Jake Bugg (born Jake Edwin Charles Kennedy on 28 February 1994) is an English singer-songwriter. His self-titled debut album, '' Jake Bugg'', some of which was co-written with songwriter

Iain Archer Iain Archer is a writer, producer and solo artist from Bangor, Northern Ireland. He is a two-time Ivor Novello Award winner, winning the 2004 Album Award – ''Final Straw'' by Snow Patrol and Most Performed Work in 2016 for Grammy nominate ...

, was released in October 2012 and reached number one on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

. His second album, ''

Shangri La Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel ''Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ge ...

'', was released in November 2013 and his third, largely self-produced album '' On My One'', in June 2016. His fourth album '' Hearts That Strain'', a largely acoustic effort, produced by

Dan Auerbach Daniel Quine Auerbach (; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has ...

, was released in September 2017. After a gap of four years, in August 2021, Bugg released the more pop-influenced fifth album ''Saturday Night, Sunday Morning.''

Early life

Jake Bugg was born Jake Edwin Charles Kennedy in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

to musical parents who separated when he was young. His father, David Bugg, was a nurse, and his mother worked in sales, both parents having previously made recordings. He grew up in the

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People * Clifton (surname) * Clifton (given name) Places Australia *Clifton, Queensland, a town ** Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong * Clifton, Western Australia Canada * Clifton, Nova Sc ...

council estate of Nottingham and started playing guitar at the age of 12 after being introduced to the instrument by his uncle Mark. He attended Farnborough School Technology College in Clifton. He has described a formative musical moment when, aged 12, he heard

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...

's " Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" on an episode of ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

''. He was enrolled in a music technology course but, by the age of 16, he had dropped out and was writing and performing his own songs.

Career

2011: Beginnings

Bugg was selected to perform on the "BBC Introducing" stage at the

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...

at age 16 after submitting material to their website, and subsequently signed to

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it ...

. His songs were then placed on various BBC Radio playlists, with " Country Song" being used in a national TV beer commercial for Greene King IPA.

2012: ''Jake Bugg''

Bugg's self-titled debut album was released on 15 October 2012. Talking about Bugg and his debut, '' Clash'' hailed the "precocious talent fusing retro folk with blistering contemporary rock riffs". On 21 October 2012 the song " Two Fingers" charted at 28 in the UK while the album reached number one in the UK charts. The album has sold 604,100 copies in the United Kingdom and is the 57th best selling album of the 2010s decade. Bugg's touring band drummer Jack Atherton and bassist Tom "Robbo" Robertson performed on five songs on the album. On 22 May 2012, Bugg appeared on the BBC music programme '' Later... with Jools Holland''. In July, he kept a long term promise and performed on legendary radio show "Notts Live", hosted by Bainy and Andy Haynes. In August 2012 Bugg was a supporting act for Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at Belsonic Music Festival, Belfast. On 1 October 2012, he performed live on the

BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...

programme ''Live at Maida Vale''. In 2014, "Simple As This" was featured in the movie The Fault in Our Stars

2013: ''Shangri La''

Bugg had been in Malibu working with

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...

and

, and had had some interactions with

Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the ...

from the

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...

, working on the drums to some of his songs, including the single " Broken". On 8 September 2013, Bugg tweeted, "2nd album done! Hope you're all well!" On 23 September 2013, Bugg announced his new album, ''Shangri La'', along with a new single, "

What Doesn't Kill You What does not kill me makes me stronger (german: link=no, Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker) is part of aphorism number 8 from the "Maxims and Arrows" section of Friedrich Nietzsche's '' Twilight of the Idols'' (1888). It is quoted or a ...

". ''Shangri La'' was released on 18 November 2013. This album is named after the studio Bugg recorded it in. ''Shangri La'' includes

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

's drummer Pete Thomas, and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album has generally received positive reviews from the music community. Bugg was one of five nominees for the 2013 Brit Award for "British Breakthrough Act", which was voted on by

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...

listeners. The award was won by Ben Howard. On 28 June, Bugg performed an afternoon set on the Pyramid Stage at the

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, making him the first artist that has moved from the BBC Introducing Stage to the Main Pyramid stage in successive years. On 12 July, Bugg played the Radio 1 Stage at

T in the Park T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused B ...

. On 13 July he supported

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

at Hyde Park in London. On 20 July, Bugg headlined at the Splendour festival in Nottingham. On 2 August, Bugg performed at the

Osheaga Festival The Osheaga Music and Arts Festival (french: Festival musique et arts Osheaga) is a multi-day indie music festival in Montreal, Quebec, that is held every summer at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène. The festival takes place on six stages ...

in the Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, Quebec. On 23–25 August, Bugg performed at the

Reading and Leeds Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fes ...

on the Radio 1/NME stage. On 13 October, Bugg performed at

the Fonda Theatre The Fonda Theatre (formerly Music Box Theatre, Guild Theatre, Fox Theatre, and Pix Theatre) is a concert venue located on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style, the theater has hosted l ...

in Hollywood, California. The song "Me and You" was featured in the credits of the movie ''

Dumb and Dumber To ''Dumb and Dumber To'' is a 2014 American buddy comedy film co-written and directed by the Farrelly brothers. It is the third installment in the ''Dumb and Dumber'' franchise and a sequel to the 1994 film '' Dumb and Dumber''. The film stars ...

''. That same month, he was also at the River Stage at

Ottawa Bluesfest Ottawa Bluesfest is an annual outdoor music festival that takes place each July in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. While the festival's lineup historically focused on blues music at its inception, it has increasingly showcased mainstream pop, h ...

and performed at Paléo Festival near the

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial lak ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. His music was also featured in the movie '' The Fault in Our Stars''. On 5 October 2014, at Cardiff, he played for the first time two new songs: "Down the Avenue" and "Hold on You". A new song, "Feel What's Good", was in the soundtrack of ''

The Giver ''The Giver'' is a 1993 American young adult dystopian novel written by Lois Lowry, set in a society which at first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be dystopian as the story progresses. In the novel, the society has taken away p ...

''.

2016: ''On My One''

Speaking with NME in early 2015, Bugg said that he was working on his third album, of which "the content of the songs was much darker" than earlier work. On the 16 February 2016 he released free of charge a new song: " On My One". On 25 February his new single " Gimme the Love" debuted on BBC Radio 1. Bugg also talked about the forthcoming album '' On My One'', announcing its release for June. On 26 February he announced the album would be released on 17 June. He also shared the track list and revealed the artwork. In May 2016 a number of tour dates, in London and Nottingham, for June, were announced. His 2012 single " Trouble Town" was used as the theme for the BBC TV series '' Happy Valley'' broadcast in 2014 and 2016.

2017: ''Hearts That Strain''

On 2 August 2017, Jake Bugg's new single "How Soon the Dawn" was played on BBC Radio 1, hosted by

Annie Mac Annie Mac (born 18 July 1978), is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP (Annie Mac Presents) ...

. On 4 August Bugg released the single on all platforms with a music video. He later announced his fourth studio album titled '' Hearts That Strain''. It was released on 1 September 2017. He will embark on an acoustic tour through November to support the new album. Jake Bugg would also release a piano-laden song with Noah Cyrus called "Waiting". In December 2018 Bugg signed to Sony's

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

label in a bid to relaunch his career.

2021: ''Saturday Night, Sunday Morning''

On 26 October 2020 issued the single "All I Need". The song followed "Rabbit Hole" and "Saviours Of The City", the latter of which was the Nottingham singer-songwriter's first new music of 2020 when it was shared in April. He accompanied the release with a short film. On 19 March 2021, it was announced that Bugg would release his fifth album, ''Saturday Night, Sunday Morning'' in August 2021, featuring previously released singles "All I Need" and "Kiss Like the Sun". The album, his first effort under the Sony RCA label, is expected to be accompanied by a UK tour in Spring 2022.

Personal life and sponsorship

In April 2013, Bugg was reported to be in a relationship with English model, actress, and singer

Cara Delevingne Cara Jocelyn Delevingne ( ; born 12 August 1992) is an English model and actress. She signed with Storm Management after leaving school in 2009. Delevingne won Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2012 and 2014. Delevingne sta ...

. By 2017, model Roxy Horner was quoted by Nottinghamshire Live as his current girlfriend. The couple parted two years later. In June 2017, Bugg was confirmed as the shirt sponsor of his favourite and local football team,

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...

, taking the November slot in a season-long rotation. In September 2020 the club announced that Bugg would sponsor their away shirt during the 2020–2021 season.

Discography

Studio albums * '' Jake Bugg'' (2012) * ''

'' (2013) * '' On My One'' (2016) * '' Hearts That Strain'' (2017) * ''Saturday Night, Sunday Morning'' (2021)

Television appearances

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bugg, Jake 1994 births Living people 21st-century English singers 21st-century pianists English rock guitarists English rock pianists English rock singers English blues guitarists English male singer-songwriters Mercury Records artists Musicians from Nottinghamshire People from Nottingham 21st-century British guitarists NME Awards winners Indie folk musicians English male guitarists British male pianists 21st-century British male singers