.

Bugg has revealed he’s sitting on his follow-up to 2017’s ‘Hearts That Strain’ because he wants to be able to perform the new collection for his fans, which is not possible with the current COVID-19 restrictions.

However, he’s hopeful that the LP will come out and he’ll be back on the road before the end of 2021.

He told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “I’ve written quite a few songs for this record so I’m picking out the best ones and putting it together.

“I guess it’s just about trying to tie it all in.

“Usually with album releases they’re accompanied by a tour. So it would be nice to try to see when it’s available for that to happen, so we can put the record out and tour it and play the songs in front of an audience.

“I’d like to release it later this year. Autumn would be nice but we’re going to have to wait and see.

“We’re going to put out a couple more singles leading up to the release of the album. And that’s one of the good things about having it kind of done is that I have songs to release and put out there for fans to listen to.”

The ‘Lightning Bolt’ hitmaker previously teased that his upcoming album will be “a bit more uplifting”.

He said: “Song-wise I’m pretty much there. Now, with the whole lockdown thing, I’ll try to write a few more for it.
“Before I even started making this record I decided I wanted something with a bit more energy, a bit more uplifting.
“Hopefully it’ll give people something to listen to in all of this.”

Jake has been embracing pop after he “turned [his] nose up a little bit” at chart music.

The 26-year-old musician – who was often compared to Bob Dylan at the start of his career – has modernised his sound since signing to Sony’s RCA Records in 2019.

That includes working with Steve Mac – the man behind hits for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Pink and Little Mix – on new tunes, including recent single, ‘All I Need’.

He said: “I have kind of always turned my nose up a little bit at a lot of pop music but as I’ve gotten older I’ve become more open-minded.

“Something I wanted to achieve with this record is to start working with people more in the pop world and to try and make my sound a little more modern with production and things.

“So working with Steve (Mac) was a different experience for me, but one that I really enjoyed.”