Jake Bugg

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Nottingham might not be known for its prodigious musical offspring, but that could be about to change as rising star Jake Bugg continues his quest to list his hometown firmly on the musical map. Bugg’s profile has risen massively since warming up on the local acoustic scene, playing a series of major artist support slots, racking up a huge number of views on YouTube and even having his work featured on BBC Olympic coverage – all by the tender age of 18!

Growing up on a council estate, and writing songs which are as earthy and blues inspired as they are catchy, Jake’s music fills a void in the much envied ‘working class hero’ band spot, recently vacated by Oasis. Small wonder then that the young singer-songwriter was handpicked by Noel Gallagher as support for his ‘High Flying Birds’ warm up show in Camden earlier in the year. A big hit with the crowds, as well as with Gallagher himself, Bugg’s talents were quickly snapped up for a full scale support slot on Noel’s sell out European tour.

And Noel Gallagher isn’t the only major name the young singer-songwriter has caught the attention of. He was recently surprised and flattered to be offered a support slot for The Stone Roses, playing to an audience which included British Olympic medalists Jessica Ennis and Bradley Wiggins, and told one newspaper ‘I thought I’d never even get the chance to see (The Stone Roses), never mind support them!’ He’s also performed alongside Snow Patrol, played on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’, and had his music featured on a nationwide TV advertising campaign for Greene King IPA.

The London Evening Standard called him ‘a natural, with the smoker’s voice of a man twice his age’, and the maturity to match too. NME made latest single ‘Two Fingers’ track of the week, complimenting an adult, but fiery, songwriting and classic sound which make Bugg stand out from the crowd: ‘(Lightning Bolt) sounds like it was recorded 50 years ago, and not by a 19-year-old from Clifton in Nottingham’. Another thing that marks him out from his peers is his desire to make it on his own merit, shunning the idea of TV talent shows despite being given the opportunities, and getting his first big break after hawking his demos round local radio stations to eventually earn himself a slot on Glastonbury’s ‘Introducing Stage’.

With a hotly anticipated album due out this autumn, although the future inevitably holds big things for Bugg, he hasn’t forgotten his roots: video for new single ‘Lightning Bolt’ is set proudly on the streets on Nottingham, and he will be visiting a series of favourite northern venues as part of his biggest ever UK headline tour.