Jake Bugg

Dave’s theme for TurnTable Talk was “That’s New!” I hope you can dig back into your memories and recall one artist you heard that was unknown to you but made you instantly react with a “Wow! That’s good!” . It might be someone you discovered as a kid, could be someone you just found out about this month, could be a first release or could be some old, established artist you didn’t know about… just something that was new and exciting to you.  You might also add if you continued to enjoy the artist in later years…

I knew nothing about Jake Bugg back in 2012. He popped up on YouTube as something I might like. Well, that did the trick. Jake Bugg caught my attention in 2012 when the song Two Fingers was released. It has an older feel to it. It did not chart in America, but it did peak at #28 on the UK charts. I like the echo in his voice, and the chorus will stick with you.

The next song I heard by him was Lighting Bolt. The song peaked at #26 in the US Adult Alternative Songs Billboard and #15 in the UK in 2013.  The song was on his self-titled debut album. Jake is an artist who could have debuted in the 60s and ’70s and fit in perfectly.

Jake Bugg’s debut album debuted at #1 on the UK charts. He was only 19 years old when he became the youngest British male ever to have an album enter the charts at the top position. The song was about his home life growing up. He said it wasn’t exactly like the video, but not far off.

I don’t attend many concerts anymore, but in December 2018, my son and I saw him at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, with Kelsey Waters opening up. There was an even mixture of young and old to see the 23-year-old play. He has listed influences as diverse as  Jimi Hendrix, Donovan, and Nick Drake. He played with mostly just an acoustic and knocked the place out.

I have followed him ever since. He is always changing, but always brings up something good to the table. In the era of boy bands, this talented artist came up and made a noise. This wasn’t One Direction, who were popular at the time; this was rootsy music, not choreographed for a video.  Bugg was his own man.

From the first time I heard Two Fingers…I knew I found a newer artist that I truly liked.

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all. View all posts by Badfinger (Max)