Singer Jake Bugg on Musical Influences & Tour Essentials

I'm here with this handsome chap, Jake Bugg. How are you, mate?

Alright, mate, how are you?

I'm my fellow Brit. How are you doing? It makes it easier for us to chat, because people probably have trouble understanding me and understanding Jake in this country called America. Um, but you're doing very well over here. As you are in England, you're nailed it in England, but you're doing great over in the States right now. It's exciting times.

Yeah, definitely, man. It's uh, it's nice to come over here and uh, tour a little bit, and Yeah, man, it's uh, it holds a lot of musical history for me.

You've performed to small crowds and big crowds. How is it? How is it different?

It's funny, 'cause uh, you know, the more intimate a show can be, the kind of more nerve-wracking it can be. Like, right, than suppose, like going out in front of a big festival crowd, 'cause after like the first few rows, like people's faces start blurring into one another, so.

Right.

But when it's You know, I played at I played a gig in a house the other night, which was pretty chilled, and it's nice, 'cause as the venues get bigger, you kind of missed doing the smaller shows, and you know, and it was a nice setting, and I I don't know, I mean, you can play a massive room, and it can still have an intimate feel to it. It's all about what atmosphere the crowd kind of creates, really. Um, and you can play a small gig, and it can be terrible.

Right.

But just recently, they've been great.

Who would you say are your inspirations? In the in the past and present?

Um, well, it's always inspiring, like, when you meet people that have, you know, been an influence, and you know, that's a very inspiring thing, that people that have been an influence take an interest in in what you do. And um, and as you meet new people, you might not have heard of before, and they might show you a trick or two, that's that's, you know, that's very influential and very inspiring. Now, I'm a big fan of blues music, like, feel like Robert Johnson, Son House, and Skip James, and you know, a lot of old blues stuff. And then it just kind of goes down from there. I mean, you know, even if something's you don't you think something's terrible, you can still take something away from it. Everyone I see just wants to walk, but I just stay in my time.

Is there anyone that you would love to be on stage with?

Anyone I'd love to be on stage with? Um, Oh, it depends. I I kind of like a bit of spontaneity, when someone just comes out of the darkness and just uh, starts playing a little bit of something. It's never happened yet though.

Who's uh, who's been the best person that you've had on stage? The best person I've had on stage? The best performer.

Well, I don't even think I've ever performed with than any other one.

So, you haven't you haven't been able to tell them to get off the stage?

I know, yeah. I know. Well, they might tell me to get off the stage. Who knows?

We need to make this collaboration happen. Yet to be seen. It'd be like Reach the Buzzer. Be like one of them game shows. Who's gonna buzz the other person off first? They have that, don't they? It's called America's Got Talent. We'll make our own, just with us. This is perfect. Don't ruin my idea, Jake. This is my idea, and I'm rolling with it. What are three things that you can't that you couldn't be without on your tour bus?

Oh, three things. I have to be um, have to be the band. That's a fact. In fact, I could do without them.

You would be surprised at some of the answers I've been given with that question on this, over with band. Um, they end up just being on their own with a toothbrush and an iPod, that's it.

Yeah.

So we got you a band, that helps.

I'd have to say the crew now, 'cause they might watch this. They'd have something else to say. But, you know, what The gig won't start with that without them though.

Yeah, it's good. They're probably the best most uh, sensible answer we've been given on this over. And um,

kettle, I suppose.

Yeah, man. You know, you did miss out, your manager's sitting over there. You said, "You've got." Well, he only ever comes to the like big shows. Whenever you're doing LA, he's there. He's not there when you're like playing, you know, Salt Lake City or something like that. It's Keith, he's just there for the glamour. LA, New York and London. He's there.

Yeah, he's there.

And you you your songs, you know, you're 19, right? 19 years old. Very advanced for a 19-year-old. Lyrically, where do you, you know, take us through the process of writing one of these songs?

Um, well, sometimes, I mean, you can write a song lyrically in like 10 minutes, and sometimes it can take, you know, a bit of time. And it all depends, man. I mean, that's the great thing about it, you just come up with songs and lyrics like in different ways. Like sometimes some songs you might not even write down a lyric at all. Might just be subconscious, and it's just lyrics pouring out of it, and it just all strings together. But on my first album, a lot of the songs were kind of about, you know, where I was from, and what I'd experienced growing up, and uh

Two fingers.

Yeah, things I'd seen, yeah.

Right. that nice English reference there. But it's nice when you come over here and play two fingers, 'cause they have their fingers the other way. It's completely miscommunicated, isn't it? I've read that.

Yeah. But I like it, 'cause, you know, I think songs are for people to receive them, and how they receive them is up to them, and, you know, if it has a different meaning for somebody else, then that's great.

Right. Completely different meaning. That's all we're saying on that one. Jake Bugg, buy his record. Very talented young man. Bringin' real music back.