The
Magic Lantern

Happy new year! Ive been shockingly absent from your inbox for a while because after finishing the touring year at Irregular Folk in Oxford in mid-December, I needed a while to recharge, think and prepare for the year ahead. I trust you all had a wonderful holiday and if you’re looking onto the same slate grey sky as I am as I write this, then you’ll be wondering where all the good cheer went. But January never promised to love you, so now its time to pick up where we left off. Forza!

So, here we are. Cold & broke but with the promise of a full year of exploration ahead. A year when anything is possible. Positivity is a choice! That is my new mantra. Releasing the album and touring around the country was both thrilling and exhausting in equal measure. Your support has been amazing and its been great to make some new friends on the road.

2015 then holds the promise of the new. For me, that starts with the vinyl edition of the record which i’m relieved to say will FINALLY be released at the end of January with pre-orders available from next week!

Then i’m very excited to announce: ‘Love Of Too Much Living: Re-Makes’ album. When ‘Love Of Too Much Living’ album came out, I approached a collection of close musical friends and asked it they would be interested in doing covers or ‘re-makes’ of songs from the record. I’m delighted to say this re-conception of the ‘Love Of Too Much Living’ is nearly finished and i hope to release it in early february with covers from This Is The Kit, Rozi Plain, Sam Brookes, Wallis Bird & Emilia Martensson among others. Following the Re-Makes album,I plan to release a double AA side single, with a few special things, more info to follow! I’m putting some plans to together for some more extended touring, as soon as these firm up i’ll let you know.

In the meantime, I am very pleased to be able to share this lovely live video I made of Stitches with Janseem Cardoso for the At The Window Sill series. I hope you enjoy it! There are more videos to come over the next little while so stay tuned.

Live gigs coming up

21/01 – Undergrowth at The Greenbank, Easton, Bristol
20/02 – The Laundrette, Durham
24/02 – The Golden Lion, Bristol
28/02 – House gig, Fife
04/03 – The Prince Albert, Stroud
30/03 – Breath at St Thomas’s Hospital, London
04/04 – Hot House Festival, Halsway Manor

I’m absolutely delighted the announce the premiere today on Folk Radio UK of a short film directed by Tom McCagherty – ‘Somewhere Safe To Sea’ – made about me while I was recording the album (and growing a beard)! Who was to know there were so many more months to go before I finally got it finished!

Massive thanks to the crew – Tom Bryan, Andy Mitchell, Sam Louka, Joe Gubb, Tom Dinsdale , Nickolas Blomsby, Leanne Pletersky. Also to Wilf Merttens in whose flat i was living and Sam Lee for inviting me to support him at the Tabernacle.

It’s been a hectic few weeks since coming back from the first leg of the tour. Doors have been mended, boilers fixed, played a stupendous gig at Catweazle Performance-Space in Oxford, wrote a song with story teller and poet Rachel Rose Reid about Mary Anning, history’s overlooked female paelentologist, as well as remembering to breath.

Next stop the Grain Barge in Bristol this friday to play with Cocos Lovers and Hot Feet , see you there pals! x

First of all thank you so so much to everyone who came to the album launch party in London on the 4th October – thanks Diggs for the photo from the gig above. It was such a wonderful night that really felt like the culmination of a lot of things, I couldn’t have dreamed it any better, your presence made it what it was. Special thanks to Alabaster DePlume, FaceOmeter, Samantha Whates and Wilf Merttens for performing, Sam Overs for helping with the set up and Ella for lending the stage and Sam Lee and the Nest Collective for helping organise the night.

READ MY INTERVIEW WITH THE GENERAL BLOG

I have just finished the first leg of the tour and now returned to London tired but elated, if slightly damp – what a full on 7 dates in wildly different parts of the North of England, we met great people and made some strong connections – did some dry stone walling, found an abandoned mine, made plans to make an album with a new friend, drove over the amazing Humber Bridge at night, drank a lot of home brew, covered at least a thousand miles by train and car and emerged stronger for all of it!

Alabaster dePlume is a beautiful, inspiring and downright good man and its been a pleasure and a joy to play these dates in his company. I particularly enjoyed the piano and saxophone collaborations that emerged on the road, and we’re both excited to see where these might go!

THANK YOU so much to all the great people who came to see us and to the venues and places that put us up It was a privilege to meet you all and hope to see again soon!

Onwards now to the next leg of the tour starting this thursday at Catweazle Performance-Space in Oxford, then to support with the marvellous Cocos Lovers & Hot Feet!

J x

The album is finally out there in the world! Its been wonderful to see people connect with it after all this time making it and your feedback and messages have really touched me. Thank you! I was also very excited to read a lovely of the ‘Love Of Too Much Living’ in the Guardian today:

” an intriguing, compelling solo set …a singer-songwriter who is notable both for the quality of his thoughtful, gently compelling vocals and his instrumental work, has an easy, soulful style, and the ability to switch to a relaxed falsetto or throw in an unexpected unaccompanied song such as the the personal and self-critical 28 Years Old. He plays excellent finger-style guitar with occasional jazz influences, and provides sturdy piano work on the pained and thoughtful Air at the Top. A man to watch, whatever he calls himself..”

Read the full review here at The Guardian

The big news now is the ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY TOMORROW NIGHT!! SATURDAY 4TH OCTOBER! It’s going to be a really special night and it would mean a lot to me if you could be there to share it. Support comes from Wilf Merttens, Alabaster DePlume, FaceOmeter & Samantha Whates. Get your tickets in advance to make sure you can make it!

Tomorrow night is going to be special and then i plan to take all that energy out on the tour which starts next monday 6th October at the Prince Albert in Stroud. Hope to see you at the launch tomorrow or out on the road!

I really hope you enjoy the album and if you do please help me by spreading the word!

The Magic Lantern – ‘Love of Too Much Living’ Tour

4/10 – St Mark’s Church Hall, London – ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY
6/10 – The Prince Albert, Stroud^
7/10 – House Gig, Newcastle^
8/10 – Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lincoln^
9/10 – The Speak Easy at Fudge, Hull^
10/10 – The Fuel Café, Manchester^
11/10 – Burnlaw Commmunity
12/10 – The Independent Cafe, Scunthorpe^
16/10 – Catweazle Club, Oxford
20/10 – Old St Pancras Church, London tickets
24/10 – Grain Barge, Bristol* tickets
25/10 – The Goods Shed, Stroud* tickets
26/10 – The Lexington, London*
27/10 – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich* tickets
28/10 – Portland Arms, Cambridge* tickets
29/10 – Brighton, tbc
30/10 – Railway, Winchester* tickets
31/10 – UCLU Folk Society, London
12/11 – The Green Note, London tickets
19/11 – Bath Gallery, Bath
5/12 – House Show, Fife
10/12 – The Carlton Cinema, Westgate^
11/12 – The Lighthouse, Deal^
13/12 – Irregular Folk, Oxford
^with Alabaster DePlume

*with Cocos Lovers & Hot Feet

Big love and thanks!

Jamie x