New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Three-time GRAMMY Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multi-platinum singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist
James Bay will release his highly anticipated third full-length album, Leap, on July 8th via Mercury/ Republic Records.
For Leap, Bay worked with some of the most sought after producers and songwriters in a mixture of in person and remote sessions in Nashville & London including Foy Vance [Ed Sheeran], Dave Cobb [Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton], Ian Fitchuk [Kacey Musgraves,
Brett Eldredge], Joel
Little [Lorde, Taylor Swift] & Finneas [Billie Eilish, The Knocks]. Check out the full tracklist below!
To herald the arrival of the record, he just shared a brand-new single entitled "One Life." Bay previewed the single this week with a heartfelt note on socials talking about the inspiration behind the song - his relationship with his longtime girlfriend Lucy. On the song Bay said: "This is a song I wrote about me and Lucy. We first got together at 16 and have been together ever since. She's supported me since day 1. From open mic nights, right through to my biggest shows. It's been one adventure after another, but now we're on the biggest one of all. Raising our beautiful daughter Ada."
To announce the album and this next chapter, Bay shared a powerful letter on social media where he talked about his mental journey towards the making of this next body of work.
It arrives on the heels of "Give Me The Reason." The latter has already gathered nearly 8 million global streamsand right out of the gate, Rolling Stone detailed how the single captures "that feeling of being on the verge of letting go of someone, while looking for any excuse to give it another try." NME dubbed it "bittersweet," and mxdwn noted, "the song opens up with his iconic voice that ignites the listener." "
Give Me The Reason" was recorded at both Blackbird studios in Nashville and in London with producer Gabe
Simon [Lana Del Rey, Maroon 5, Calum Scott] and co-written with Foy Vance and features Ian Fitchuk on drums.
This summer
James will be joining The
Lumineers on their 2022 Brightside World Tour where he will be joining them on nine dates including Nashville's Bridgestone
Arena on
September 1st and Chicago's Wrigley Field on
September 3rd. See full dates below.
FROM JAMES BAY
In 2019 I was really struggling. I started writing songs to try and help me deal with fear, anxiety and problems with self-confidence. Feelings that run deep, that I've never wanted to share. Somehow, it all turned into some of the most hopeful and uplifting music I have ever made.
I didn't realize I was only halfway through making my third album when I came across John Burroughs' quote "leap and the net will appear". It was in a book about creative rediscovery and those words really sparked something in me. I was reading it because I was lost, feeling worthless. By 2020 I'd written a new batch of sad songs. I recorded them and thought the record was done. Then suddenly the world shut down and I couldn't tour my new music. All I could do was stay home and write more. That's when the album really started to take shape. It turns out there is light to be found even in the darkest moments.
I spend a lot of time (too much time) tangled up in negative thoughts. It's so easy to spiral. But during all that extra time writing, I decided to embrace my sadness rather than fight it and I began to recognize what lifts me up when things get tough. Suddenly I was pushing the boundaries of my writing in ways I never had before. I looked around at the people in my life that love and care about me the most and for the first time ever, I found a way to write from that emotion. I've always been afraid to go to those places, be that vulnerable; to say I love you, I need you and thank you in my writing.
It was so freeing to celebrate those people in my life that I love the most, that hold me up when I really need it. They're the ones who give me the courage to go for it, to dare. When I can't see the net, they give me the courage to leap.
Leap Tracklist
"
Give Me The Reason"
"Nowhere Left To Go"
"Save Your Love"
"Everyone Needs Someone"
"
One Life"
"Silent Love"
"Love Don't Hate Me"
"Brilliant Still"
"
Right Now"
"We Used To Shine"
"Endless Summer Nights"
"
Better"
James Bay 2022 Tour Dates:
Sunday 01-May Empire, Coventry
Tuesday 03-May Chalk, Brighton
Wednesday 04-May O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
Thursday 05-May UEA LCR, Norwich
Friday 06-May O2 Academy, Leicester
Sunday 08-May Asylum, Hull
Monday 09-May The Middlesbrough Empire, Middlesbrough
Wednesday 11-May City Halls & Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow
Thursday 12-May Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen
Friday 13-May Leadmill, Sheffield
Sunday 15-May The Watering Hole, Perranporth
Friday 20-May Radio City Hits Live, Liverpool
Saturday 28-May Victoria Park, Warrington
Thursday 02-June Big Stage @ 1886, Douglas
Saturday 04-Jun Argovia-Fäscht, Switzerland
Sunday 05-Jun Wild
Roots Festival, Ireland
Saturday 11-June Worcester Racecourse, Worcester
Friday 01-July Barn On The Farm, Gloucester
US Tour Dates (with The Lumineers):
Wednesday 17-August Bok Center, Tulsa OK
Friday 19th August American Airlines Center, Dallas TX
Saturday 20-August Moody Center, Austin TX
Wednesday 23-August Amway Centre, Orlando FL
Thursday 24-August Enmarket Arena, Savannah GA
Saturday 26-August State Farm Arena, Atlanta GA
Sunday 27-August Spectrum Center,
Charlotte NC
Thursday 31-August KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
Friday 01-September Bridgestone Arena, Nashville TN
Saturday 03-September Wrigley Field,
Chicago IL
Tuesday 06-September Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids MI
