The fires of industry burn brightly – it’s time to get this album out to the people!

Sorry it’s taking so long… I can’t release it until we’ve had a thousand meetings about who’s involved and in charge of what, sorting out tours and gigs, filming videos, shooting cover art…. it doesn’t seem to end.

When it’s time though it’ll mean everything’s done properly – well exciting!

In the meantime all I can do is keep smashing it at Ronnie Scotts every month with my kick-ass band (next one’s on the 20th July) and building it all up. I’ve got four different video directors on the case, already shot some cover art ideas, and getting loads of help with talking to labels, lawyers, agencies and so on.

As soon as it all starts kicking in the first place to look will be here, so thanks for keeping in touch.

Right … Read the rest

Had a real pickle this weekend – I won a competition to support Eric Clapton in Birmingham tomorrow night, which clashes with my monthly Ronnie Scott’s residency.

Plenty of you had planned to come along tomorrow, and I was really hesitant about cancelling, plus it’s such late notice.

In the end though, I figured it was something I just have to do, especially as I’m at Ronnie Scotts bar every month. I really hope you understand and would still come along another night.

This is the first time I’ve really pulled a gig – I hate it and i’m sorry. Promise I’ll try extra hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Thanks so much for all your support and hope to see you again soon!
LOADS of love!
jake x… Read the rest

The album has now been mastered, and the force is definitely strong in this one.

Co-producer Phill Brown (who has worked on classic albums before) rates it as a classic album, the whole team are over the moon and we’ve already had calls from record labels before we’ve even approached any.

Current plan is to do some single releases leading up to an album launch later in the year but still TBC. Can’t wait to do album covers and video shoots! Already getting started on those.

If you’re interested in what mastering is about, take a look at this.… Read the rest

We came, we laid the smack down, we rode off into the sunset.

So thrilled with the result of last week’s album mix sessions. Phill Brown absolutely nailed it behind the desk! Massive thanks also to Calum MacColl for working his arrangement / edit magic on everything – I really hit the jackpot with producers on this one.

Feel rather elated really – I keep thinking how each noise on the record was played by someone at some stage, and the sum total of all those noises played by all these people in all these moments just feels enormous.

Right! back to the present and I’ve got a gig to head off to – the first night of my Ronnie Scotts Residency. Rehearsals for it at the weekend went really well so can’t wait for it x… Read the rest

Re-e-e-e-e-wind! So my last attempt at mixing the album didn’t exactly work out :-(
Basically the music was so good (or so terrible) that the big desk in the studio kept crashing and overheating and going all Marvin on me.

SO! we carried out all manner of ancient sacred rituals to find out when the stars would align again in glorious harmony, and the answer was NEXT WEEK. I’m going to scoot off for a quick week of session work in Ireland, then we’ll get this bird into the air, flying like an eagle with blue skies to roam and love in its heart and a song in its beak.… Read the rest

Really fun night last night – me and John opened the show for Diana Vickers, an ex x factor finalist. Luckily they didn’t force us to sing 1 min 30sec versions of old pop songs and tell me my dress isn’t very flattering. Any Diana fans found there way on to this site?! Helloooo to yoooo…

The best bit however was probably when her crew loaded all of our gear into their van and almost drove to manchester with it…

Cool night tho! I wonder what Simon would have made of our performance?… Read the rest

I’m working on my first full-length album at the moment. Several people who have been through this process have likened it to having a good poo…

I think it’s more similar to ketchup in a glass bottle – hard to get going, then everything comes out in huge unstoppable waves, then it takes ages to get the last bit.

Personally I think it’s been the most rewarding and exciting thing I’ve ever done, and I’m just stunned by the results. It’s easily the best music I’ve ever written, performed by the best musicians I’ve known, and brought to life by two of the best engineers / producers in the business.

Can’t wait to show you all!… Read the rest

Check out this video filmed in the illustrious setting of a garden shed…
… Read the rest

This year I’ll start be doing a monthly residency at London’s Ronnie Scott’s Club.

Most people know it as the home of jazz music in the UK, but it actually puts on a wide variety of music, including these nights run by the wonderful Vaz from TV Nights.

The dates will all be Tuesday nights – the 20th April, the 18th May and the 15th June – and I’ll be joined by the same incredible musicians who performed so excellently on my recent album recording sessions.

Can’t wait – hope you can make one of them!… Read the rest

The band and I, or Jake Morley And The Replaceables as I’m pretending to call us to annoy John and Harry, eased back into live performance with a few consecutive dates last week.

The always-wonderful TABARNAK totally acoustic night, Shuga Buddha‘s night at Balham’s fine venue The Bedford, and finally a date at Stratford-upon-avon’s Cox’s Yard venue supporting Ezio.

It feels so great to go out and play again after all these months writing and recording! When the record’s done we’ll make some more serious live plans for the year.

Thank you SO much to everyone who came along to any of these nights – especially all the people who’ve messaged me since then to say how much they enjoyed it. I’ll certainly make sure I swing by Stratford again this year x… Read the rest