Jamie Webster: Small Town Life
(Modern Sky)
DL/Streaming
Out Now
Jamie Webster releases Small Town Life, another taste of his fourth album, Running Round The Sun, with a video featuring some familiar faces.
Small Town Life arrives a month after the track Just Begun, which accompanied the announcement of his new album. It’s a gripping cut of new music, co-written with Kieran Shudall of Circa Waves and borne of his sessions at the legendary Rockfield studios in the company of ace Manic Street Preachers producer, Dave Eringa.
Both the new single and album present us with an opportunity to come back to Jamie’s story, the electrician that became the voice of a generation via rootsy hits such as Welcome To Paradise, becoming the first ever No.1 artist on the UK Official Folk Albums Chart, selling out to 32,000 at Liverpool’s Sefton Park – just 5 miles from where he grew up in Norris Green, and scoring three Top 10/Top 5 albums… but that trajectory takes some strength to navigate mentally. Has it all been plain sailing? Unfortunately not. The singer-songwriter is blessed with thousands of fans who are waiting to read his next interview, but for every ten mega fans, there’s always one loudmouth dissenter… For any artist, that uninformed criticism is tough…
Along with being a radio-friendly rocker, Small Town Life is accompanied by a video shot on location in Liverpool by acclaimed director, James Slater, which brings those themes to life, celebrating the opportunities music has afforded Webster, whilst reflecting the values that remain central to his observational worldview. Whilst heartwarming, it also has an edge, showing that all is not always well behind the smiles.
Jamie has gathered together some familiar faces, including Brookside and The Royle Family legend, Ricky Tomlinson, which brings the pair back together publicly for the first time since that aforementioned unforgettable evening in Sefton Park; Walton born G’Wed and Betrayal actor, Paddy Rowan and Toni Duggan for whom the artist has reached out across his home city’s red/blue divide also to welcome the former Everton Women and England international footballer, ensuring the video features another group of world-beating, homegrown talent.
The eagerly anticipated 12-track follow up to his last Top 5 album, 10 For The People, released back in 2024, Running Round The Sun is due on 4th September and available to pre order here.
Jamie Webster can be found on Facebook, X / Twitter and Instagram
All words by Iain Key. See his author profile here or find him via his LinkTree
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