Jake Bugg isn’t sure he’d get a record deal in “current climate”
The singer-songwriter famously clinched a record deal at age 16
by Daniel Peters · NMEJake Bugg has revealed in a new interview that he is unsure he would get a record deal in our “current climate”.
The singer-songwriter appeared on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X to discuss his career, which launched when he clinched a record deal with Mercury Records at age 16 in 2010. He released his debut self-titled album two years later.
In the chat, he cautioned that the success he attained in his early years was only the beginning – and he doubts he would get the same opportunity now if he is just starting out. “I think it’s even more difficult to get a record deal now,” Bugg told Moyles.
“People still bought CDs when I put my first album out, and it’s changed so much since then. So yeah, I wouldn’t even know if I’d get one now. You just never know.”
He also talked about his experience touring with Liam Gallagher and John Squire, and how he’s “enjoyed those support shows”, adding, tongue-in-cheek, that it’s because they’re “only half an hour”.
Bugg is set to perform at a Streets of London fundraiser to be held at the Royal Albert Hall on December 13 alongside Bastille, Passenger, Birdy, and more. Tickets for the event sold out within the first 40 minutes of sales.
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In 2025, Bugg will hit the road with Supergrass for their ‘I Should Coco’ 30th anniversary tour, along with an appearance at a massive Stereophonics summer gig to be held at the Royal Sandringham Estate.
Bugg released his sixth album ‘A Modern Day Distraction’ last October – it sees the troubadour flirting with punk rock and Motown sounds. In an interview with NME, Bugg spoke about the influence Green Day has had on his life and music.
“‘American Idiot’ is an absolutely brilliant album. For a band to have their biggest album, that many years [into their career], just shows what a great songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong is,” Bugg said.
“To write an album that resonates with so many young people, a whole new generation, is just a reflection of how influential they are. I got to see them play ‘American Idiot’ in full, in Marlay Park in Dublin [this June]. I was like a 14-year-old boy all over again, going mad, doing shots and singing along.”