In October 2012, the world was formally introduced to Nottingham’s very own Jake Bugg – a shy, to-the-point, scruffy-haired 17-year-old playing acoustic three-chord folk songs about growing up on council estates and getting into fights at parties.
For many, ‘Lightning Bolt’ will be the first memory of hearing Bugg’s music. The song, despite being his first single to gain any real attention from the charts, is undoubtedly Bugg’s biggest and most memorable tune. Perhaps then, it makes sense that the song serves as the opening to Jake’s incredible self-titled debut album, which this October is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
‘Jake Bugg’ was instantly well-received and loved by critics and fans alike, with the album appearing on many publications’ end of year lists and selling over 604,100 copies in the UK. Through the LP’s fourteen songs – seven of which were released as singles – ‘Jake Bugg’ tells the story of a young boy, disillusioned with his hometown, his family life and relationships, and serves as the angst-filled soundtrack for a generation.
In songs such as ‘Two Fingers,’ Jake directly references his love-hate relationship to his hometown and the feelings of escape that resonate with him: “I go back to Clifton to see my old friends…I got out, I got out, I’m alive and I’m here to stay”
As Jake and his fans reflect on 10 years since the release of his memorable debut self-titled album, many will find themselves rummaging through his back catalogue and exploring his discography since 2012, much of which has been lost in the shadow of the debut album.
For the anniversary, Jake has re-released and remastered the debut album, featuring many new demos and unreleased songs, which were scrapped from the original track list.
Fans can expect to hear, for the first time, original studio recordings of gig favourites such as ‘It’s True’ – which Jake has been playing for the past ten years – and the full, live recording of Bugg’s set at the Royal Albert Hall, in which he plays the album in its entirety alongside favourites from the rest of his discography.
Jake is also playing at Nottingham’s own legendary Motorpoint Arena on November 26 to celebrate the albums anniversary, in which he will be joined by a range of special guests, who have featured at various parts of his career.
While reflecting on his first album and the career that has followed, speaking to The Sun in 2021, Bugg remarked “It was a brilliant start, wasn’t it?”
Commercially, Bugg has never outperformed his debut, however, has continued to make music consistently through his life, releasing four albums since, with his most recent album, Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, released in 2021 becoming his second most successful, taking on a more dance-inspired, feel-good sound.
Ten years may have passed, however the youthful, electric sound of ‘Jake Bugg’ lives on, and will continue to for years to come.
Image Credit: EMI Records