Looking like a young, rugged Ian Brown and sounding like Bob Dylan, Jake Bugg is 2012′s answer to Alex Turner.
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A teenage singer songwriter with mansize talent, Jake Bugg’s arresting vocals sound as though they are from another era. First picking-up a guitar at the age of twelve, the young romantic began to write spine-tingling tunes about devastating love and heartbroken woes when he was just fourteen. Unusually confident and forthright, he’s a proper scally with awesome stage presence. Arriving onto the radar last year after his performance on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury seventeen-year-old Jake is now signed to Mercury and recently unveiled his debut single ‘Trouble Town’ which Zane Lowe swiftly earmarked as his ‘Single of the Week’. Still a Clifton, Nottingham boy born and bred, this Northern soul prefers hanging-out at his mate Jaz’s yard to spending time in The Big Smoke and never leaves home without his phone or lighter. His songs are for lovers, running away just for Valentine’s Day.
What was the first song you ever learnt to play on the guitar? ‘Mad World’ was the first song and the first riff was ‘Day Tripper’. Which person has had the single greatest impact on your sound? Probably Don McLean or Donovan it’s hard to say. Tell us about the first gig you ever played… I was about 14 or 15 and if I remember rightly the crowd was decent and I wore a tracksuit top. I enjoyed it very much. How do you feel when you listen back to your music? When I listen to my music, I listen to see how I can improve it. I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed listening to it, but you have to get used to that. What’s your favourite class at school? Probably P.E. to be honest. If you weren’t pursuing a career in music what would be your dream job? Being a footballer would be cool. Lyrically what are your songs about? A number of things, most of them are about girls. Where do you buy your clothes? Fred Perry, Burberry, Lacoste, J.D, whatever’s comfortable. If i-D online could grant you three wishes what would they be? Let my album do well, bring Hendrix back to life so I can jam with him and and take me back in time to see The Beatles live. What are your top 5 hang out spots in Notts? 1. Fairham Fields. 2. My mate Jaz’s yard. 3. Spring Onion. 4. Black Path. 5. Up the shops.
Text: Milly McMahon
Photographer: Ellis Scott
Film: Asylum Films
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